Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Who are you watching in this year’s Senior Bowl? The Dallas Cowboys are preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft and one important scouting stop along the way is the Senior Bowl. The game will be played this Saturday (Feb 1) at 2:30 PM ET. Here are 10 players the Cowboys should keep tabs on during the game. OT, Josh Conerly JrOregon Conerly has elite foot speed, lateral agility, and good technical skills in pass protection. His ability to mirror edge rushers and manage complex blocking schemes would be beneficial for the Cowboys’ offensive line that certainly had its bad moments last year. He’s best described as effective as a run blocker with versatility in both zone and gap schemes. His background as a high school running back helps him understand the requirements to be an upfront blocker. CB, Azareye’h Thomas Florida State With the Cowboys needing depth at cornerback, Thomas’s connection to Juanyeh Thomas as his younger brother makes him an interesting prospect. His size and fluidity suggest he could be a good fit, though he’ll need time to develop. RB, Ollie GordonOklahoma State Dallas has an obvious need at running back, especially under the impending Brian Schottenheimer scheme. Gordon is a Fort Worth native, which adds a hometown appeal, but he’s also a versatile back capable of thriving in both zone and gap schemes, huge check marks at this stage. His patient running style, vision, and ability to make defenders miss in the hole would complement the Cowboys’ offensive strategy, which has historically valued a robust running game. His size (6’2”, 225 lbs) also allows him to be a power runner when needed, potentially replacing the production lost with Rico Dowdle if the coaches opt to not bring him back. Gordon’s does carry some off-field red flags issues (like a DUI arrest), which could be a cause of concern for some teams. But his on-field talent and fit within the Cowboys’ scheme make him a compelling prospect. QB, Jaxson DartOle Miss Dart’s arm talent is evident, but his inconsistencies make him a later-round pick. If he performs well at the Senior Bowl, he could be an intriguing developmental quarterback for the Cowboys to sit behind Dak Prescott. At this stage, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance are both free agents, leaving the QB2 spot up for grabs. DE, Mike GreenMarshall As a potential complement to Micah Parsons, Green’s performance in the Senior Bowl could see him rise up draft boards rapidly. His skills as a pass rusher are notable, though he needs to work on his run defense. He would be an excellent fit for the Cowboys due to his explosive pass-rushing abilities and high football IQ. Green has demonstrated he can be a game-changer off the edge, which would add significant pressure from the Cowboys’ defensive line. His list of accolades, which includes All-American honors, suggests he can step in and contribute immediately, enhancing the Cowboys’ pass rush and potentially elevating the defense once again. DT, Deone WalkerKentucky With Osa Odighizuwa’s free agency looming, Walker represents a strong, if not yet polished, interior lineman option. His size and strength are his biggest assets. At 6’6” and 348 pounds, Walker offers the physicality needed to bolster the Cowboys’ run defense, which was a point of concern last year (again). His versatility to line up in various alignments, from nose tackle to 3-technique, aligns with the Cowboys’ need for a flexible defensive line under Matt Eberflus. OG, Willie LampkinNorth Carolina Willie Lampkin’s fit with the Cowboys would largely be based on his potential as a developmental player with immediate depth capabilities and the strong possibility of him growing into a more prominent role as he gains NFL experience and physique. His wrestling experience will translate well to the physical endurance required in trench warfare in the NFL. This type of background has often seen players perform above expectation due to having an understanding and natural rhythm when it comes gaining leverage and hand fighting. Both of which are seen on tape with Lampkin. WR, Jayden HigginsIowa State Incorporating Higgins into the Cowboys’ offense could provide them with a physical presence at receiver, adding another layer to their passing game. Higgins has demonstrated a knack for making difficult catches, with a notable catch radius and body control. His ability to win in contested situations and his high-point ball skills make him an attractive target for quarterbacks, especially on crucial downs. The Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb as their primary receiver, but they could benefit from a possession, X-type receiver like Higgins who can move the chains on third downs and provide a different kind of threat than what’s currently on the roster. DE, Shemar StewartTexas A&M Stewart’s versatility and size make him a candidate for the Cowboys to consider, particularly if they’re looking for a player who can adapt to multiple defensive roles. Stewart’s physical attributes, potential to improve both the run and pass defense, and his local ties make him an intriguing prospect for the Cowboys. His fit would particularly shine if the Cowboys aim to build a more robust even front that can control the line of scrimmage while also contributing to the pass rush. DT, T.J. SandersSouth Carolina Sanders needs to work on his anchor and physical development to become a more complete player. If the Cowboys can nurture his raw talents into a more polished game, he could significantly enhance their defensive line. His quickness off the snap and ability to affect quarterbacks, particularly when given freedom in reduced alignments, could help the Cowboys improve their interior pressure, which is about to lose players that once provided that. Look for Sanders stock to level out as a second- to third-round pick, which aligns where the Cowboys might look to address defensive line needs. And to top it off, Sanders won’t even be 22 years of age by the time training camp ends.

Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK Brian Schottenheimer has found his right hand man in Klayton Adams The Dallas Cowboys have landed their final coordinator of Brian Schottenheimer’s inaugural coaching staff, adding Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator. Schottenheimer will call plays on offense, but Adams will serve in a vital support role for the new head coach. Prior to Adams’ hiring, Stephen Jones offered these comments during the Senior Bowl on what the team was looking for in an offensive coordinator for Schottenheimer: “I think most of these guys always want to check the run game box,” Jones said. “Most of these guys are very, if you will, fluent when it comes to throwing the ball around the yard. But you always want a great offensive line coach, a great running game coordinator. And of course, the key this day and time is to marry that run game to the pass game.” “We want to be able to run the ball,” Jones said. “Everybody says that we want to run the ball and we want to stop the run, and certainly that’s what we want to do. That’s what great championship football teams do, and I know coach Schottenheimer wants to do that. I think it’s real important that we find in this hire a coach that’s going to be outstanding in the run game area.” That description fits Adams to a tee. In just his second season coaching the offensive line for the Cardinals, Adams helped Arizona finish eighth in EPA/rush and ninth in rushing DVOA. As a team, the Cardinals averaged 5.3 yards per carry, outdone only by the Ravens this year. Adams’ coaching background has exposed him to a variety of different offensive schemes. It began in his playing days, when the California native committed to Boise State, back when Dan Hawkins was the head coach and Chris Petersen – soon to be the face of the program – was coordinating the offense. There, Adams was exposed to a variety of different run schemes due to the multiple nature of the Boise State offense that Kellen Moore later drew on to jumpstart his own coaching career. After graduating, Adams started coaching as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. He moved on to various stints at FCS programs before coaching tight ends at San Jose State. When his head coach, Mike MacIntyre, took the head job at Colorado, Adams followed. Over six seasons in Boulder, Adams worked with running backs, tight ends, and the offensive line. He also added co-offensive coordinator duties to his plate in his final season with the Buffaloes. MacIntyre was fired following that 2018 season, which led to Adams jumping to the NFL. He was hired as the assistant offensive line coach for the Colts, reuniting him with his former position coach at Boise State, Chris Strausser. There, Adams was part of an offensive staff led by head coach Frank Reich, who called the offensive plays. Adams’ first season saw two offensive linemen earn Pro Bowl nods for the first time. After two seasons assisting Strausser with the offensive line, Adams opted to return to college to coach the offensive line at Arizona State under Herm Edwards. However, the Colts lost their tight ends coach to the Eagles just a few days later and enticed Adams to return for the tight ends job, which he accepted. After two seasons coaching the tight ends, which ended with Reich being fired midway through the year, Adams left for the offensive line job with the Cardinals. There, he took a prominent role under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, a longtime disciple of Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Between Petzing and Adams, the Cardinals have built an offense that, in many ways, mirrors the offense that Stefanski runs in Cleveland. There are strong influences of the Shanahan type offense that Stefanski majored in with the Vikings, but with a more varied blocking scheme in the run game. For example, the Cardinals have been one of the top gap-blocking teams in the league these past two years, using at least one pulling offensive lineman on just under two thirds of their run plays this past year. In 2024, they found great success running counter, finishing second in the NFL in counter run plays but showing a wide variation of formations they ran it from. The Cardinals didn’t just have a strong running game, though. They excelled in pass protection too: their 28.0% pressure rate was the sixth-best in the league, ranking one spot ahead of the Cowboys, despite losing both starting tackles to injured reserve and playing with a quarterback in Kyler Murray whose frequent scrambling ability often makes it harder on the offensive line to hold up. Part of this was accomplished through an insanely high play-action rate, something Schottenheimer has already mentioned as a priority for his offense. Only three other quarterbacks had a higher play-action rate than Murray this year, and only four quarterbacks threw for more yards off play-action. One other point to consider with Adams’ hiring: the tight end position. Outside of the offensive line, Adams has spent the most time in his career working with the tight end position, and Trey McBride became a focal point for the Cardinals this year. He finished one catch behind rookie sensation Brock Bowers for most receptions in the league, and McBride’s 1,146 yards, 526 yards after the catch, and 2.14 yards per route run all ranked second in the league as well. That background could potentially be impactful for Jake Ferguson, who’s coming off a bit of a down year and enters the final season of his rookie contract. All in all, Adams brings some exciting experience with creative and highly efficient run schemes, something that had already been mentioned as a priority for Schottenheimer’s offensive coordinator. On top of it all, Adams has often been praised for his charisma and ability to relate to players, making him a perfect

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images Who are your favorite draft prospects right now? The Ohio State Buckeyes victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the National Championship Game officially put an end to the 2024 NCAA season. And with just the Super Bowl to play, the 2024 NFL season is winding down as well. You know what that means? The 2025 NFL Draft season is upon us. Between now and April, every single prospect entering in the 2025 NFL Draft this year will be heavily scrutinized to determine exactly where they rank among their peers at their given positions. Today, we thought we’d share with all of you one ranking of the Top 10 at each position and who could be in play for the Cowboys. Barring a trade, the Cowboys currently hold the 12th overall pick in the first-round. That means nearly all of these players could still be available for them at some point in the draft, minus the 11 were selected ahead of them in the first-round. QUARTERBACK Cam Ward, Miami Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Jalen Milroe, Alabama Will Howard, Ohio State Dillon Gabriel, Oregon Tyler Shough, Louisville Kyle McCord, Syracuse Quinn Ewers, Texas Riley Leonard, Notre Dame Kurtis Rourke, Indiana As far as the Cowboys are concerned, it doesn’t really matter if Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders is the top-ranked QB or not. Neither is expected to be on the board at No. 12. It’s also unlikely they draft any other QB in the Top 10 after locking up Dak Prescott long-term. RUNNING BACK Ashton Jeanty, Boise State Kaleb Johnson, Iowa Omarion Hampton, North Carolina TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State Dylan Sampson, Tennessee RJ Harvey, UCF Cam Skattebo, Arizona State Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State Damien Martinez, Miami Devin Neal, Kansas Ashton Jeanty is a favorite to be drafted by the Cowboys with the 12th overall pick, but considering the depth of the 2025 RB draft class that’s not a given. Dallas could easily find their RB1 of the future at any point on Day 2 and possibly into Day 3. WIDE RECEIVER Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona Luther Burden II, Missouri Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Elic Ayomanor, Stanford Matthew Golden, Texas Tre Harris, Ole Miss Savion Williams, TCU Isaiah Bond, Texas Jayden Higgins, Iowa State Jack Beck, TCU The Cowboys already traded a 2025 fourth-round pick for Jonathan Mingo, but that doesn’t mean they won’t double down on a WR ranked in the Top 10 this year. If they’re looking for someone to take pressure off of CeeDee Lamb, that’s probably what they’ll have to do. TIGHT END Tyler Warren, Penn State Gunnar Helm, Texas Colston Loveland, Michigan Mason Taylor, LSU Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green Terence Ferguson, Oregon Elijah Arroyo, Miami Luke Lachey, Iowa Benjamin Yurosek, Georgia Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame We can’t rule out the Cowboys drafting a tight end of this year. Jake Ferguson is coming off a down year and entering the final year of his rookie contract and Luke Schoonmaker has yet proven himself reliable. A Top 10 TE could be in play. OFFENSIVE LINE Will Campbell, LSU Josh Simmons, Ohio State Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas Armand Membou, Missouri Cameron Williams, Texas Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon Marcus Mbow, Purdue Wyatt Milum, West Virginia Grey Zabel, North Dakota State Considering both Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele struggled in 2024, and with the need to possibly replace Zack Martin, drafting a Top 10 offensive lineman seems possible. There’s a good mix of versatility in this group to play tackle or guard and a couple who can play center as well. DEFENSIVE TACKLE Mason Graham, Michigan Derrick Harmon, Oregon Kenneth Grant, Michigan Tyelik Williams, Ohio State TJ Sanders, South Carolina Alfred Collins, Texas Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee Walter Nolan, Ole Miss Deone Walker, Kansas Shemar Turner, Texas A&M Cowboys new DC Matt Eberlus needs a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball, especially at DT. With only Mazi Smith currently on the roster, DT is arguably Dallas’ biggest roster “need”. Drafting one of the Top 10 ranked players at the position looks plausible. EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State James Pearce Jr., Tennessee Mike Green, Marshall Mykel Williams, Georgia Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M Nic Scourton, Texas A&M Landon Jackson, Arkansas JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State Kyle Kennard, South Carolina Jack Sawyer, Ohio State Even though the Cowboys have Micah Parsons, Marshawn Kneeland, and Sam Williams currently on the roster, defensive end is still an underrated roster “need”. It’s one of the big money positions that could definitely be in play with Dallas’ 12th overall pick. LINEBACKER Jalon Walker, Georgia Jihaad Campbell, Alabama Carson Schwesinger, UCLA Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon Jack Kiser, Notre Dame Barrett Carter, Clemson Jay Higgins, Iowa Kobe King, Penn State Linebacker is another one of the Cowboys offseason roster “needs”. With Eric Kendricks potentially leaving via free agency and DeMarvion Overshown 2025 season in jeopardy due to another season-ending injury, drafting one of the Top 10 LBs is a possibility. CORNERBACK Travis Hunter, Colorado Will Johnson, Michigan Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame Trey Amos, Ole Miss Zy Alexander, LSU Darien Porter, Iowa State Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State Jacob Parrish, Kansas State DaRon Bland is the only cornerback the Cowboys can count on right now as Trevon Diggs works his way back from another season-ending the injury. They could definitely use another starter on the outside as well as some more depth at the position as well. SAFETY Malaki Starks, Georgia Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina Xavier Watts, Notre Dame Jahdae Barron, Texas Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State Andrew Mukuba, Texas Sebastian Castro, Iowa Lathan Ransom, Ohio State Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma Jonas Sanker, Virginia Both Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson could potentially be salary-cap casualties, but even if they aren’t Dallas could choose to go younger/cheaper to try to upgrade the back end of their secondary. It’ll be interesting to see if they draft one of the

Photo by Sam Hodde/UFL/Getty Images It is hard to not wonder what could have been with Deion Sanders. The Dallas Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach. The team spent a few weeks turning over every rock they wanted to turn over and then enthusiastically deciding that it was Schott’s time to shine. Only time will tell whether or not that ends up being a good decision, but for now, he’s their guy. Over the years, the Cowboys’ organization has struggled to find the right guy to lead this team. They caught lightning in a bottle when Jerry Jones hired his old roommate Jimmy Johnson in 1989, but have been firing blanks ever since. In the Jones era, he’s had seven coaches take a shot at it with the mid ‘90s team the only group with any real postseason success. One might say that Jones isn’t very good at finding a head coach. It’s not that all of his choices have been terrible per se, but it’s been a long time since the Cowboys have made it past the divisional round. Whatever they’re doing, it’s not working. Jones has approached it several ways, but nothing has worked. Breaking them down into categories, which types of coaches have had the most success? Former Coordinators Scottenheimer was an offensive coordinator for 14 years between the Jets (six years), Rams (three years), Seahawks (three years), and the Cowboys (two years). He joins three other former coordinators who were promoted to head coach of the Cowboys. Jason Garrett is the most notable, spending three and a half years as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2007 until Week 10 of 2010 when Wade Phillips was fired. He is the longest-tenured head coach of the Jerry Jones era spending nine-plus seasons at the position. Dave Campo spent five years as the team’s defensive coordinator from 1995 to 1999 before being promoted to head coach in 2000. Campo lasted three seasons, finishing 5-11 in each one. Chan Gailey spent four years as an offensive coordinator between the Broncos and Steelers. He was hired to replace Barry Switzer in 1998 but only lasted two seasons despite making the playoffs both years. Retreads Mike McCarthy was the Green Bay Packers coach for 13 seasons, making the playoffs nine times, including a Super Bowl win (in AT&T Stadium) in 2010. He was fired after Week 13 in 2018 and took the 2019 season off to regroup. The Cowboys hired him in 2020 where he coached the team for five years, three times advancing to the playoffs before Jones moved on from him a couple of weeks ago. Wade Phillips spent most of his coaching career as a defensive coordinator, but at different times his success would lead to head coaching opportunities. He was the head coach of the Broncos for a couple of years (1993-1994), the Bills for a few years (1998-2000), and then the Cowboys for almost four years (2007-most of 2010). Phillips got off to a hot start his first year, but in fairness, he inherited the team that Bill Parcells built and couldn’t duplicate that strong first season. The Cowboys moved on from Phillips in Week 10 of 2010 after being embarrassed by McCarthy’s Packers. Bill Parcells is likely the best non-Jimmy hire of the Jones era. Parcells was a seasoned head coach with 15 years of experience between the Giants (eight years), Patriots (four years), and Jets (three years). He won two Super Bowls with the Giants and took the Patriots to the big game in 1996. It looked as if Parcells was on to something in Dallas turning the team around, but left with unfinished business after the 2006 season. Former College Coaches Jimmy Johnson was Jerry’s first hire and boy was it a good one. Johnson started coaching in college at a young age and spent 23 seasons at the college level, including five years each as the head coach of Oklahoma State and then Miami. In 1987, his Hurricanes won the National Championship, a team that featured Michael Irvin. He joined a Cowboys team that was one of the worst in the league in 1989, but surprisingly turned them into a Super Bowl winner in just a few short years. The Cowboys won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993. Unfortunately, Texas Stadium wasn’t big enough for both the egos of Jimmy and Jerry resulting in Johnson walking away from the team in 1994. The quick success of the Cowboys led Jerry to believe that anyone could coach the Cowboys and win. After Johnson left, that anyone was Barry Switzer. A lifetime college coach, Switzer spent time at Arkansas and Oklahoma with his last 17 years as the Sooners head coach. Twice Switzer won the National Championship with Oklahoma. His second win was in 1985 over Johnson’s Hurricanes. Switzer’s collegiate success and friendship with Jones made him an easy choice as Johnson’s successor in Dallas. The Cowboys continued to be one of the best teams in the league under Switzer advancing to the NFC Championship his first year and then back on top as Super Bowl winners the following year. Many will credit Johnson’s team-building skills as the reason for the Cowboys’ continued success and as many of those players left, so did the wins. Switzer was fired after the 1997 season when the team finished with a 6-10 record. When you look at this data, the hot college coaches are the clear winners. This is largely due to Johnson and then whatever residuals were left over from his team during the Switzer era. It’s hard to draw too much from this, but when you group Jerry’s hire into categories, the college guys win, and it’s not even close. They finished with the better regular season win percentage and ran away with the postseason win percentage. That is not to say that a hot college coach like, let’s just randomly pick one, okay… Deion Sanders would duplicate this success, but

Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images It seems the Cowboys had a very legitimate level of interest in Pete Carroll before choosing Brian Schottenheimer. The Cowboys’ head coaching search was, predictably, one that took many twists and turns, but there was one that felt unusually sudden and random. Thursday evening, after four straight days of tea leaves and sportsbooks pointing to Brian Schottenheimer being the next head coach, a new name emerged: former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. The report only indicated that Carroll, who had spent the 2024 season out of coaching, had spoken with Jerry Jones regarding the vacancy. No formal interview had been set up, and it was unclear what might come of it, but the two sides had spoken. The next morning, Carroll agreed to terms with the Raiders for their head coaching job. Carroll was announced as having signed a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth year. A day later, the Cowboys announced the hire of Schottenheimer. Just in: Pete Carroll and the Raiders now have reached agreement on a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option, sources tell ESPN. Another veteran legendary coach has returned. pic.twitter.com/Jc2J0EPo7N — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2025 The possibility of Cowboy Carroll didn’t even last a full 24 hours, at least in the public eye. However, multiple sources indicated to me that there was significant interest on both sides, and that this was part of a conversation that had been going on for some time. Carroll first emerged as a candidate for the Bears, having interviewed in Chicago and reportedly discussing a succession plan as part of his candidacy, given that the Super Bowl winning coach will turn 74 just a few weeks into next season. Carroll also interviewed with the Raiders for their vacancy, but both franchises had their sights set on Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Many expected the coaching carousel to take a while, as most teams were waiting on Johnson and fellow Lions coordinator Aaron Glenn. As such, Carroll and other head coaching candidates were essentially in a holding pattern. Then, the Cowboys failed to come to terms with Mike McCarthy on a new contract. According to one source familiar with Carroll’s thinking, he had genuine interest in the opening. Just a few days after McCarthy parted ways with the Cowboys, Carroll made a phone call to Jerry Jones, and the two spoke for a considerable amount of time. The call reportedly ended on an open note; Carroll was still very interested in the Bears and Raiders jobs, and Jones had only really begun to build a candidate pool. Then the Lions were eliminated from the playoffs, and every team’s timeline sped up. The Bears agreed to terms with Johnson on Monday, the Jets agreed to terms with Glenn on Tuesday, and the Raiders settled on Buccaneers executive John Spytek to be their new general manager on Wednesday. Just like that, Carroll was out of the running in Chicago but very much viewed as the favorite in Las Vegas, though it was still going to be Spytek’s call. In between all of that, Jones brought in Schottenheimer for two interviews over two days. While speculation suddenly started to swirl that Schottenheimer was going to be the next head coach, that was not the sole purpose of these meetings. Per a source familiar with the team, Carroll’s name came up in those conversations with Schottenheimer. The specifics were not made clear to me, but it was characterized as Jones feeling out a potential Carroll coaching hire via Schottenheimer, who worked as Carroll’s offensive coordinator for three seasons in Seattle. Carroll ultimately fired Schottenheimer following the 2020 season, though reports quickly emerged in Seattle that the decision was heavily motivated by Russell Wilson. Carroll reportedly did not want to move on from Schottenheimer, but Wilson escalated his complaints above Carroll and ultimately won out. Earlier that year, Carroll had sung Schottenheimer’s praises and endorsed him as a head coaching candidate. Pete Carroll on Brian Schottenheimer’s qualifications if he were to be a head coach someday (from 2020). #Cowboys https://t.co/LE46dONIh7 pic.twitter.com/m6wwEBYTxT — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) January 24, 2025 Schottenheimer, who spent most of the week’s consecutive interviews pitching his vision to be head coach, made it clear that he would only return to Dallas for a chance to call offensive plays. Per the source, he was open to doing so under Carroll, citing a positive working relationship between the two. Jones came out of the meeting on Wednesday seemingly convinced of one thing: Schottenheimer must return in 2025. The coach’s mandate of calling plays effectively ruled out Kellen Moore, who seeks to call his own plays as a head coach, but Jones was also tantalized by the idea of bringing in Carroll, per the source. Another person aligned with the Cowboys camp insists now that Jones was sold on Schottenheimer’s vision early on, and that Carroll was not as high up on the list. Flash forward to Thursday night, when news first broke about Carroll’s phone call with Jones about a week after it happened. Schottenheimer had effectively acted as a surrogate for Carroll – to the extent that Jones had asked about Carroll in the interviews with Schottenheimer – but no interview had been arranged for the coach himself. Meanwhile, the Raiders were getting close to making things official. There was a brief moment of panic Thursday night, when some Raiders fans worried that Spytek – who had not yet been officially introduced as the new general manager – might renege to join fellow Buccaneer Liam Coen as the Jaguars general manager following Coen’s own change of heart in Tampa Bay. At the same time, Carroll wanted to know his status with Jones and the Cowboys before making a decision on a Raiders offer. Speculations from some in Dallas are that the Carroll phone call news was leaked to try and speed up Jones’ process, but it didn’t work. In the end, Carroll

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images The latest news around the Dallas Cowboys as they continue to shape their new coaching staff. Cowboys offensive coordinator rumors: Here’s who Dallas is closing in on to join Brian Schottenheimer’s staff – Garrett Podell, CBS Sports Ken Dorsey is a target for the next offensive coordinator in Dallas. Speaking at his introductory press conference Monday, Schottenheimer spoke about the pride he had in having top-ranked rushing offenses throughout his career as an offensive coordinator. It’s safe to say that will be a priority in Dallas in 2025. “We want to be able to run the ball,” Jones said. “Everybody says that we want to run the ball and we want to stop the run, and certainly that’s what we want to do. That’s what great championship football teams do, and I know coach Schottenheimer wants to do that. I think it’s real important that we find in this hire a coach that’s going to be outstanding in the run game area.” That’s why Dorsey is receiving consideration. His Buffalo offenses averaged the seventh-most rushing yards per game in the entire NFL in both 2022 (139.5) and 2023 (130.1). Dorsey’s 2024 attack in Cleveland, which averaged the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game (94.6) in the entire league, was set up to fail due to quarterback Deshaun Watson’s poor play before a season-ending injury and running back Nick Chubb’s season-ending injury. Dorsey ended up being the Browns’ fall guy after Cleveland went 3-14 to secure the 2025 NFL Draft’s second overall pick; head coach Kevin Stefanski gave him offensive play-calling duties during the season and has since taken them back for 2025 following Dorsey’s firing. New Report Reveals Why Jerry Jones Ultimately Parted Ways With Mike McCarthy – Madison Williams, Sports Illustrated The length of contract was the deal-breaker in resigning Mike McCarthy. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported on Thursday that McCarthy was adamant about agreeing to a five-year contract extension with the team. However, owner Jerry Jones apparently was stuck on a three-year deal. Both sides couldn’t agree on a deal, although the details of the contract the Cowboys offered McCarthy are unknown. It was previously reported that McCarthy “surprised” Jones by walking away from the negotiations. McCarthy has decided to not pursue any head coaching roles in the NFL for the 2025 season as the New Orleans Saints job is the only one still open. The Cowboys hired offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as McCarthy’s replacement. Schottenheimer agreed to a four-year deal with the team. Lunda Wells, Cowboys agree to terms on contract extension – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys’ 2025 coaching staff will include some consistency by extending Lunda Wells. The heralded tight ends coach has agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep him in the organization going forward, and that can only be seen as great news for Schottenheimer’s plans on offense and the continued development of talent like Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker. A native of Louisiana, Wells began his coaching career as an offensive line coach at the high school level before joining LSU as an offensive line assistant. He’d then land a promotion with the Tigers to assistant head coach and assistant special teams coach, ascending to the NFL when he signed on to become offensive line quality control coach of the New York Giants in 2012. His path ultimately led him to becoming the tight ends coach for the Giants before bringing those talents to the Cowboys in 2020, where he’s helped make household names out of Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson — two former fourth-round picks — Ferguson having earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2023. Fizzling Cowboys have lost their buzz. Here’s a quick way Jerry Jones can bring it back – Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News Will drafting Ashton Jeanty bring excitement back to Dallas? The notion of using the 12th pick on a player who could give you a running start on catching Saquon Barkley and the Eagles, not to mention open vistas for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, would certainly be appealing. The Boise State whirlwind would make play-calling easier for the new head coach. He’d top Rookie of the Year odds. He’d sell tickets and merch and hope… …Believe this: Jeanty’s talent will tempt more than just Jerry. The sight of Barkley running away from everyone this season as well as the resurgence of Derrick Henry will no doubt cause a reset in an undervalued market. Because defenses are harder than ever to diagnose, offenses need to counter with more playmakers wherever possible. The Cowboys, in particular, need more playmakers… …Jerry needs something to fire up a fan base that watched him sit on his hands last offseason, burning another year of their thinning patience. Letting Mike McCarthy walk satisfied some. But an incompetent search culminating in a first-time head coach at 51 didn’t answer the question of what “all in” really meant. NFL insider’s diary: Cowboys’ plan to get CeeDee Lamb some help – Tony Pauline, Sportskeeda The Cowboys may be taking a hard look at wide receiver early in the draft. I’m told the team will look for a receiver during the first two rounds of the draft to pair with CeeDee Lamb, who they signed to a massive contract extension last August. Aging veteran Brandin Cooks will be a free agent come March, and the team has no true No. 2 receiver. They will also look for help in the defensive front seven during the draft, specifically to stop the run. Dallas was the fourth-worst rushing defense in the league last season, surrendering 2,331 yards. Mazi Smith, the team’s 2023 first-round pick, has been a disappointment, and veteran middle linebacker Eric Kendricks is a free agent. Dallas also wants to resign center Brock Hoffman, yet they are debating how much to pay him. Hoffman is a restricted free agent coming off his terrific 2024 season, meaning he can’t really test the market despite the fact that teams