The possibility of hiring former Cowboys star and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders to be the head coach in Dallas has some obvious intrigue attached to it. It’s a longshot that it’d happen, of course, but still, Sanders and team owner Jerry Jones did talk by phone this week and it can be said that Sanders is, at least, a serious candidate for the job.
Which would be a fascinating turn of events. Just a couple of weeks ago, it looked like the most likely scenario was that Dallas would keep incumbent coach Mike McCarthy in place on a short-term deal. Now, though, McCarthy is gone and while there are a number of quality candidates connected with the Cowboys job, none is more fascinating than Sanders.
Bringing in Sanders would have an impact on multiple fronts. Mostly, though, it would give the Cowboys a bit of a shield to go into a rebuilding mode, allowing Sanders to have a say in reordering the roster to his liking.
That could mean a salary-dump. And for the Cowboys, no salary is more weighty than that of quarterback Dak Prescott, who set an NFL record with a four-year, $240 million contract this offseason.
Cowboys Could Trade Top Stars After Hiring Deion Sanders
At Bleacher Report, analyst Kristopher Knox points out that adding Sanders might be incompatible with keeping Prescott on board, especially with his son, Shedeur Sanders, entering the NFL after a successful two years in Boulder.
Writes Knox: “Should Sanders take the Dallas job, Prescott’s future will be questioned from the moment the hiring is announced to the end of the quarterback’s Cowboys tenure. In fact, those questions have already arisen. A cursory internet search will unveil all sorts of hypothetical Prescott trades that could occur this offseason to open the door for Dallas to draft Shedeur.”
And Sanders could lead an entire rebuilding slate in Dallas, one that could see an overhaul of the team’s biggest names.
“If Jones is willing to allow Sanders to orchestrate a rebuild, that could involve making pricey veterans like Prescott, (CeeDee) Lamb and cornerback Trevon Diggs available for trade. It could also involve parting with extension-eligible stars like pass-rusher Micah Parsons and cornerback DaRon Bland,” Knox notes.
Coaching Candidates Emerge
Now, the pursuit of Sanders does seem to be taking place in an alternate NFL universe, as though the Cowboys have him on one side and a normal, typical coaching pursuit on the other.
On the normal side of things, Jones will interview former Jets coach Robert Saleh for the job today. Saleh was fired midseason by New York, and struggled to get along with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It turned out, though, that he was not alone in that.
The favorite for the role might be Kellen Moore, the erstwhile Cowboys offensive coordinator who was run out of town but is now performing well in Philadelphia. Moore is not a favorite among Cowboys fans, but has a good rapport with Prescott, which might be a key.
Leslie Frazier is also among the candidates Jones will interview.
