Is this waiting game with Dan Quinn putting the Cowboys in any kind of bind, particularly in finding his replacement if he does leave? Is this yearly flirtation with leaving becoming a bit tiresome? Especially when the defense didn't exactly play up to expectations when it needed to most this season? – Cedric Morton/St. Louis, MO
Nick Eatman: It's probably not an ideal situation because as soon as the offseason gets here, coaches and scouts want to formulate a plan as quickly as possible. It's not easy to do that when you have a lot of uncertainty on one side of the ball. But I would imagine the Cowboys have some contingency plans already in place. And another thing, this is how the process works. A head coach position is one of the most coveted jobs in the world. They have to make sure Dan Quinn gets every opportunity to land one if that proves to be the best situation for him. So I don't know if the word "bind" is the right one, but it's just not letting the Cowboys get a jump-start on the process as early as they would want.
Mickey: You know, I'm not sure Dan Quinn continuing to interview for head coaching jobs puts the Cowboys in a bind. They understand how the system works. Plus, like most company or department managers, they usually have a long list of replacement candidates already on hand, knowing the direction they might want to go. Plus, I would think by the end of the week the Cowboys will know Quinn's status, whether it will be with Seattle or possibly Washington or returning for another season. Certainly, head coach Mike McCarthy after all these seasons in the NFL has enough contacts to know where he would like to go if Quinn should leave. And who knows, might even be an in-house candidate they've already spoken with. The key thing is not to change defensive systems too radically with so many players in place.
