IRVING, Texas – While some of the coaches, scouts and front-office personnel are trickling back in from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., there remains several holes to fill on the coaching staff.
In fact, head coach Jason Garrett actually spent the majority of his time interviewing potential assistant coaches.
The Cowboys have not officially announced any new moves to the staff, but the collection of reports, rumors and speculation can at least get us in the ballpark to what might be going on.
So let’s take a look:
- With Jerry Jones saying this week that Jason Garrett likely won’t call plays this season, it seems apparent Bill Callahan will get those duties. This isn’t breaking news, considering how long this move has been reported. Callahan was the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach last year. If Callahan takes over those duties as expected, it’ll likely pull him away from his offensive line responsibilities.
- Callahan calling the plays would seem to indicate a bigger role for Wes Phillips, the assistant offensive line coach. However, Phillips is likely the leading candidate to become the Cowboys’ tight ends coach, replacing the departed John Garrett, who went to Tampa Bay as WR coach. Phillips, the son of former head coach Wade, has been on staff since 2007 as quality control coach, an offensive assistant and recently an offensive line assistant coach.
- At the running back spot, one of the top candidates is Sam Gash, who had been the Lions running backs coach the last five years. Gash, a 12-year veteran running back and fullback, has been coaching in the NFL since 2005, when he started off as an assistant running backs coach with the Jets. The Cowboys are looking to replace Skip Peete, the RB coach since 2007 in Dallas who was let go and since landed the same gig in Chicago.
- Speaking of the Bears, Joe DeCamillis is now in Chicago as the assistant head coach/special teams coordinator. That leaves a spot open for the Cowboys, who are likely to hire Rich Biasccia, who has been with the Chargers. He recently took a job as running backs coach at Auburn in January, but is apparently close to getting out of that contract to join the Cowboys. The club had also interviewed Alan Lowry and Bruce DeHaven, a pair of former Cowboys special teams coaches from the past, but now appear to be zeroed in on Biasccia.
- The wide receiver spot is up in the air still. Jimmy Robinson did not go to Mobile, Ala., but sources say he could be retained on staff, but in a different role.
