By Drew Davison
ddavison@star-telegram.com
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones quipped that it is much easier for him this offseason to be pleased that the front office and coaching staffs will stay intact for the most part.
Jones and the organization didn’t make any major changes after a 4-12 season in 2015, and have been fortunate that several of their key members haven’t been poached by other NFL teams this off-season after a 13-3 season.
On Monday, with the Super Bowl over, NFL teams will turn their attention to free agency, the NFL draft and any staff changes.
“I was proud of them last year when we won four games and we kept it together, and so I am proud now that it’s easier to be proud of them with winning 13 games as it was with four,” Jones said. “I’m glad to see them together more than I was at this time last year.”
The Cowboys handed coach Jason Garrett a five-year, $30 million contract after the 2014 season, which means he is signed through the 2019 season.
That off-season they also rewarded offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli with three-year contracts, which means each will be going into their final contract year in 2017.
Jones wouldn’t name specific assistants who had expiring contracts, but the goal is to keep the coaching staff together as much as possible.
As executive vice president Stephen Jones said, “Continuity, to me, is a big thing. The way we’ve managed our team over the last seven, eight years, we put a lot of premium on that. With Jason being here and his longevity here with the organization, I think all of that is really important.
“At the same time, I think we’ve got one of the best staffs in the league. Obviously, can’t get into what other teams think about our guys, you’d have to ask them, but obviously we like to keep our guys. But we also want what’s best for everybody. I don’t hope for guys not to have opportunities, at the same time obviously if it doesn’t happen, we’re always thrilled to keep our coaches and our personnel people.”
On the front office side, the Cowboys are happy that they’ll retain Will McClay, the senior director of college and pro personnel.
Stephen Jones said teams have been interested in McClay, but that McClay is “happy” with the Cowboys.
McClay, 50, is the highest-ranking front office man not named Jones. He has run the Cowboys draft the past three seasons, building what has become a solid foundation for the future.
McClay has drafted starters such as right guard Zack Martin (2014), safety Byron Jones (2015), running back Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and quarterback Dak Prescott (2016).
He’s also found gems in the later rounds, including tight end Geoff Swaim (2015, seventh round), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (2014, fourth round), Prescott (2016, fourth round) and cornerback Anthony Brown (2016, sixth round).
“I don’t want to comment on that other than that Will is happy here,” Stephen Jones said. “There’s people who have been interested in him, I think that’s a fair way to characterize it, because there have been.”
ddavison@star-telegram.com
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones quipped that it is much easier for him this offseason to be pleased that the front office and coaching staffs will stay intact for the most part.
Jones and the organization didn’t make any major changes after a 4-12 season in 2015, and have been fortunate that several of their key members haven’t been poached by other NFL teams this off-season after a 13-3 season.
On Monday, with the Super Bowl over, NFL teams will turn their attention to free agency, the NFL draft and any staff changes.
“I was proud of them last year when we won four games and we kept it together, and so I am proud now that it’s easier to be proud of them with winning 13 games as it was with four,” Jones said. “I’m glad to see them together more than I was at this time last year.”
The Cowboys handed coach Jason Garrett a five-year, $30 million contract after the 2014 season, which means he is signed through the 2019 season.
That off-season they also rewarded offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli with three-year contracts, which means each will be going into their final contract year in 2017.
Jones wouldn’t name specific assistants who had expiring contracts, but the goal is to keep the coaching staff together as much as possible.
As executive vice president Stephen Jones said, “Continuity, to me, is a big thing. The way we’ve managed our team over the last seven, eight years, we put a lot of premium on that. With Jason being here and his longevity here with the organization, I think all of that is really important.
“At the same time, I think we’ve got one of the best staffs in the league. Obviously, can’t get into what other teams think about our guys, you’d have to ask them, but obviously we like to keep our guys. But we also want what’s best for everybody. I don’t hope for guys not to have opportunities, at the same time obviously if it doesn’t happen, we’re always thrilled to keep our coaches and our personnel people.”
On the front office side, the Cowboys are happy that they’ll retain Will McClay, the senior director of college and pro personnel.
Stephen Jones said teams have been interested in McClay, but that McClay is “happy” with the Cowboys.
McClay, 50, is the highest-ranking front office man not named Jones. He has run the Cowboys draft the past three seasons, building what has become a solid foundation for the future.
McClay has drafted starters such as right guard Zack Martin (2014), safety Byron Jones (2015), running back Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and quarterback Dak Prescott (2016).
He’s also found gems in the later rounds, including tight end Geoff Swaim (2015, seventh round), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (2014, fourth round), Prescott (2016, fourth round) and cornerback Anthony Brown (2016, sixth round).
“I don’t want to comment on that other than that Will is happy here,” Stephen Jones said. “There’s people who have been interested in him, I think that’s a fair way to characterize it, because there have been.”
