Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys are making a mess of the Brian Schottenheimer interview process. The Dallas Cowboys announced Tuesday evening that they completed an interview with Brian Schottenheimer for their vacant head coach position. It marks the fourth one, with Kellen Moore, Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier as the others. Reports and rumors were all over the place on Tuesday relative to Schottenheimer with things reaching a critical mass when 105.3 The Fan’s Shan Shariff noted that an offer for him could be in the works. That may or may not be true, but if it is factual then there is a possibility that it is for something other than head coach. Right after the team announced the completion of the interview, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported that the Cowboys are considering Schottenheimer for head coach or offensive coordinator. The #Cowboys just completed their interview with Brian Shottenheimer. I’m told he is being considered for both the HC and OC position. “Talking about everything” per source informed. The interview lasted well over 3.5 hours — Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 22, 2025 If this sounds strange it is because it is. You see, Schottenheimer was just the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys and was so for two seasons. He did not call plays in that time as Mike McCarthy did, but the truly strange thing is that he is being evaluated for two roles and theoretically having to interview for the one that he has held for two years. Obviously on some level it makes sense for Schottenheimer to have to interview all over again considering a new head coach will be running the team. But with that being the case it would make sense for that person to be the one interviewing him and not the front office. This whole process remains very difficult to make sense out of. Imagine if Schottenheimer is told that he is not head coach material but that he can be the team’s offensive coordinator (again) and that this decision is being made before a head coach is properly in place. Now imagine being someone asked to take the head coach position with an offensive coordinator in place (Wade Phillips if you are reading this then we know that you literally know what that’s like) and also potentially to take on your future successor as well, if you buy all of the Jason Witten talk. This appears to be meddling upon meddling which is the only thing constant with the Dallas Cowboys these days.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Brian Schottenheimer is, apparently, a real possibility for Cowboys head coach The Dallas Cowboys head coaching search was rocked on Monday with the sudden appearance of Brian Schottenheimer, current offensive coordinator, as the odds-on favorite to be the next head coach in Dallas. Tuesday morning brought news that the coach, who doesn’t call plays, will in fact interview for the job. So what does this mean? Schottenheimer’s candidacy has seemingly come out of nowhere, but it suddenly feels like a very strong possibility. Let’s take a dive into Schottenheimer’s background and what his head coaching tenure might look like. NFL royalty As has been pointed out many, many times throughout Schottenheimer’s coaching career, he’s the son of legendary coach Marty Schottenheimer, who sits seventh all time in career wins, just 50 wins behind the great Tom Landry. The elder Schottenheimer coached for roughly three decades with four different head coaching stints. He led the Browns for five seasons, the Chiefs for ten seasons, Washington for one season, and the Chargers for five seasons. His tenure with both the Browns and Chiefs saw at least four consecutive playoff appearances and a combined three trips to the conference championship game, though Schottenheimer never managed to win a Super Bowl. It was Schottenheimer’s final season running the Chiefs that saw his son join the staff as an assistant. The quarterbacks coach at the time was none other than Mike McCarthy, which served to form a bond that later led to Schottenheimer finding his way to Dallas in the first place. Schottenheimer later went on to serve on his father’s staffs with both the Commanders and Chargers before striking out on his own. The last name Schottenheimer means a lot to those who have been around for a while, and it’s played a part in the younger Schottenheimer’s career, too. Not only as it relates to connections, but Schottenheimer has been around the game quite literally his entire life. Loads of experience Schottenheimer has been around for a long time and gained a ton of experience. Going back to his playing days, Schottenheimer attended the University of Florida and was the backup quarterback for three years. Head coach Steve Spurrier would later refer to Schottenheimer as the assistant quarterbacks coach during that time. After coaching quarterbacks under his father for the Chargers, Schottenheimer was named the offensive coordinator of the Jets by new head coach Eric Mangini. The Jets would go on to post winning seasons twice in three years, the final one working with Brett Favre at quarterback. Mangini was fired nonetheless, and new head coach Rex Ryan retained Schottenheimer. The next two seasons, Schottenheimer’s ground-and-pound offense helped lead the Jets to consecutive AFC Conference Championship games, falling short both times. Schottenheimer parted ways with the team after three years with Ryan as head coach, with the Jets wanting to embrace a more pass-happy offense for quarterback Mark Sanchez. Schottenheimer then joined the Rams as the offensive coordinator under new head coach Jeff Fisher. Schottenheimer’s first season saw career numbers for Sam Bradford, but the quarterback suffered devastating ACL injuries each of the next two years, ultimately leading to Schottenheimer’s departure. Schottenheimer spent a year as the offensive coordinator at Georgia before taking the quarterbacks coach job with the Colts, working to reinvigorate the offense around Andrew Luck. Two years later, he was hired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll, which kicked off a three-year span wherein Seattle ranked sixth in EPA/play and ninth in offensive success rate. It also included the best years of Russell Wilson’s career, statistically speaking. Schottenheimer was fired in Seattle, reportedly at the request of Wilson, and spent a year on the ill-fated Urban Meyer Jaguars staff before coming to Dallas as a coaching consultant. Reports indicated that he had been tapped as Dan Quinn’s top coordinator candidate when interviewing for the Broncos job, but Quinn ultimately remained in Dallas for another year, by which point Schottenheimer was promoted to coordinator in Dallas. Familiarity with Dak Prescott, others One of the biggest motivators for Jerry Jones in considering Schottenheimer, according to reports, is his familiarity with Dak Prescott and other players on the roster. Schottenheimer is said to be well-liked within the locker room, and his relationships with players is believed to make for a smoother transition than hiring an outside candidate. Of course, the counterargument to this notion is that the Cowboys should have just done what it took to retain Mike McCarthy if the concern was having a coach the players like. After all, Prescott and several other players publicly voiced their support for McCarthy. Nevertheless, Schottenheimer’s hire would likely serve as a continuity hire. This may allow the team to hold on to Mike Zimmer at defensive coordinator, as well as Al Harris and several other promising assistants on the coaching staff. Offensive continuity In that same vein, Schottenheimer would almost certainly be hired with the idea of offensive continuity in mind. While he didn’t call plays the last two years, Schottenheimer was heavily involved in crafting the offensive game plans with McCarthy and therefore would likely keep things more or less the same offensively. It’s unclear if Schottenheimer, who hasn’t called plays in four seasons now, would look to call plays as a head coach or bring in someone as a coordinator to call plays for him. Either way, though, don’t expect a Schottenheimer coaching staff to introduce a ton of change offensively. In some ways, that’s a good thing. The Cowboys finished the 2023 season second in EPA/play and third in offensive success rate, and Prescott was the MVP runner up in his lone full season running the Texas Coast offense. Even this year, with so many injuries on offense, Rico Dowdle hit 1,000 rushing yards and CeeDee Lamb topped 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth straight year despite missing the final two games. In other ways, offensive continuity is another black mark against Schottenheimer’s

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Here is a look at Brian Schottenheimer’s career to date. The Dallas Cowboys are searching for a new head coach and one name that is picking up steam is Brian Schottenheimer, who has been the team’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons. Today, we’ll look at Schottenheimer’s coaching journey and how his various squads have done with him calling the plays. Schottenheimer started coaching in 1997. He spent his first nine years in the league split up between being an assistant in the NFL, a position coach in college, and a quarterbacks coach where he worked with his father, the great Marty Schottenheimer. After five years as a QB coach, he finally got an offensive coordinator position and started calling plays in 2006. New York Jets (2006-2011) One might think coaching for the Jets would be a nightmare, but Schottenheimer had some success in Jersey. In six seasons with New York, he worked under two head coaches, Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan. When transitioning from Mangini to Ryan, Schottenheimer was considered for the head coaching job in New York, but the Jets opted to go with Ryan. Schottenheimer stayed on as the team’s offensive coordinator. The Jets only had one losing season in those six years and went to the playoffs three times, twice advancing to the AFC Championship game. His quarterbacks were Chad Pennington, Brett Favre (for one season), and Mark Sanchez. Thomas Jones was his most successful running back as he put up seasons of 1,119 yards, 1,312 yards, and 1,402 yards during his three years with the Jets. Schottenheimer also had LaDanian Tomlinson for a couple of years, but he was north of 30 years of age. The Jets had a few years where they were a strong rushing team thanks to Jones, but weren’t much of a passing threat. A big part of that was due to his lack of weapons. At receiver, the Jets had guys like Jerricho Cotchery, Laveranues Coles, Braylon Edwards, and some former Pittsburgh Steelers in Santanio Holmes and Plaxico Burress. St. Louis Rams (2012-2014) After six seasons with the Jets, Schottenheimer joined Jeff Fisher in St. Louis. The Rams were terrible. Fisher spent five years as the Rams head coach, all losing seasons. He was fired late in the 2016 season and replaced by interim coach John Fassel. Schottenheimer got out after three years as the Rams didn’t have much talent around them. Their quarterback was Sam Bradford for a couple of seasons followed by a split between Austin Davis and Shaun Hill (both terrible). The rushing attack featured an older Steven Jackson, followed by Zac Stacy and Tre Mason. Their best receivers were Danny Amendola, Chris Givens, Kenny Britt, and Tavon Austin. Just as he did with the Jets, the running game was decent while the passing game left something to be desired, but both units were a step down with the Rams. In 2015, he called plays for the Georgia Bulldogs and from 2016-2017 he was the quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts under Chuck Pagano. Seattle Seahawks (2018-2020) He returned to the offensive coordinator role in 2018 with the Seattle Seahawks, working under Pete Carroll. Right away the Seahawks offense moved inside the top 10 in points scored. Seattle won 10+ games in each of his three seasons with the team and made the postseason each time. In Seattle, he had a lot more talent to work with. Chris Carson was his featured running back. He ran for over 1,100 yards in back-to-back seasons. He also had a good receiving duo featuring Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett, and then Lockett with D.K. Metcalf. And just like his previous two stops, the Seahawks were better at running the ball than passing. They finished top 10 in rushing all three seasons and were middle of the road in passing. Despite his early success in Seattle, things flattened out during his final season. Schottenheimer failed to make adjustments and didn’t offer much creativity. He was fired after the Seahawks were bounced from the playoffs. Dallas Cowboys (2023-2024) After some sleepless nights in Seattle, Schottenheimer joined the Jacksonville Jaguars passing game coordinator for one season where they finished dead last in points scored. He joined the Cowboys staff as a consultant in 2022 before taking over as co-offensive coordinator with Mike McCarthy after Kellen Moore left. In Dallas, it’s been a mixed bag. In 2023, the offense started terribly but started putting things together after their bye week. They ended up finishing as the top-scoring team in the league. They had a healthy Dak Prescott for a full season, the only instance of that over the last five years. CeeDee Lamb was a star and Brandin Cooks helped give them a nice one-two punch. This past season, the passing attack again struggled early, but it never got better largely in part due to a season-ending injury to Prescott midway through the season. The running game wasn’t good in either year. Last year they had Tony Pollard, but he didn’t look like the same player he was before his foot injury suffered in the playoff game against the 49ers. And last year the running game was a hot mess. They didn’t know what they wanted to do early on, but then things finally started to come together later in the year when Rico Dowdle became the workhorse back. Rankings as Offensive Coordinator Overall, his teams weren’t very good early on as the talent with the Jets and Rams wasn’t the same as what he had with the Seahawks and Cowboys. Schottenheimer has had good rushing teams for the most part. Sadly, his two years with the Cowboys were one of his weaker seasons. His passing game hasn’t looked nearly as strong as he’s finished outside the top 10 in every season except one during his time as offensive coordinator. The good news is that one time was recently with the Cowboys. What type of head coach he’d

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images The prodigal son of Dallas is not what the Cowboys need right now The Dallas Cowboys conducted a virtual interview with Kellen Moore for their head coaching vacancy last Friday, but the Eagles’ win on Sunday means that Jerry Jones will have to wait a little longer if he wants to hire his former offensive coordinator. Our own Dan Rogers previously outlined why Moore should be the pick for the job, but it’s safe to say that the fan base is split on the idea. As a counterargument, here are three reasons why Moore is the wrong choice to lead the Cowboys in 2025. Weaknesses as a play-caller still remain The Eagles’ playoff game on Sunday was a perfect example of why the Cowboys shouldn’t hire Moore, and it’s not because he’s working for the enemy, although it does still feel wrong seeing him in that green. Simply put, Moore’s weaknesses as a play-caller from his Dallas days still remain. Moore has become a more run-heavy play-caller in Philadelphia, though that’s mostly out of deference to head coach Nick Sirianni (more on that in a moment). In the game against the Rams, Moore’s offense morphed into the worst version of Moore’s worst tendencies. The pass game became static and Moore was completely at the mercy of his run game, powered by Saquon Barkley, to move the ball. Barkley finished with 77 more rushing yards than Jalen Hurts had passing yards, and the Eagles finished the game with a stark difference in pass and run efficiency. Their 0.30 EPA/run was one of their best marks all year, while their -0.12 EPA/dropback was utterly abysmal. Two moments in the game reminded everyone about Moore’s lack of situational awareness as a play-caller. The Eagles had been pinned back to their own eight and Hurts, who had been in the medical tent with a knee injury after the previous drive, came out for this series. Moore called a run play on first down, but went with a deep drop pass play on second down. His offensive line, which had already given up five sacks on the day, gave up another and Hurts was sacked in the endzone for a safety. Much later in the game, the Eagles had the ball up six with 2:48 left. They needed to grind out the clock as much as possible, and everyone expected them to lean on Barkley once again. After a first down run, though, Hurts rolled out on a play-action bootleg that freed nobody up. Hurts was sacked, and the Rams used their second timeout. It was a risky call, first and foremost, but it was poor situational awareness even with the Rams being forced to use their timeout because it made a first down – something the Eagles needed on that drive to ensure the win – virtually impossible after the sack. As it turned out, the Rams got the ball back and came dangerously close to winning the game, bailed out by a timely sack. Nobody doubts Moore’s brilliance, and when his scheme is clicking it’s a beautiful thing to watch. But his Cowboys offenses fell into a rut all too often, and this most recent game served as a warning that he still hasn’t figured out how to overcome it. Deferential nature a bad fit with Jerry Jones At the end of the day, the biggest factor in a new head coach will come down to their relationship with Jerry Jones, which is why Moore is considered the favorite by some. But what the Cowboys want and what they need in a head coach are two different things. The Cowboys need a coach who is willing to challenge Jones on certain issues, but do so in a way that isn’t so confrontational that it turns Jones off entirely. McCarthy started to figure this out too late, getting his analytics department after three years and getting the OK to phase Ezekiel Elliott out of the offense halfway through this past season. Moore, on the other hand, has proven to be largely deferential as a coach. This can be seen most directly in how he has used pre-snap motion throughout his career. When Moore first took over the Cowboys offense, he talked a lot about the advantages of using motion before the snap, and the Cowboys came out firing that year. Over the first three games of 2019, Dallas ran motion on 69.2% of their plays; they also jumped out to a 3-0 start. However, there were comments from both Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones regarding the offense after that, mostly concerning how stable such an approach was. Suddenly, the offense changed, and they used motion on just 60.4% of their plays for the rest of the year, a staggering decline. Each of the next three years with Moore running the offense, Dallas declined more and more each year in motion rate, never rising above 55.8% for the year. When Moore departed for the Chargers, where he was the highest-ranking offensive coach on the staff, motion usage shot up to 69.8%, almost exactly where it had been in Moore’s first three games as a play-caller. This past year, Moore arrived in Philadelphia and started calling the offense under Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. Throughout Sirianni’s three seasons leading the Eagles, which saw three different play-callers prior to Moore, the offense had rarely used motion compared to the rest of the league. That trend continued despite Moore’s clear preference for it, as Philadelphia’s 57.5% motion rate ranked 21st in the league, the lowest that one of Moore’s offenses has ever finished. This is only the most easily identifiable example, but Moore has a history of being overly deferential to others when it comes to his scheme and core philosophies. That’s not a trait that will help the Cowboys succeed given the current ownership structure. A return to the Jason Garrett/Scott Linehan era It’s easy to draw parallels between Moore and

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images You can make a very strong argument that the Cowboys should go tackle in the first round. The Dallas Cowboys offensive line has historically been a central reason for their past success. Going back to the 1990s glory days, it was the impressive offensive line that helped Troy Aikman deliver so expertly and Emmitt Smith set NFL records. Then there was the reemergence of that dominance at the position just a decade ago when the likes of Tyron Smith, Travis Fredrick and Zack Martin led the way, giving Tony Romo some of the best moments in his career and helped Demarco Murray break NFL records. Last season, however, was a tough year for the offensive line, mostly due to injury, but also it lacked that elite level of protection Cowboys fans have been accustomed to. Since the season ended for Dallas, the offensive line has been a hot topic, specifically at offensive tackle. Concerns about Terence Steele and his future crept into conversation this season, and Tyler Guyton’s play at left tackle left room for plenty of debate. Financial constraints potentially limit the Cowboys’ ability to improve their offensive line through free agency, so drafting a high-ceiling player at offensive tackle would be a cost-effective way to address a key position without significant immediate financial outlay. One solution that has been proposed is putting Guyton at his natural position from college, right tackle, and then draft a left tackle to hold that position. There’s no shortage of great, pure left tackles in this year’s draft. Here are five names Cowboys fans should know. Kelvin Banks Jr. Texas Longhorns2024 Left Tackle snaps: 800Draft Projection: First Round In the initial round, the Cowboys are positioned nicely to potentially select Banks, offering them optimal value. Banks is recognized for his exceptional athleticism, explosiveness, and adaptability on the field. Standing at 6’4” and weighing 324 pounds, he possesses the physical characteristics that ranks him as a highly-promising tackle prospect and fits right into Dallas’ ethos for the position. His performances, particularly in pass protection and run blocking, have been noteworthy, as he has allowed no pressures in crucial games, showcasing his potential to become an immediate starter. The fact he fits an immediate need, long-term potential, and is a huge cultural fit for the Dallas Cowboys, makes him a prime candidate for their draft strategy in the 2025 NFL Draft. Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Aireontae Ersery Minnesota Golden Gophers2024 Left Tackle snaps: 674 Draft Projection: Early Second Round Ersery is one guy who could be an immediate fit at either tackle spot, providing versatility and options for Dallas. He’s best described as having prototypical size for an offensive tackle at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, with surprising movement for a guy his size. His physicality, including a strong anchor in pass protection and the ability to move well in run-blocking schemes, makes him a valuable asset at left tackle for Dallas. Ersery has been a three-year starter at left tackle for Minnesota, showcasing consistent performance with minimal sacks allowed over his college career. He has experience in a balanced, zone-based run scheme. His performance against high-caliber opponents like Abdul Carter from Penn State highlights his potential to handle elite pass rushers. Ersery fits the Cowboys mold and seeing him tied with Tyler Smith will bring a toughness on that side of the line not seen in a while. He offers immediate help and future potential. This pick could even work with a trade down in the first round to add even more value to the pick while also aligning with strengthening the offensive line early. Josh Conerly Jr. Oregon Ducks2024 Left Tackle snaps: 795 Draft Projection: Early Second Round Conerly is another good pure left tackle who could provide a long-term solution to rejuvenate this Cowboys offensive front. He’s an elite athlete for his position with exceptional foot speed, agility, and leverage. His improvement over the season, especially in pass protection, suggests he has huge upside. His athleticism would provide an immediate impact with plenty of room to still grow. He has shown advanced technical skills for his age, particularly in hand usage and footwork in pass protection. His ability to use various techniques to counter different types of pass rushers indicates he’s not just a one-trick pony. Although Conerly needs to work on his grip strength and anchoring against power rushers, his overall development from his freshman to his sophomore year at Oregon suggests he’s on a positive and upward trajectory. This makes him an attractive prospect for the Cowboys, who have a history of developing this exact type of lineman into Pro Bowlers. This is another strategic value pick for Dallas. They can gamble and see if Conerly can make it to them in the second round but he also provides a level of safety and comfort if offensive linemen begin to come off the board. They could even look to trade up and snag the talented pass protector at the start of Day 2 if the risk is too high of him being gone. Conerly’s background as a high school running back turned lineman speaks to his adaptability and work ethic, traits that the Cowboys value. Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Wyatt Milum West Virginia Mountaineers2024 Left Tackle snaps: 700Draft Projection: Mid Second Round Let’s start with reliability here. Wyatt Milum has been a consistent starter for West Virginia, with 32 starts in 36 games, showing durability and reliability. After a season of player injuries in Dallas at the position. this is already a huge tick in one box. His exceptional pass-blocking skills (zero sacks allowed in the last three seasons) and his performance in run-blocking scenarios (helping lead West Virginia to a top rushing attack among Power 5 schools) align well with the Cowboys’ offensive needs. Given his experience and skill set, Milum could step in and contribute right away at left tackle for Dallas. His dedication to

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports The latest Dallas Cowboys offseason news. NFL Insider: Eagles’ Kellen Moore Front-Runner for Cowboys HC Job After McCarthy Exit – Doric Sam, Bleacher Report None of us should be surprised if Kellen Moore is the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Machota noted that Moore was the first person to interview for the Cowboys’ head coach opening, and team owner Jerry Jones “thinks highly” of him. Under Moore’s direction, the Eagles ranked seventh in the NFL in total offense with 367.2 yards per game and second with 179.3 rushing yards per game during the regular season. Philadelphia is one win away from making the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, as it will meet the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. With Moore focused on trying to help the Eagles achieve a Super Bowl berth, the Cowboys would have to wait a while before they could tab him for their head coaching position. According to Machota, “The longer the search goes, the more likely it would seem that Moore is the pick.” Report: Cowboys, former position coach have ‘expressed mutual interest’ in HC candidacy – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire The Cowboys are reportedly considering yet another defensive-minded head coach. Among the candidates who have been discussed- albeit with wildly varying degrees of seriousness- are Kellen Moore, Deion Sanders, Jason Witten, Aaron Glenn, Mike Zimmer, and Brian Schottenheimer, all of whom have been on Jerry Jones’s payroll in one position or another over the years. Now add Anthony Lynn. Ed Werder of WFAA reports that there is “expressed mutual interest” between Lynn and the Cowboys for the team’s current head coaching vacancy. But despite a desire by both sides to meet, any talks will have to be delayed, as the job Lynn currently holds has him a little busy this week. Lynn served on Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington this season as the Commanders’ run game coordinator and running backs coach. He’ll be preparing this week to square off against the Eagles with a Super Bowl berth on the line. He knows the divisional rivalries well; one of his first NFL jobs was in elsewhere in the NFC East, in Dallas during the Bill Parcells regime. An ex-running back himself who played six seasons with the Broncos and 49ers, Lynn is a McKinney native who played his college ball at Texas Tech. NFL insider provides clarity around the latest Dallas Cowboys’ coaching rumor frustrating fans at the start of the week – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Without much of Mike McCarthy’s staff expected back, Brian Schottenheimer faces longer odds than some are suggesting to become the Cowboys next head coach. Despite what the betting world thinks, however, NFL insider Adam Schefter from ESPN cleared the air a little on Monday when he indicated the Cowboys hadn’t approached Schottenheimer about the job. “I think Brian Schottenheimer is the favorite in Las Vegas here,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Now that doesn’t mean that Brian Schottenheimer isn’t going to be the head coach at some point in time. We never rule out anything. But to the best of my knowledge he hadn’t even interviewed for the job and Dallas hadn’t approached about being the head coach.” As Schefter notes, it doesn’t mean he won’t wind up as head coach but fans will find his report somewhat relieving after early reporting made the the hire feel inevitable. On Saturday, Jimmy Johnson brought him up as a legit candidate before he overtook Kellen Moore and Deion Sanders, among many others, to be the betting favorite. Schefter added the Cowboys do like Schottenheimer and that they want him on the staff. “I think the Cowboys absolutely love and respect Brian Schottenheimer and they want him there,” Schefter said. “But I don’t know that that’s as the head coach right now. Former Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel headed for same role with Titans – RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys The Cowboys have another big hole to fill on their coaching staff now. He will not be back with the Cowboys, who are still looking for a replacement for McCarthy. It was reported on Monday afternoon that Fassel is headed to become the special teams coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. The Titans feature Tony Pollard who was at one point a returner for Fassel’s group (that didn’t go well, but it is still true). They also recently had Luke Gifford as a part of their team, someone who Fassel has worked with before, too. Whoever is playing for Fassel next season we know it won’t be anybody with the Cowboys. It makes sense that he would find another job as he is a coveted special teams mind and obviously the Cowboys are still tending to their own situation with their staff. What’s Next? Cowboys are again unsettled at RB – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Running back is one of the first areas the new Cowboys coaching staff will have to address. Present: Elliott was under the impression, as we were all told, that the Cowboys would operate as a committee at running back, and they sure did give it the ole college try. It failed miserably though, much like the WR-by-committee approach did in the post-Dez Bryant era. It became a muddied mess at the position, eventually devolving into Elliott being made inactive at one point as a consequence for behavioral issues, a laughably bad experiment to try and get Dalvin Cook involved and the outright dismissal of any notion of getting Deuce Vaughn and/or Hunter Luepke involved in the offense. The lone steady hand was Dowdle, who had a career year and then some. The problem is Dowdle now heads to unrestricted free agency, yet again, and he will be looking for much more than another one-year deal, having earned more stability after last season. There is the as yet untapped potential Malik Davis on the practice squad, sure, but