Cowboys assistants in demand?

Assistant head coach Tony Sparano is set to interview with the Atlanta Falcons later this week about their head coaching vacancy.

Sparano, who joined the Cowboys staff in 2003, will interview with the Falcons on Friday after the team was granted permission to talk to him.

This could hasten whatever decision Bill Parcells is going to make about Miami head coach Cam Cameron.

Parcells has already shown the door to GM Randy Mueller and a couple of other guys in the front office, and the next step might be to give Cameron his pink slip and go for someone he knows and trusts, namely Sparano, who was one of his right-hand men during his time in Dallas.

Whether or not firing Cameron would be the right move is up for debate, considering that he’s been in the job only one year, and you can’t pinpoint him as the reason why the Dolphins were as bad as they were this season (injuries, lack of quality personnel, aging in a number of positions).

But, if the Tuna wants to give the Dolphins a complete makeover, then he might see firing Cameron as the best move for the future, and by bringing in Sparano, he could really start molding the team/organization the way he wants to.

Sparano isn’t the only Cowboys assistant that’s going to field some offers in the offseason, as offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is already being mentioned as the potential favorite to succeed Brian Billick in Baltimore.

I’d really hate to lose Garrett to the Ravens, but if he does get offered the job, he’ll have a decision to make from remaining in Dallas and biding his time as a coordinator until Wade Phillips retires (which could be a while yet) or taking a head coaching job and getting his feet wet.

No doubt about it, Garrett could inject a lot of life into an offense that needs it. But, Ravens brass might be warned off of Garrett because of what happened the last time they went after the hottest rising assistant in the league.

Brian Billick went to Baltimore as one of the hottest offensive coaches in the game for his part in turning Minnesota’s offense into one of the best in the league. But while the Ravens defense became one of the most formidable in the league, the offense was barely above average at best, even in its most successful years, thanks in part to having the likes of Tony Banks, Elvis Grbac, Jeff Blake, and Kyle Boller running the show.

Of the two, Sparano seems more likely to leave, especially if the Miami job does come open. As for Garrett, he could decide to leave if he feels it’s the prime opportunity for him to test his abilities as a head coach.