What's happening on the Jason Garrett front? Well, it looks like we should know the answer relatively soon since the Rams appear to be the last team left that is interested in his services. The official word from the St. Louis organization is that Garrett is still in the running and that a decision will come shortly after the weekend.
[The Rams] confirmed that Minnesota assistant head coach-defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Dallas assistant head coach-offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Baltimore assistant head coach-defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, and New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo are still in the running.
In fact, Devaney added a fifth name, saying that former New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel also was under consideration.
So that's the official word coming out of St. Louis. But the always amusing ‘sources' have narrowed it down further.
Devaney didn't name a front-runner, but one NFC personnel executive said Thursday that he thought the Rams were leaning toward Frazier. Another league source said Frazier and Spagnuolo were the most impressive candidates coming out of the interviews.
Indeed, this report from Yahoo Sports says the same, Leslie Frazier and Steve Spagnoulo are the two guys who still have a shot. Further complicating matters is the thought that the Rams might be waiting until after the weekend because they have a strong interest in Baltimore Ravens DC Rex Ryan. But Ryan is also reportedly a front-runner for the New York Jets job. Unless, of course, the Jets go with Spanoulo who recently had a second interview with the team.
Got all that? Yeah, I know, whatever, let's just see what happens. One thing I do get out of all that mess is that it looks likely that Garrett will not be hired by the Rams. If that's the case, then it's pretty certain he will return to the Cowboys as the OC which leads to a whole new set of questions. Mainly, is the situation between him and T.O. so dire that he really has issued some kind of ultimatum that he can't co-exist with T.O. next year? Does the fact that he has no other real option if he doesn't get the Rams job factor into that equation for Jerry Jones? Is Jones so enamored with Garrett that he would actually give into the demand, if it has actually been made? I don't know but the next week or so should be interesting.
If you didn't know already, Tennessee Titans DC Jim Schwartz got the Detroit Lions job so that's no longer an option for Garrett.
Meanwhile, the receiving corps of the Cowboys has come to the defense of T.O. RW2 has a Q&A with Nick Eatman where he sings the praises of T.O. and hopes that #81 and #11 will line up together for the Cowboys next year. He also discusses how he and Tony Romo need to get on the same page and develop the trust factor over the offseason. Patrick Crayton also loves him some T.O. although he did concede that T.O. and Garrett had a rocky relationship at the end of the season. Hat tip to BTB-regular jsams for the post of Crayton's interview, here. And finally, the one guy who you knew would be in T.O.'s corner, agent Drew Rosenhaus, weighs-in here.
I found this highly amusing. The DMN blog reports on the efforts to sign free-agent Chris Canty.
The Raiders signed defensive lineman Tommy Kelly to a seven-year, $50.5 million contract ($18.125 million guaranteed) last winter that raised a lot of eyebrows around the league. That deal would be the starting point for negotiations if the Cowboys want to keep Chris Canty from determining his value in the open market.
"It'd have to start somewhere around there, if not higher," said Brad Blank, Canty's agent. "We talked very briefly last summer at that level, and [the Cowboys] didn't seem very interested."
Please. That number is ridiculous for Canty. If the Cowboys make that kind of mistake and give him that kind of money, then Jerry Jones should fire Jerry Jones as the GM. I like Canty, I still wonder if he has more game than what he's shown, but I'm not willing to spend that kind of money to find out.