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The Dallas Cowboys are on the brink of a major coaching overhaul.
The Cowboys are moving on from several key assistant coaches, including notable names such as offensive line coach Joe Philbin, assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett, assistant head coach Rob Davis, running backs coach Skip Peete and senior defensive assistant George Edwards.
While it’s clear Dallas is already going through a coaching staff change, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk proposes the idea that the Cowboys could be “discreetly” lining up the replacement — Sean Payton — for head coach Mike McCarthy.
“And it makes me wonder whether something else is going on behind the scenes,” said Florio. “Something like owner Jerry Jones discreetly lining up the replacement for the head coach before firing the head coach, because Jones will fire the head coach only if he gets the replacement Jones wants. In unrelated (or not) developments, Sean Payton’s candidacy with the four teams that had expressed interest in his services seems to have become bogged down, by something.”
Mike McCarthy is Arguably Cowboys’ Best Coach in Decades
It’s no secret that the Cowboys have long coveted the former New Orleans Saints head coach. Payton formerly coached the Cowboys as an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach from 2003 until 2005. In fact, it was popularly assumed that if McCarthy had faltered this season, Dallas would pursue Payton as its next head coach.
However, McCarthy turned in another successful season in 2022. He clinched back-to-back 12-win seasons and became the first Cowboys coach since Chan Gailey in 1998-99 to lead Dallas to consecutive postseason appearances. Furthermore, he won a playoff game, defeating the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card round. That was notable, because the Cowboys had never defeated Brady during his 23-season career prior to that game.
What makes matters more complicated is the fact that team owner Jerry Jones has already stressed his commitment to McCarthy. That vote of confidence occurred even before Dallas’ victory over Tampa Bay — and it happened again after the Cowboys’ playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Via Jon Machota of The Athletic on Sunday, January 22:
“No, not at all,” Jones when asked if the result of the game impacts McCarthy’s job status. “Their decision on our kicker was exonerated with his field goal, in my mind. I’m proud for him. This is very sickening to not win tonight.”
Cowboys Would Have to Surrender Draft Capital for Sean Payton
In order to acquire Payton — who has two years left on his head coaching deal with the Saints — Dallas would have to give up draft assets. The veteran head coach has already revealed that it would likely take a mid-to-late first-round draft pick to pull off a deal with the Saints.
Via Erich Richter of The New York Post:
“[Saints GM] Mickey Loomis and I have talked already about it, and I think ultimately the compensation for the Saints would be a mid-or-later first-round pick,” Payton said on an episode of “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd earlier in January.
Payton is currently undergoing interviews with several teams, with franchises such as the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans showing interest in the former Super Bowl champion.
It wouldn’t exactly be surprising for Jones — who is well-known for big moves — to make the move for Payton. But considering McCarthy actually improved on his 2021 season with a playoff win this year and given Jones’ public commitment to McCarthy, it seems like an unlikely move — for now.
If Payton decides to hold off another year before he returns to the sidelines and McCarthy comes up short next season, that’s when the Cowboys could very well make a move for the highly-coveted head coach.
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Analyst Floats Wild Mike McCarthy Scenario Amid Coaching Changes