A closer look at the latest Cowboys coaching names

Things continue to move quickly for Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys as they keep filling positions on the coaching staff. We took a deeper look at the names that were known before Tuesday, and now there are three new names to consider. Two, Skip Peete and Lunda Wells, are reported to be done deals, while the third, Adam Henry, has just been reported as an interviewee at the time this was written, but based on past trends he is being examined here as well. The clear trend has been that once a name surfaces from the more reliable sources, it is someone the team is targeting and likely going to add. So here is an addendum to the previous article.

Running back coach Skip Peete

This one fits right in with the majority of the other new names. He is very experienced. He served with the Cowboys under both Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett, plus has seen time with the Oakland Raiders, the Chicago Bears, and most recently the Los Angeles Rams.

So far, all indications are that McCarthy is hiring the guys he wants, but that previous tour in Dallas probably made him an easy sell to Jerry Jones. It is also interesting that during his college coaching years before moving up to the NFL, he coached wide receivers for four years. That may indicate that there is some plan to incorporate Ezekiel Elliott more efficiently in the passing game, and of course Tony Pollard has some value there as well.

Tight ends coach Lunda Wells

Wells is a bit of a mystery, having only worked with the New York Giants in the NFL before being tabbed for the Cowboys. He worked with the offensive line before being reassigned as tight ends coach there for the past two seasons. That may hint at wanting to improve the blocking skills of the tight ends, which is not exactly encouraging to consider, but hopefully he will also be very concerned with using them as receivers as well. It is something that will be worth keeping an eye on.

One point his hire brings up is that it kills the idea of Jason Witten moving to the coaching ranks with the Cowboys. This seems to jibe with the entire concept of choosing experience over going with a real unknown, but given the limited time Wells has, it is intriguing that he was the guy McCarthy went for.

Possible wide receivers coach Adam Henry

Henry is another case of a lot of NFL stops, having coached with the Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers, the Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. He worked with the tight ends in Oakland, which may mean he will work some with Wells to counterbalance the latter’s relative inexperience.

And there is an interesting connection with Wells, although it may not mean a lot. Both Henry and Wells spent time at LSU in their college time. As you may be aware, the Tigers have been rather successful of late, and have long been a power in the NCAA. It is a reach, of course, but just maybe that connection to one of the premier college programs had a little to do with the interest from Dallas.

If the Henry deal winds up getting done, the staff is just about complete. Now we just have to see how this group comes together on the sidelines and in the meeting rooms.