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A lot is changing for the Dallas Cowboys and that tends to happen when you’re ushering in a new coaching staff. Many people were concerned that Jerry Jones would still be pushing for what he wanted, and that could be a problem. With Mike McCarthy being handed the reins, it looks like it’s not an issue.
The Cowboys are in sore need of change at critical areas which was exposed as fact when they failed to make the playoffs in spite of a talented roster. The good news dropping during the wake of Mike McCarthy’s hiring is that the Cowboys are seemingly starting over to a large degree.
Makes sense. One theme that has come up repeatedly with the #Cowboys: We need a fresh start. https://t.co/EUvVXvQFvl
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2020
It appears that McCarthy is targeting experience for his staff in Mike Nolan (defensive coordinator), John Fassel (special teams coordinator), and Jim Tomsula (defensive line). Those are all new faces.
Some familiar faces might be returning (Kellen Moore for example), but there is no guarantee that they all do. The statuses of coaches like Jon Kitna, Kris Richard, and so on are yet to be determined.
It appears as if running backs coach Gary Brown might be out. Apparently the job has already been offered to someone that is not him which is obviously not a good sign for his continued employment.
At RB, the job was offered to someone other than Gary Brown who was on an expiring contract. That person has yet to accept. Brown would be excellent choice still as I’m told players want him back should the candidate turn it down. https://t.co/j4AMoTWrme
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 8, 2020
A Twitter user responded to this report from NFL Network’s Jane Slater asking about Stan Drayton as a potential option. Slater playfully hinted that he wouldn’t be a bad option, and that’s very true.
If you are unaware, Drayton was Ezekiel Elliott’s running backs coach while at Ohio State. While he had a stint with the Chicago Bears afterwards (during Jordan Howard’s rookie season by the way) and is currently at the University of Texas, giving Zeke somebody in the room that he knows very well could be a smart decision by Mike McCarthy.
We’re seeing a lot of smart decisions so far and it all feels positive moving forward. Perhaps all of this is how McCarthy sold Jerry Jones in the meeting that landed him the job, but he is executing a lot of moves that look like he had a long time to plan them.