Weekend News: Brady’s retirement impact, analysis on Cowboys upcoming critical offseason

Big free agents to focus on, potential draft moves for Dallas and the shockwave of Brady’s retirement that could open the NFC up for Dallas. | From @CDBurnett7

The offseason is entering full-swing for the Dallas Cowboys, even if it isn’t for all 32 teams. After the critical news of Dan Quinn’s return to his defensive coordinator perch in the booth, the Cowboys got some great news with Tom Brady’s retirement. Yes, he no longer gets to add to his undefeated streak against America’s Team, or does he?

Our own Tyler Browning has two new draft profiles focused on the offense, one being a big add to the firepower while the other could be a catalyst for an overhaul on the offensive line that buried Dallas in the playoffs.

A pair of sophomore Cowboys earned some honors with cornerback Trevon Diggs earning PFWA’s Most Improved Player while wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is expected to be an alternate for the Pro Bowl in a week, becoming the sixth from Dallas. This is Saturday’s Cowboys News and Notes.

Cowboys News: 10 plays that defined 2021; Jerry Jones speaks on Payton, McCarthy, Quinn

The Cowboys owner talked about Mike McCarthy, Dan Quinn, and Kellen Moore on Friday; he mentioned Sean Payton only in passing. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys’ outspoken owner did plenty of speaking out on Friday. During an impromptu phoner with a Dallas radio station, Jones gave a behind-the-scenes account of Dan Quinn’s decision to remain in Dallas as defensive coordinator and shared Mike McCarthy’s surprising role in it. He also touched on his hopes for Kellen Moore’s next step and maintained that he has had no contact with ex-Saints coach Sean Payton. But in typical Jerry fashion, his answers simply produced a whole new slew of questions.

Elsewhere, distilling the 2021 Cowboys down to ten plays that determined the course of the season, a look at who might have had a better comeback than Dak Prescott, and a possible closing chapter for one Cowboys icon. We’re cracking the code on Tony Romo’s TV personality, looking back at the Dallas passers who have won multiple titles, and saluting Micah Parsons as he honors an American hero. Dan Quinn takes home some hardware, but did he overplay his hand in deciding to stay put? All that, plus free agent priorities and a bittersweet anniversary for Cowboys fans and the waiting game they’ve been playing ever since. That’s on tap in the News and Notes.

 

Cowboys News: Quinn stays, Moore back on Miami’s radar, 2022 breakout candidate

Dan Quinn is staying to finish what he started while Kellen Moore chances at landing a HC gig in 2022 aren’t as dead as they appeared. | From @StarConscience

Cowboys fans can rejoice. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has been on several interviews in pursuit of a head coaching job. However, after the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears announced that they were going in a different direction when Quinn seemed to be the frontrunner for both gigs, he informed the other teams he’s staying with the Cowboys. The same might not be true for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore though, as he is set to sit down with the brass of the Miami Dolphins for a second time about their vacancy at head coach.

Mike McCarthy isn’t the most popular man in Dallas after his team fell so short in the playoffs. They won’t come around anytime soon as an interview from 2019 with NFL journalist Peter King resurfaced, and it clearly shows McCarthy hasn’t done some of the things that he claimed he would do with another opportunity to coach. 2022 draft prospects, what the Cowboys will do at tight end and how their championship window might be closing  and more round out the news and notes.

Cowboys News: Can Dallas win with Dak? Playing out Payton options, mock drafts

The what-ifs surrounding Sean Payton are plentiful, with no shortage of opinions on what Jerry Jones and the Cowboys should do… and when. | From @ToddBrock24f7

It was fantasy football for Cowboys fans on Wednesday as everyone seemed to have an opinion on what Jerry Jones should do regarding Sean Payton. From trying to predict which other teams might make a run at the coach to making a case for why Jones shouldn’t wait around to find out, the team’s silence when it comes to squashing speculation- or even publicly pledging allegiance to Mike McCarthy- only means the story will continue to grow.

Elsewhere, Dan Quinn may be a step closer to getting the call, and Cowboys assistant Joe Whitt is adding to his dance card, too. We’re looking at the best free agents on the Dallas roster, naming the best opposing players the Cowboys saw in 2021, and handing out final grades to the much-improved defense. All that, plus questioning whether Dak Prescott has the same stuff we’re seeing in the top playoff teams… and taking an up-close look at what it’s all about each season: Super Bowl rings. Here’s the News and Notes.

Cowboys News: Sean Payton’s decision makes waves in Dallas; latest on Moore, Quinn

Sean Payton leaving the Saints could shake things up in Dallas, but likely not until 2023. Also, updates on Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys didn’t even do anything Tuesday and were front-page headlines. With the announcement by Saints head coach Sean Payton that he’ll be stepping away after 16 seasons with the club, attention turned immediately to Dallas, where Payton has long been linked. The former Cowboys assistant is still close with the Jones family, leading many to assume that a reunion with America’s Team may be forthcoming for Payton. While it may be possible, it likely won’t be anytime soon, and it wouldn’t come cheap. It’s also been revealed that Payton almost jumped ship to Dallas three years ago, and it was only a news item involving an NBA superstar that soured the deal.

Elsewhere, Micah Parsons collects several new trophies for his man cave, Dan Quinn gets another callback, and Kellen Moore could be staying put at The Star after all. We’re grading rookies, forecasting shoppers for Dalton Schultz’s services, and investigating one off-the-wall recommendation for the Dallas coaching staff. All that, plus how Sean Payton could be replacing a Cowboys legend even if he stays off the sidelines next season. That’s all up in the News and Notes.

Cowboys News: McCarthy moving forward, McAdoo moving on, Sean Payton speculation moving needle

The Cowboys coach remains confident in his job status, even as rumors swirl involving the potential return of a Jones family favorite. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys are out of the postseason, but they’re right in the thick of things as far as the annual coaching carousel is concerned. Mike McCarthy is standing by his opinion that his job is completely secure, even while talk is getting louder about the chances of an imminent return to Dallas by a Jones family favorite. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn remains the hottest ticket in town, as two teams have booked him for a second interview for a head coaching position. One Dallas defensive assistant is getting calls, too… and another staffer has already accepted an offer elsewhere. Meanwhile, we’re looking at who might replace Quinn if he takes one of the multiple offers he’s sure to get.

We’re still marinating in the bitterness of last Sunday’s wild card loss, and looking at that fateful last play with fresh perspective, based on both better angles of the field and what transpired in Tampa in the divisional round. A Cowboys legend laments a lost opportunity, we’re asking what happened to the offense, and we’re still sizing up Amari Cooper’s late-season vanishing act. All that, plus some wish-list what-iffing about the most dominant center in college football and what he could bring to the Cowboys… but almost certainly won’t. That’s all ahead in News and Notes.

Cowboys News: 2022 draft dreams, Quinn’s interview tour, Haley weighs in on playoff loss

Charles Haley voiced his opinion on the Cowboys loss. More on 2022 mock drafts, evaluations and the interview tour for Dan Quinn continues. | From @CDBurnett7

The 2021 playoffs have just six teams left and the Dallas Cowboys are barreling into a crucial offseason that could include a makeover of the staff and a few position groups. If there’s any solace in last week’s disappointment, their conquistadors, the San Francisco 49ers, turned it into an NFC championship opportunity after defeating the Green Bay Packers.

With an angry Jerry Jones looking for solutions, how much of an overhaul is on the way for Dallas? The offensive line could see a rebuilding after being bullied in the wild card round but there’s big free agents to focus on, too. The Cowboys might look to the 2022 draft for their biggest improvements and our own Tyler Browning has two new profiles, one on each side of the ball to have you dreaming of new stars wearing the Star.

To add salt to the wound, Dan Quinn continues his interview tour and the head coach above him is facing more criticism with Hall of Fame Charles Haley blaming Mike McCarthy for the nervous start and giving his concerns for the future in Dallas. These are the weekend news and notes.

News: Jerry Jones won’t address sun issue, Cowboys to lose assistant

Jones let it rip Friday; Mike McCarthy and Amari Cooper were among his targets as he aired his frustrations for fans in a radio interview. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones let it fly on Friday, and he didn’t hold much back. During the course of one radio interview, Jones hinted that he may still decide to make some coaching changes, criticized one of his highest-paid players for not performing up to expectations, scoffed at the notion that his billion-dollar stadium needs curtains, and railed on the Dallas staff for being too content to save all their problem-solving efforts for the offseason. All this, while the organization is reportedly already losing its first assistant to another club.

Elsewhere, Randy Gregory goes under the knife, Amari Cooper says he’d prefer to stay in Dallas, and Mike McCarthy vows he’s not moving back to playcalling, no matter what happens with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. The team’s official staff writers are ranking the 22 free agents in order of importance to the roster, mock draft season brings us several new names to consider, and a TikTok influencer says he used stolen credentials to infiltrate Dak Prescott’s press conference after Sunday’s loss. Oh, and Troy Aikman just compared the 2021 Cowboys to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here’s your News and Notes.

Cowboys News: Prescott fined, Michael Gallup’s last days in Dallas?

Some potential draft targets, offseason need discussions and a fat financial penalty for the Dallas signal caller. | From @StarConscience

Dak Prescott didn’t have one of his better performances versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, and the disappointment didn’t end on the field. He applauded the fans for throwing objects at the officials as they left the field, which wasn’t a good look, and he will lose some dollars over it. The NFL draft is three months away and offensive tackle and safety are at the top of the Dallas Cowboys’ needs.

Michael Gallup played in the final year of his rookie deal in 2021. Unfortunately, he suffered a calf strain and a torn ACL, and with the emergence of Cedrick Wilson, his days in Dallas may end in the next few months. Also, the future of DeMarcus Lawrence, what caused the Cowboys’ offense to falter down the stretch, and more lead an intriguing roundup of news and notes.

Cowboys News: McCarthy’s press conference stuns; new invites for Quinn, Whitt

McCarthy stood by the ill-fated final play and is confident in his job security, but he acknowledged that penalties need to be addressed. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys head coach held his season-ending press conference on Wednesday, and the longer it went on, the more bombshells he dropped. Hard to say what’s more shocking for Cowboys fans who are still bitterly disappointed: that the coach seems smugly confident in his job security, that he’s still defending the quarterback draw that ended their playoff run, or that he continued to ride Ezekiel Elliott over Tony Pollard after Elliott tore a PCL the first weekend in October. At least he acknowledged that penalties will be a major point of emphasis this offseason.

McCarthy’s staff remains a popular bunch. Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore interviewed virtually with the Vikings, Quinn got a new invite from a division rival, and one of Quinn’s defensive assistants is now on the radar for the DC gig at one of Quinn’s old stops.

Elsewhere, a Cowboys legend drags the team for not keeping it simple with one of their top playmakers, a pair of rookies prep for ankle surgery this week, a depth defender heads for greener pastures, Dallas does big ratings once again, and a draft guru has the Cowboys looking to the college champs for next season. Here’s the News and Notes.