Assuming, and maybe this is a big assumption, that the Cowboys do move on from Mike McCarthy after what has been a brutal 5-8 season to date in Dallas, the natural question is to whom will the Cowboys turn to take his place?
Bill Belichick is off to become Big Man on Campus in Chapel Hill, and given the Dallas salary-cap situation, it is possible that the Cowboys job is not the much-sought-after role we might assume it ought to be. After all, before the wheels fell off this season, the Cowboys had been 36-15 in their previous three years.
The only problem then was that McCarthy could not win in the playoffs. He’s fixed that this year by seldom being able to win at all.
But there is, certainly, a potential McCarthy replacement who makes some sense, one who brings two elements–experience and a winning background–that will surely catch the eye of team owner Jerry Jones. That would be former Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
Cowboys a ‘Natural Fit’ Because of Experience Level
At ESPN on Wednesday, insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano took a deep dive into how things may shake out with various potential coaching openings around the NFL, particularly the Raiders, Jaguars and Giants. But the Cowboys earned a mention, too.
As Fowler wrote, “Some around the league have noted the Cowboys as a natural fit. They valued experience and pedigree with their last hire in Mike McCarthy and could lean that way again, if they decide to make a change at all.”
And Graziano added, about the buzz around Vrabel as a candidate, “The buzz seems legitimate based on what I’ve heard around the league. Vrabel is considered a prime candidate to get one of the seven to eight jobs that will inevitably open. … But there are questions attached to Vrabel’s candidacy. What level of control does he want? Is he flexible on staffing? And how would he pair with a new general manager?”
Mike Vrabel Would Not Have to Deal With Hierarchy
It would help, certainly, that the Cowboys’ general manager basically is Jerry Jones, who is also the team owner. There’s not a lot of hierarchy in Dallas, which might benefit Vrabel if he felt he had Jones’ ear.
Vrabel played eight seasons for the Patriots from 2001-08, and was a Pro Bowler who helped the team to three championship rings. He was also, briefly, a teammate of Mayo, adding a layer of intrigue to the notion that he could battle Mayo for the Patriots job.
He had a 54-45 record as coach of the Titans, and made three playoff appearances.
Fowler had earlier reported that Vrabel will be ne of the two most sought-after coaching candidates this offseason, “I’ve talked to people who think he should get a head-coaching job and could be as high as No. 2 in the pecking order behind [Detroit Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson.”
