Time to move on.

So, I’m finally ready to start posting to this blog again after the Cowboys’ playoff exit on Sunday, but I have my sunglasses on, just in case I get a little emotional.

I won’t speak very much about that game, because frankly, what happened shouldn’t have, and I’ll leave it at that.

Now that the season is over, albeit a little earlier than any Cowboys fan wanted it to be, it’s time to look ahead, because dwelling doesn‘t help anyone.

Tony Sparano leaving was expected from the word go; Dallas’ loss just sped up the whole process and allowed Parcells and Co. to get the deal done a lot sooner.

Thankfully, Jason Garrett used both his head and his heart and decided to stay in Dallas, which works out great for everyone.

While that little raise he got is certainly a nice perk, Garrett gets to continue to ready himself for being a head coach, and frankly, getting to work with one of the league’s best offenses and be a part of big success for the foreseeable future sounds a lot more appealing than going to Atlanta (unless he likes the thought of going out to dinner and a show with Pacman Jones) or Baltimore.

A less secure man would probably get a little uneasy about all of the love that Garrett’s getting, but if you’re Wade Phillips, you have nothing to worry about, and not just because you’re still raking in more $$, even with Garrett’s hefty raise.

He knows he’ll be leaving the franchise in capable hands when he decides to retire, and besides that, after the success that Dallas had in ’07, having to install a new offensive gameplan likely wasn’t on Phillips’ list of things to do in 2008.

And, if you’re Jerry Jones, you now don’t have to worry about potentially making other plans for the future.

Now, provided that the Cowboys don’t lose anymore assistant coaches in the off-season, it’s time to think about the on-field personnel.

Marion Barber needs to be tied up soon, with a nice new long-term contract for the new starter. With all apologies to Julius Jones, but if it‘s a decision between giving one a new contract and letting the other one go, Barber‘s the choice, hands down.

Jones’ touches and effectiveness went down in the latter part of the season, and it was a pretty telling sign that Barber was the starter against the Giants after Jones had still held onto the starting job despite Barber getting more carries.

And, instead of giving Julius a hefty new contract, Jerry should just use the draft to get someone that will complement Barber’s physicality and add an extra dimension to an already high-powered offense (where it wouldn’t be strange to see both backs in the game at the same time), and allow Jones to pursue a fresh opportunity as a starter elsewhere.

Those two guys aren’t the only free agents the Cowboys have to make decisions on, but I‘ll address that and the draft in an upcoming post, along with a quick preview of next season, which promises to be another (and hopefully more) successful season, unless Tony Romo decides to give up his promising football career to become a movie star. And Tony, Dukes of Hazzard 2, no matter how nice Jessica might make it sound, would not be a good career move.

'Undisclosed source' strikes again.

Everyone’s favorite rumor monger, this time speaking to the New Haven Register in New Haven, Connecticut, said that Cowboys offensive line/assistant head coach Tony Sparano had not only been offered the Dolphins head coaching job but had accepted it as well.

However, Todd Archer got the skinny straight from the horse’s mouth here - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/010708dnspocowbriefs.296a018.html.

If Sparano had been offered the job, it would have been in violation of the Rooney Rule, which specifies that at least one minority coach must be interviewed before any hirings are done. The Dolphins are interviewing Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier today, so any offer can made after that.

Sparano has been the favorite even before Cam Cameron was fired, and it would seem like the job would be his for the taking in the end, but it’s good to see where his focus lies right now, while he’s still got a job to do with his current team.

And, as Albert Breer points out on the DMN’s blog, it’s far from a done deal, much like the Steelers‘ coaching search last season, when two Pittsburgh assistants looked to be the favorites, then Tomlin went in there and snared the job. It could turn out that his successor as Vikings’ D-coordinator does the same with Parcells and Ireland.

It could end up that Sparano, along with Jason Garrett, could end up staying in Dallas. The haste or patience the Dolphins, Ravens, and Falcons have in terms of their coaching search, how far the Cowboys go in the playoffs, and how well the other candidates do could be the difference in the two coveted coaches going or staying.

No telling what’s going on Garrett’s mind, but you’d have to hope that he’s as focused as Sparano is. These guys know that they have a job to do, and that they have to do that one before they can put serious thought to another one.

Assistant coaches' update.

The Dallas Morning News’ website confirmed what we knew was going to happen already, that Cowboys offensive line/assistant head coach Tony Sparano will have an interview with the Miami Dolphins about their head coaching vacancy.

Sparano will have the interview tomorrow in Dallas with new Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland, following his interview with Baltimore Ravens execs about the same job.

Sparano and Jason Garrett were scheduled to have their interviews with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank today. Whether or not Garrett will be interviewing with the Ravens on Saturday hasn’t been confirmed yet.

According to the report by the site, Sparano is one of several candidates, with former Dallas assistants Todd Haley and Maurice Carthon (both now with Arizona) in the mix, along with Minnesota’s Leslie Frazier, Jacksonville assistant and former Vikings coach Mike Tice, and Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Can we just fast-forward to next weekend already?

The tornado that is Bill Parcells' rebuilding project continues to roll through what used to be the Miami Dolphins, as head coach Cam Cameron was fired today after a 1-15 season, his only one on the job.

This isn’t a surprise, considering that we all know Parcells wants to bring in his own guy, someone he knows, someone he trusts.

Cameron didn’t inherit that great of a team from Nick Saban, and the injuries upon injuries that they had this year ruined any chances for even a slightly respectable season.

There are some people who are better coordinators than head coaches, and Cameron may be one of those guys.

Given how fast things have moved in Miami this week, in the next 24 hours, we should know who’ll be interviewing for the job.

Sparano looks like the favorite, and secondary coach Todd Bowles has also been mentioned in some reports, along with, as expected, Jason Garrett.

Sparano and Garrett are already scheduled to interview with the Falcons tomorrow, so it looks to be a busy few days for those guys, as Grizz over at Blogging the Boys reports that the Ravens have requested permission to talk to a few NFL assistants, with Sparano and Garrett among the names mentioned.

So, it looks like we’ve got three teams fighting it out for two guys. From the looks of it, the Dolphins job is Sparano’s for the taking, with Garrett the hot name in Baltimore.

Garrett to interview with Falcons tomorrow, Ireland takes Dolphins GM job.

According to the Cowboys’ official site, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is expected to interview with the Falcons on Friday about their head coaching vacancy.

Garrett joins O-line/assistant head coach Tony Sparano as targets for Arthur Blank.

As for one move that’s already finalized, Cowboys scouting director Jeff Ireland is joining Bill Parcells’ rebuilding project in Miami as the Dolphins’ new GM. Ireland interviewed for the position on Tuesday, a day after Parcells fired Randy Mueller.

Ireland’s got a great eye for talent (DeMarcus Ware, Marion Barber, to name a couple), which is what Miami severely needs right now, so he’s a good get for the Dolphins.

A look back at a big year for the Dallas Cowboys.

As we all get ready to ring in the New Year in some form, whether it by ringing up a giant bar tab, busting out the box of wine, or everything else in between, it’s time to reflect on the year that it’s been for the Dallas Cowboys.

From bobbling to baffling, here are the major moments for Dallas in 2007.

January 8: Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20 - This game is remembered by most not for what happened for the first 58+ minutes, but for Tony Romo’s bobbled snap that on a chip-shot field goal attempt with a little over a minute to play that ‘cost’ the Cowboys a playoff victory.

What many who made that single play a story that shouldn’t have been don’t care to remember is that the Cowboys let the game slip away before Romo supposedly did.

After a 29-yard field goal by Martin Gramatica, Dallas led 20-13 with 10:15 to play. On the ensuing drive, the Seahawks drove all the way to the Dallas 1 before the Cowboys defense held, and Seattle turned it over on downs with less than seven minutes to play, giving Dallas the ball at the 2.

On the first play, Romo completed a pass to Terry Glenn, who couldn’t hold onto the ball, and it went out of the end zone for a safety (initial call was a touchdown for Seattle, but it was reversed after a challenge), trimming the lead to 20-15 with more than six and a half minutes left.
Seattle got the ball at the 50, and four plays later, went ahead on a touchdown pass by Matt Hasselbeck.

Then came the drive that ended with Romo’s only real mistake of the night, but one that very well could’ve turned out just a little differently, because what those same idiots failed to mention is that after bobbling the snap, Romo picked it up and ran with it, and got tackled just short of the first down marker and the end zone.

Thankfully, that play has been forgotten and been replaced by even more irrelevant talk about Romo’s personal life, which frankly doesn’t matter to me unless he’s putting himself or anyone else in danger, or unless it affects his play on the football field.

Janaury 22: Bill Parcells retires - There’d been a lot of speculation about Parcells’ future after the playoffs ended, and he put all of it to bed by stepping down as head coach a little over two weeks after the loss in Seattle.

First, thanks Bill - I‘ll expound upon that in a moment. Second, when Bill Parcells says ‘retire,’ his definition of the word must be closer to ‘hiatus’ than the actual meaning of retire, since Parcells is now busy shaking things up in south Florida, trying to mend the mess that is the Miami Dolphins.

February 8: Wade Phillips gets hired as head coach - After a search that saw no less than 10 candidates interviewed for the job, Jerry Jones got his man in former Broncos and Bills coach Wade Phillips.

It was the best hire he could have made then (along with bringing in Jason Garrett), and ten months later, that A is now an A++.

September 9: Cowboys start Phillips’ era with 45-35 win - Sure, it left something to be desired defensively, but it was a precursor to what was a regular sight in 2007 (and hopefully for many years to come), Tony Romo picking apart a defense.

October 8: Cowboys make miraculous last-minute comeback to beat Buffalo 25-24 - Thanks to six turnovers by Tony Romo and two interception returns and a kick return for scores by Buffalo, it looked like Dallas was going to drop their first game, until a wacky final four minutes and the finish of all finishes.

Down 24-16 with less than four minutes to go, Romo calmly led Dallas 80 yards down the field, completing 9 of 11 passes for 77 yards, the last of which was a 4-yard touchdown to Patrick Crayton that made it 24-22 with 20 seconds to play.

After Nick Folk's successful onside kick (which turned out to be only his second-biggest kick of the night), Romo moved the Cowboys in position for a 53-yard field goal, which the rookie drilled not once, but twice to cap off an unlikely win. Stuff of Folk-lore indeed.

October 14: Patriots hand Cowboys first loss - After their Monday night miracle, Dallas had to turn around and face the Patriots in a much-hyped battle of unbeaten teams.

There were two lessons learned that day: 1) Slowing down Randy Moss doesn’t equate to slowing down the Patriots, when you let Wes Welker and Donte’ Stallworth combined for 18 catches, 260 yards, and three touchdowns, and 2) You can’t get down 14 points to the Patriots and expect to win, unless you play error-free football, which still might not be enough.

December 9: Cowboys clinch first NFC East title since 1998 with comeback win over Lions - The little leprechaun who snuck on the sidelines during the Buffalo game made his appearance in Detroit in Week 14 to help deliver the Cowboys an unlikely win (and the NFC East title) at Ford Field.

The Cowboys survived a 13-point deficit, a fumble by Jason Witten at the 1-yard line on a potential go-ahead drive in the fourth, and a fumble that bounced the right way on what proved to be the game-winning drive, with Witten redeeming himself with the game-winning touchdown catch in the final minute.

Let’s hope that leprechaun has his tickets for the playoffs and the Super Bowl already…

December 18: League-high 11 Cowboys named to NFC Pro Bowl team - Seven were on offense, with five as starters (three on the O-line in Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, and Flozell Adams, and T.O. and Witten as the others), and Marion Barber getting named to the team despite not being the ‘starter’ at running back. Three more were on defense, with DeMarcus Ware deservedly getting a starting nod (Ken Hamlin and Terence Newman as reserves), with Folk being #11, one of three rookies named as representatives from the NFC.

December 23: Cowboys clinch home-field advantage - Thanks to the Bears’ 35-7 demolition of the Packers, and Dallas’ 20-13 win over Carolina the previous night (and a 37-27 victory over Green Bay on Nov. 29), the Cowboys clinched home-field advantage for the first time since 1995.

The year got off to a rather conspicuous start, but it’s ended with one of the best regular seasons in team history.

After years of bumbling along offensively, the Cowboys’ offense is now one of the most exciting to watch in the league (minus yesterday, and in the last few weeks of the regular season), and even though they’ve scared the daylights out of us a number of times this season, it feels damn good for that ‘edge of your seat’ feeling to be the good kind again. And with the foundation that’s being built, it looks like it’s only going to go up from here (knock on wood).

What will 2008 bring? The Lombardi Trophy back to Dallas, I hope. That, a new contract for Marion Barber, a couple of future stars in the draft, and Jason Garrett still on the Cowboys‘ payroll come the fall.

What do you think of the year that it’s been for the Cowboys?

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.