Cowboys Move On From Joe Philbin, George Edwards, Four Other Staffers
Coming off their second straight 12-win season, the Cowboys will still make some notable staff changes. They are parting ways with six assistants, including senior defensive assistant George Edwards and offensive line coach Joe Philbin.
The Cowboys jettisoned Edwards, Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett and assistant Rob Davis, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill (all Twitter links). The staffers’ contracts were all up, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who adds (via Twitter) offensive assistant Kyle Valero will also not return. But this still marks a fairly significant shakeup for the resurgent NFC East team.
A former Dolphins HC, Philbin was a Mike McCarthy staffer for much of the latter’s Packers tenure. Hired before McCarthy arrived in Green Bay, Philbin stayed on under McCarthy through 2011 and returned to Green Bay after his Miami stay ended. McCarthy rehired Philbin as his OC in 2018, and the Packers named him interim HC following McCarthy’s firing later that year. Philbin, 61, oversaw a position group that featured some moving pieces this season. Tyron Smith‘s injury led to first-round pick Tyler Smith sliding to left tackle in late August, and the All-Decade blocker played right tackle when he came back. Jason Peters also transitioned to guard during his age-40 season.
Edwards joined McCarthy’s staff a year before Dan Quinn‘s arrival, but the ex-Vikings DC served as Micah Parsons‘ position coach. Edwards expressed confusion at the Cowboys’ decision, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets, noting that Quinn — upon returning from his second Cardinals interview — was also caught by surprise by the move. A defensive coordinator for three teams before coming to Dallas, Edwards joined Lett in assisting with unleashing Parsons’ unique skillset over the past two seasons.
Lett, who enjoyed a memorable playing career in Dallas, has been with the team since 2011. The Cowboys added the former D-lineman to their staff early in Jason Garrett‘s tenure. Peete initially joined the Cowboys’ staff upon Wade Phillips‘ arrival back in 2007, staying six seasons, and returned upon McCarthy’s hire. He played a rather important role in Tony Pollard‘s development into a Pro Bowler. Davis worked with McCarthy for most of his Packers run, residing as Green Bay’s player development director before coming to Dallas in 2020.
Jerry Jones has repeatedly endorsed McCarthy and did so again Sunday, indicating the 49ers’ divisional-round win will not impact the three-year HC’s job. But the team moving on from multiple multi-stint McCarthy staffers, along with other experienced assistants, represents an interesting decision after going 24-10 over the past two seasons. Sean Payton has been linked to being interested in a Dallas return for several months, and a recent report said a mystery team loomed for the high-profile coach. Dot-connecting could point to the Cowboys, but NFL.com’s Jane Slater tweets McCarthy’s job is safe. The team has not contacted Payton, nor has it discussed any trade with the Saints, Slater adds (on Twitter). McCarthy’s fourth Cowboys staff stands to look remarkably different, especially if Quinn lands one of the three jobs for which he has interviewed.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/25/23
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Dallas Cowboys
- WR Antonio Callaway, S Tyler Coyle, WR Dennis Houston, OT Alex Taylor
Las Vegas Raiders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- K Jake Verity
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Chiefs): CB Chris Lammons
Lammons was a special teams ace for the Chiefs, leading the team in ST snaps and finishing the regular season with seven tackles. He earned his walking papers the other day with the Chiefs preparing to activate at least one of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire or tight end Jody Fortson. The Bengals swooped in with the claim, but the team won’t get any immediate intel on their AFC Championship opponent. The claim is deferred until February 13, which means the only competitive advantage Cincy got was preventing Lammons from rejoining Kansas City’s practice squad.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/24/23
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Carolina Panthers
- QB Jacob Eason
Dallas Cowboys
- FB Tyler Coyne
New England Patriots
- OL Bill Murray
Philadelphia Eagles
- OT Jarrid Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- LB Quincy Roche
Patriots To Hire Bill O’Brien As OC
The Patriots’ search for an offensive coordinator has come to an end. New England is reuniting with Bill O’Brien to fill the vacancy, as first reported (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. O’Brien will also serve as the Pats’ quarterbacks coach, the team announced.
Both during and after New England’s season came to an end with the team sitting outside the postseason (in large part due to their offensive struggles), it became clear that O’Brien was the Patriots’ preferred choice to help the unit rebound in 2023. The 53-year-old spent the past two seasons at the helm of Alabama’s offense, but his next NFL gig will be in a familiar place. 
O’Brien began his pro coaching career in New England in 2007 as an offensive assistant. Over time, he took on a larger role on Bill Belichick‘s staff, working with the team’s wide receivers and quarterbacks before being promoted again to offensive coordinator in 2011. While he only held that title for one season, he operated as the team’s play-caller after Josh McDaniels departed in 2009.
Following that time, O’Brien took a two-year head coaching gig at Penn State, which led him to the same role with the Texans. He operated as the team’s bench boss – and, for part of that stretch, the general manager as well – from 2014 to the one-quarter mark of the 2020 campaign. Overall, the Texans sported winning records in five of his six full seasons at the helm, though his firing came as little surprise by the time it happened in the wake of an 0-4 start and several missteps in terms of managerial moves.
O’Brien returned to the college ranks after that, working under Nick Saban and with the help of current Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. The latter helped O’Brien, a Massachusetts native, get acquainted with the Crimson Tide’s scheme, one which allowed Bryce Young develop into a Heisman winner and a serious contender to be selected first overall in the upcoming draft. O’Brien and Jones working together on a full-time basis could be beneficial to unlocking the latter’s potential.
After a rookie campaign in which Jones earned a Pro Bowl nod, the former first-rounder took a step back statistically. Overall, the Patriots finished below-average in almost every offensive category in 2022, a season in which Belichick drew criticism for his arrangement with Matt Patricia calling plays and Joe Judge having a key role in the unit as well. Both ex-head coaches had plenty of experience in New England, but not on the offensive side of the ball.
O’Brien’s hire comes not long after he interviewed for what will be a much more traditional OC role. New England also spoke with their TEs coach Nick Caley, Vikings WRs coach Keenan McCardell, Cardinals assistant head coach Shawn Jefferson and Oregon associate head coach Adrian Klemm in a more expansive, outward-looking search process than many others Belichick has overseen. O’Brien and the Patriots will enter 2023 with expectations for a significant step forward in offensive production to compliment the team’s highly-regarded defense.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/23/23
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): CB Trayvon Mullen
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: CB Chris Lammons
New York Jets
- Re-signed: S Will Parks
Mullen was a second-round pick by the Raiders back in 2019. Despite starting 31 of his 37 appearances through his first three seasons in the NFL, he was traded to the Cardinals for a seventh-round pick prior to the 2022 campaign. He got into eight games for Arizona before getting waived, and he caught on with the Cowboys in December. The 25-year-old won’t officially join Baltimore until the day after the Super Bowl (February 13).
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/23/23
Today’s reserve/futures deals, mostly featuring teams recently eliminated from the postseason:
Buffalo Bills
- OL Alec Anderson, DT Eli Ankou, QB Matt Barkley, DT Cortez Broughton, DT Brandin Bryant, TE Zach Davidson, CB Ja’Marcus Ingram, WR KeeSean Johnson, DE Kingsley Jonathan, OL Greg Mancz, CB Kyler McMichael, WR Dezmon Patmon, OL Ryan Van Demark
Dallas Cowboys
- WR Dontario Drummond, C Brock Hoffman, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Sheldrick Redwine, S Juanyeh Thomas
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Kevin Austin, OT Coy Cronk, K James McCourt, WR Jaylon Moore, C James Murray, DB Ayo Oyelola, QB E.J. Perry, TE Gerrit Prince, RB Mekhi Sargent, DE Nick Thurman, C Darryl Williams, WR Seth Williams
New York Giants
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR Dan Chisena
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/22/23
Only one team signing futures deals today:
New York Giants
- DT Vernon Butler, RB Jashaun Corbin, T Korey Cunningham, CB Zyon Gilbert, T Devery Hamilton, WR Jaydon Mickens, WR Andre Miller, WR Kalil Pimpleton, WR Makai Polk, S Trenton Thompson
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/21/23
Minor moves and standard gameday elevations for the final two games of the divisional round:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Eli Ankou, DE Kingsley Jonathan
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Nick Bowers, T Isaiah Prince
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: T Aviante Collins
- Promoted from practice squad: C Brock Hoffman, CB Xavier Rhodes
- Released: CB Trayvon Mullen
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Alex Barrett, CB Janoris Jenkins
Cardinals Hire Lions’ Dave Sears As Assistant GM
The Cardinals decided to go outside the building when choosing new general manager Monti Ossenfort‘s assistant general manager, hiring Lions director of college scouting Dave Sears, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network this morning. The move will be a reunion for Ossenfort and Sears who worked together for the Texans as college scouts.
Sears left Houston for Detroit in 2007 and has been with the Lions ever since working his way up from regional scout to his current role, which he’s held since 2019. Sears has been integral in the team’s draft process, serving as the intermediary between area scouts and the decision-makers of the draft.
Sears will become the No. 2 behind Ossenfort, who was hired as the Cardinals’ general manager earlier this week. The move to bring Ossenfort and Sears in from outside the building is an interesting one considering the Cardinals had two capable candidates for both positions in vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson and vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris, who served together filling the interim duties of general manager during Steve Keim‘s leave of absence.
Both Wilson and Harris interviewed for the open general manager position, and both are more than qualified for the assistant role. If the franchise is adamant on bring in new blood to the front office, it may be spelling the end for Wilson and Harris’s time in Arizona. The team had also interviewed Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, who reportedly turned down the job after receiving an offer, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports echoes Glazer’s report, saying that Cunningham was Arizona’s first choice and that Cunningham declined the position because the “fit” was not right.
The Cardinals are now set moving forward with Ossenfort and Sears leading in the front office. They currently also still have Wilson and Harris in their current positions creating a strong group of top executives in the player personnel office.