Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images Kellen Moore is reportedly a top target for the Dallas Cowboys coaching job. Who would have ever thought that the quarterback Scott Linehan brought to the Dallas Cowboys from their time together with the Detroit Lions could one day run the show? To be clear nothing is official yet, and nothing is even reportedly close to being official, but we are starting to see some serious smoke around the idea of Kellen Moore being named the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Thursday marked the third full day in which the Cowboys’ job was posted on Indeed.com (imagine!) and it was a significant one as Dallas formally put in an official request to interview Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Moore’s history with the Cowboys is incredibly well-known. A decade (basically) ago Linehan brought him in, he hung out at the bottom of the roster, he inherited the QB2 position in 2016 and after he broke his ankle in training camp in 2016 the first domino fell towards the Dak Prescott era. Another year and a half later Cooper Rush had beaten Moore out for the aforementioned QB2 job and thus began his career with a headset instead of a helmet, something that always felt like his destiny. Moore served as the Cowboys quarterbacks coach for a single season before taking over as offensive coordinator for four more. The team moved on after 2022 and he spent 2023 with the Los Angeles Chargers before winding up in Philly. He has interviewed for head coaching opportunities many times before, including the one that went to his current boss, Nick Sirianni, but it appears that the one he has with Dallas this weekend could wind up being the one. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport spoke about Dallas placing an official request for Moore and noted that while Deion Sanders has generated a bulk of the headlines relative to the job, Moore should be considered at worst an equal favorite for the job. Maybe even more of one. From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Cowboys want to talk to #Eagles OC Kellen Moore and he’s considered to be a very strong candidate in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/u2fWc4Xykd — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 17, 2025 “First of all, we’ve spent a lot of time on this show, and there’s been a couple of other shows that have mentioned this… the Deion Sanders component of Cowboys coaching search. And that has obviously generated a lot of the headlines and a lot of the focus.” “Kellen Moore should be at least in that conversation, probably more. This is someone who is considered to be a top candidate for the Dallas Cowboys. I’m not saying the top candidate. Just certainly someone to watch and discuss and consider moving forward.” “It’s not just that they know him as a, ‘okay well he’s been in the system there.’ He grew up in the franchise! He was a backup quarterback to Tony Romo and then got injured and then somebody named, oh what’s his name, oh Dak Prescott! Yes! Dak Prescott! Took over and the rest is history.” “Dak knows him well. They have a great relationship. So yes, they are going to interview him. That is going to be, I believe actually in the, within the next 48 hours.” “But it’s not like they really need to interview him. They’ve seen him up close. They know how he works. They know what kind of coordinator he would be. They believe they know what kind of head coach he is going to be if he gets the opportunity. This certainly is one to keep an eye on and it makes a lot of sense for all parties on this one.” It seems notable that Rapoport felt the need to clarify that Moore was at worst on an equal level with Sanders as far as chances for the job. You can see that Moore should be even given “probably more” deference which is really saying something. Perhaps the most interesting/worrisome thing is how Rapoport noted that the Cowboys don’t even really need to interview Moore. The point is fair and understood in that Dallas obviously knows him, but this sounds like something you say when a decision is already made. He has commanded inferior offenses since leaving. Mike McCarthy commanded an amazing one in the first year that he was gone. Those are fair things to ask questions about for the front office. Maybe they are. Perhaps this is all just talk. But whatever the case this seems like a significant thing to say and note relative to the Cowboys job.

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Cowboys have a lot of positions of need on their roster. It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys have a lot of work to do coming off of one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory. But before they get to free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, they have to have a good understanding about their roster “needs” and how best to try to address them. With that in mind, we thought we would take a look at the Cowboys current depth chart on the offensive side of the ball to help determine which positions are the most concerning right now prior to free agency and the draft, and which ones could possibly be okay heading into next season. This depth chart exercise removes Cowboys players who are free agents heading into the 2025 season. Quarterback Dak Prescott, Will Grier The quarterback position is not the most concerning heading into the offseason for the Cowboys. Dak Prescott is the starter for the foreseeable future and will be working himself back from a season-ending hamstring injury, with Will Grier as the only other QB under contract for 2025. That could make Cooper Rush a priority re-sign considering how well he played as an injury fill-in, a role he seems content to undertake. Running back Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke Aston Jeanty to the rescue? There’s a reason the Boise State RB has been a favorite getting mocked to the Cowboys in the first round. Heading into the offseason the Cowboys do not have a starting-caliber running back on their roster. Re-signing Rico Dowdle makes a lot of sense and there could be mutual interest between the two. And fortunately, the 2025 RB draft class is a deep one. They should be able to easily upgrade the position that way. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, KaVontae Turpin (RFA), Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy The depth behind CeeDee Lamb leaves much to be desired. Even KaVontae Turpin, who is a restricted free agent and will either need to be signed to an extension or tendered to stick around next year, hasn’t been able to become a consistent weapon in the passing game. And while it’s still a little premature to judge the Jonathan Mingo trade, it shouldn’t stop them from trying to upgrade the WR2 position to help take pressure off of No. 88. Tight end Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Princeton Fant, John Stephens Jr. After a Pro Bowl year in 2023, Jake Ferguson’s production dipped significantly this year. He is still the unquestioned TE1 moving forward, but he will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. If they believe Ferguson has a future beyond next season with the organization, now would be a good time to work out an extension coming off a down year. If not, they could look to draft his replacement due to the uninspiring depth behind him. Offensive line Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Brock Hoffman (ERFA), Terence Steele, T.J. Bass, Asim Richards, Nathan Thomas Other than Tyler Smith and Cooper Beebe, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered about the Cowboys offensive line heading into the offseason. Both of the tackles struggled this year, especially in pass protection, and who replaces Zack Martin at RG is the ultimate unknown. As things stand right now, it’s looking as if Dallas could need a new starting RG and possibly a new RT if Terence Steele becomes a salary-cap casualty.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Here is how Jets fans felt about Robert Saleh after his time coaching their team. Around this time four years ago, Robert Saleh was considered one of the hottest coaching candidates in the NFL. He had guided a potent San Francisco 49ers defense to a Super Bowl appearance against the Kansas City Chiefs, and had advanced the careers of several premier players such as Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. When it was announced that Saleh had been hired by the New York Jets to be their head coach, it was expected that he would turn the team around and guide them to postseason. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse and Saleh was fired by the Jets after a 2-3 start to the 2024 season. The Dallas Cowboys, after parting ways with Mike McCarthy, are searching for their next head coach. While many high-profile ex-Cowboys have been linked to the job in Dallas, Saleh is the first mention of an actual interview in the future with the team. As has been reported by Josina Anderson, the Cowboys are further along in the process in their coaching search as it would appear publicly, The #Cowboys have already inquired about multiple head coach candidates and their schedules, per league source. They are further along in this process than it currently feels to the public. Jerry Jones is not a rookie at this. — JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 15, 2025 We wanted to know more about the man who potentially could take over as the new coach of the Cowboys, and what happened with Jets and how Saleh would fit in Dallas. To provide a unique take on that, Thomas Christopher from SB Nation’s Gang Green Nation assessed Saleh and his prospects as coach of the Dallas Cowboys based on our questions. Q: First off, what’s your understanding of what went wrong with Robert Saleh and the Jets? After their road win in 2022 in Green Bay, it seemed like an upward turning point for the organization until everything came crashing down. Thomas Christopher (TC): The demise of Robert Saleh comes down to two things: The first was owner Woody Johnson. When you have an owner with little football knowledge consistently meddling in personnel decisions with the roster and coaching staff, it becomes hard to instill in everyone else that you are the team’s leader, let alone mold the team how he wants to. This brings me to the second factor: Saleh’s inability to hold players accountable. With the Jets, Saleh desperately wanted to be liked by both the media and the players. So much so that he would never hold those responsible for mistakes accountable for said mistakes; often, this led to repeat offenders consistently underperforming. There were signs of this happening in 2023, but this season is where we really saw it happen. Q: The relationship between Saleh and Aaron Rodgers was much publicized. Are the rumors of Saleh and Rodgers being at opposing sides true and did Saleh clash with any other prominent players? TC: At the end of the day, Rodgers and Saleh did have different philosophies on how to win. We saw them butt heads in the season and little things that stood out (utilization of presnap movement). Outside of Rodgers, though, there were no incidents that I can recall of Saleh having drama with players. He’s genuinely a player’s coach, to a fault. Q: What Cowboys defensive players or position groups would thrive the most by having Saleh as head coach? TC: The edge rushers and linebackers see the most significant gain. Saleh has a way of getting these players to perform at an elite level. Whether it was Bryce Huff, Quincy Williams, or Jamien Sherwood, it comes as little surprise as that is Saleh’s bread and butter. The cornerback group will improve, too. The way Saleh’s scheme is set up takes the pressure off the back end and allows them to play freely. The turnovers didn’t happen for the Jets because their defensive backs were risk-averse, but that wouldn’t be an issue on another team. Q: What can Cowboys fans expect from Saleh as a head coach as far as a game manager? Is he more the conservative type to hand the game to his defense or is he willing to put the ball in quarterback’s hands to win the game? TC: It’s hard to say because Saleh really didn’t have a quarterback of Dak’s caliber (outside of 5 games with Rodgers). Philosophy-wise, Saleh was pretty conservative with the Jets, where he would instead rely on his defense not to lose games than his offense to try and win them. Yet in an offense with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, it’s difficult to determine if he would remain that conservative. Q: Although Woody Johnson doesn’t have the same visibility in the national media as Jerry Jones, he is still one of the more active owners in terms of public relations. Did that ever create a conflict with Saleh and would he work well with an owner like Jerry Jones that is forefront of the team as much as he is? TC: Woody Johnson definitely created conflict for Saleh, whether that involved meddling with his roster, his coaches, or the comments he’d make in the media. The end of Saleh’s tenure, even dating to last year, showed that their relationship was not as friendly as it appeared in the press. Yet, I think Saleh would work better with Jerry Jones because of Jerry’s experience within the league. While Jerry also has a history of meddling and/or contradiction within the media, Saleh is still a malleable person as far as coaches go. He’s very happy-go-lucky in the sense that he wants to be liked and successful – two things Jerry also wants. The brand of the Cowboys themselves could also help in this regard. People still consider Jerry a legend in the sport, whereas Woody Johnson has never given anything more than the characteristics

Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images Deion Sanders would reportedly “almost certainly” take the Cowboys job if Jerry Jones offered it to him. The Dallas Cowboys’ head coaching search is off and running and to date there are now three names set for interviews with the team: Robert Saleh, Leslie Frazier and Kellen Moore. While those are the names who have been connected to the official interviewing process, there are other names that have been mentioned in general connection to the job as well. One of these names is Jason Witten who, while an interesting candidate, was reportedly suggested by Jerry Jones to Mike McCarthy before his departure as someone who could serve on staff as an heir apparent. That is an idea to say the least. The other name thrown out in this sort of manner has been another former player of the team – no, not Kellen Moore – but Deion Sanders. Coach Prime has been running the show at the University of Colorado for two years and has a legitimate amount of experience at the collegiate level overall, something that Witten does not, and is reportedly someone whom Jerry Jones has spoken with about the position. Sanders’ work in Boulder is something that has been quite polarizing for some time. Many doubted that any success at all was possible. The Buffaloes went 4-8 during his first season in 2023, the last of the Pac-12’s existence as we knew it, but responded greatly by going 9-4 this past season in their return to the Big 12. They lost the Alamo Bowl to BYU, but they also boasted the Heisman Trophy winner in Travis Hunter. Their quarterback, Sheduer Sanders, Deion’s son, is a projected top pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Proof of concept is there. Whether or not you believe in this as something that can actually work at the NFL level, according to Ed Werder, Sanders is apparently ready to try. Werder reported on Thursday that he would “almost certainly” accept the job if offered and that Jerry Jones is “enamored” with the idea. Regarding Deion Sanders: I’m being told that he would almost certainly accept if Jerry Jones offers to make him the next #Cowboys head coach, that those around him are encouraging him to pursue it and that Jones is enamored with the idea. — Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) January 16, 2025 It is at least this author’s opinion that the idea is not the worst one that has been thrown out. Again, Sanders’ time in college football has had a lot of attention around it, but he has done a lot of things that many people said were impossible. What’s more is that the Cowboys have been floundering around for a long time anyway so any idea that this could set them back feels silly at best. They should not consider anything off of the table. Who is down?

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images Dane Brugler believes the Cowboys will upgrade their offense early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s NFL draft guru, just recently dropped his latest 2025 mock draft predicting what all 32 teams could do with their first two picks based on team needs and information gathered from conversations with sources in the NFL and college football. As far as the Dallas Cowboys are concerned, Brugler seems to think they will target the offensive side of the ball early and often with their first two selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. This could very well be the approach Dallas ends up taking in April, but only time will tell. Until then, let’s take a look at who he predicts the Cowboys will take. 12. Dallas Cowboys: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri The Cowboys have to find more answers in the passing game, outside of CeeDee Lamb. Burden is an explosive threat at all three levels but does his best work with the ball in his hands, becoming a running back after the catch. With the 12th overall pick in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Brugler predicts the Cowboys will upgrade their passing game by drafting wide receiver Luther Burden III out of Missouri. He would immediately step in as the WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb and give Dak Prescott another dynamic playmaker to upgrade Dallas’ aerial attack. While Brugler’s reasoning is sound and could be exactly the way things play out for the Cowboys, it is interesting to see he thinks in Dallas would pass up on Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, who has been connected to Dallas for a while. By the way, Jeanty ended up sliding all the way to 20th overall to the Denver Broncos. Deciding between WR Luther Burden and RB Ashton Jeanty would no doubt be an interesting and tough decision to make for the Cowboys if this is how things play out. One reason to pass on Jeanty is that the 2025 RB draft class is deep where as the WR draft class isn’t considered to be so. Maybe that’s why Dane Brugler believes the Cowboys would target WR over RB in the first-round and why he decided to go with the latter with their second-round pick, 44th overall. 44. Dallas Cowboys: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State His vision and tempo as an inside runner aren’t always consistent, but Henderson has the acceleration to create big plays any time he touches the rock (he has really shined with Chip Kelly’s pin-pull blocking concepts). His versatility as a blocker and pass catcher gives him a clear path to NFL playing time. TreVeyon Henderson is considered to be a Top 5 running back in the 2025 draft class and was the fourth RB the selected in Brugler’s mock draft. The 5’10”, 210-pound RB is half of the dynamic duo with Quinshon Judkins at Ohio State and rushed for 967 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Buckeyes this season, averaging an impressive 7.3 yards per carry. With the need to upgrade their rushing attack, Henderson makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys with the 44th overall pick. He checks all of the boxes NFL teams look for in a starting RB and should be able to upgrade Dallas’ rushing attack. Again though, it is interesting Dane Brugler decided to pass up on Ashton Jeanty, the best RB in the 2025 draft class, in the first-round for the Cowboys to only to select Henderson for them with their second-round pick. After all, Ole Miss WR Trey Harris and Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor were still available for Dallas at 44 according to Brugler’s mock draft. It is an interesting topic of debate whether Brugler is correct that the Cowboys would go WR over RB in the first-round or vice versa. But, that’s one of the fun aspects of doing these mock drafts. It opens up lines of discussions as to what may or may not happen and what would like to see happen. Only time will tell how things actually play out.

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. Micah Parsons breaks silence on Cowboys, Mike McCarthy split – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Dallas’ star defender is not pleased by the coaching decision. There is no shortage of potential candidates to land the job of Dallas Cowboys’ head coach in 2025, with Mike McCarthy and the team opting to part ways after a five-year stay that began during the pandemic. But as the front office turns its attention to candidates like Deion Sanders and others, Micah Parsons is still stunned by the divorce. Speaking from his weekly podcast, “The Edge with Micah Parsons” presented by Bleacher Report, the all-world pass rusher had plenty of good to say about McCarthy’s regime. “He’s always been good to us,” said the four-time Pro Bowler. “Losing a great coach like Mike hurts.” Parsons had continually spoken highly of his relationship with McCarthy in the past, up to and now through the departure, though he also readily admitted weeks ago that the decision was “above is pay grade”, and that he had no control over the outcome. The eventual outcome puts the Cowboys in quite the situation — one where McCarthy’s staff, each of those contracts having also expired as of Tuesday, are free to sign with any of the 32 NFL teams, assuming they want to remain in the league and not take their talents to the NCAA. In all, there could soon be a mass exodus and/or a major cleaning of house within the coaching staff ahead of a free agency that features 22 unrestricted players who’ll need their futures sorted out as well. And there’s also the task of Parsons himself entering contract talks. None of this is lost on Parsons especially considering, having been drafted in 2021, this is his first time going through a regime change in the NFL, so he’ll reflect on the past in the moment, but there’s not much time to do so. “It’s gonna be a very interesting offseason,” he said. “ It’s gonna be a complete reset. I trust that we’re gonna make the right decisions. … As one of the leaders of this team, I’m gonna be looking forward to accepting all challenges and embracing whatever comes, to help lead my team to a championship. Jerry Jones and his Cowboys coaches: A nearly 3-decade history of missteps and disappointment – Jason Owens, Yahoo! Sports The Cowboys just can’t find the right coach to get them back to big games. The Jerry Jones era of the Dallas Cowboys started with a bang. After a 1-15 disaster in 1989 in Jones’ first year as the owner and de facto general manager, the Cowboys added Emmitt Smith to a young offensive core that already featured Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin. The rest was history. The Cowboys improved to 7-9 the following season, then made the playoffs at 11-5 in 1991. Over the next four seasons, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls, and “America’s Team” was back. The team’s roster and culture was built under the watch of Hall of Fame head coach Jimmy Johnson, who claimed two of those Super Bowl titles before his and Jones’ relationship became untenable. In 1995, Barry Switzer stepped in to lead the Cowboys to a third Super Bowl in four years. Jones has been chasing that legacy ever since. In the 29 seasons since their 1995 title, the Cowboys have failed — sometimes spectacularly — to replicate that success. Reclaiming the magic of the Johnson era remains elusive nearly three decades later despite Jones’ frequently misguided efforts to do so. Jones has made several swings since Switzer — some bigger than others — to find the right coach to return the Cowboys to their self-presumed rightful place in the upper echelon of the NFL. While some have produced better results than others, none of have been anywhere close to a home run. Deion Sanders is the betting favorite to become Cowboys coach – Mike Florio, PFT Florio calls the Sanders story a publicity stunt, even if Sanders currently tops the betting leaderboard. DraftKings has Deion as the betting favorite to become the next head coach of the Cowboys. Deion Sanders: +100 Robert Saleh: +150 Kellen Moore: +250. Ben Johnson: +450 Kliff Kingsbury: +550 Joe Brady: +650. Aaron Glenn: +850 Steve Sarkisian: +950. Liam Coen: +1000 Jason Witten: +1000 As usual, the odds reflect the betting trends. The fact that Deion is the favorite means people are putting money on the possibility that he’ll get the job. And maybe he will. For now, however, it still feels like a publicity stunt. One that is working, well. Dallas Cowboys draft prospect watch: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri – Koby Skillern, Sports Illustrated Adding a solid WR2 should be a priority for Dallas in the draft. The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott need a surefire wide receiving threat to put alongside CeeDee Lamb. With affordable, high-quality wide receivers impossible to come by in free agency, the Cowboys’ smartest move is to turn to the draft to bolster their offense. The Cowboys don’t have to look far for potential help at wide receiver, as Luther Burden III is often projected to be available right around their 12th pick in the upcoming draft, or perhaps slightly further back. The 21-year-old, standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 208 pounds, has been a standout for the Missouri Tigers, primarily playing in the slot. The Cowboys’ current star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, also plays in the slot; however, Burden is a much more explosive player than Lamb. The ability to have two players who can rotate into the slot will make the Cowboys a matchup nightmare. Burden’s speed makes him a constant threat to get open, and his ability to make plays out of seemingly nothing is impressive. The addition of Burden III would open up more one-on-one opportunities for CeeDee Lamb, who defenses have been able to figure out when the rest of