For months, the primary reason the Cowboys were thought to be players in the Nnamdi Asomigha chase was the relationship between the free agent cornerback and new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
That relationship is strong, but Ryan says he was never banking on the team signing Asomugha, who agreed to terms with Philadelphia following talks with the Cowboys and Jets on Friday.
"I love Nnamdi - he's probably my most favorite player I've ever coached," Ryan said Saturday. "I wasn't ever planning on having Nnamdi Asomugha, and the chase wasn't as real as apparently people have made it out."
Jerry Jones admitted on the radio Friday evening that the Cowboys did in fact make a serious play for the all-star cornerback. However, Ryan said that when he was handed cell phones by Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones during Friday's afternoon practice, he wasn't speaking to Asomugha or his agent.
"I wasn't supposed to be reading the papers, but hell, I read 'em, and that wasn't the deal," Ryan said. "A lot of those calls were trying to get ahold of (Marcus) Spears' and somebody else's (Kenyon Coleman's) agent. So 'man, there were a lot of phone calls to Nnamdi,' - but nah, that wasn't really true."
While the Cowboys apparently were chasing an upgrade in their secondary, Ryan said he remains comfortable with the status quo.
"We're happy with the guys we got," the coach said. "Never really thought that was much of a consideration to be honest with you. You guys asked me about those three corners we've got yesterday and I told you how happy I am. I think they match up with anybody else's in the league, and I really believe that."
