Cowboys Eyeing Greg Roman?
Some Cowboys officials have Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman in mind for the head coaching position, if it comes available (Twitter link via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports). As of this writing, the Cowboys still have Jason Garrett as their head coach, so they have not requested an interview with Roman. 
Roman’s stock has skyrocketed this year along with the play of quarterback Lamar Jackson. While Dak Prescott is a different type of player, the pro-Roman crowd in Dallas believes that the Baltimore OC can jumpstart the offense with his run-dominant concepts.
Under Roman’s tutelage in 2019, Jackson threw for 3,127 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns – all in just 15 games, since he was rested in Week 17.
Since breaking into the NFL in 2011, Roman has served as the OC of the 49ers, Bills, and the Ravens. He has never served as a head coach at the collegiate or professional level.
Giants To Interview Kris Richard
Cowboys passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Kris Richard is scheduled to interview with the Giants for their head coach vacancy on Thursday, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Richard, who was a finalist for the Dolphins’ job last year, could get a chance to run his own show. 
Richard served as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator for three seasons before his dismissal after the 2017 campaign. Since then, he’s been in Dallas, where he’s been rumored to be the heir apparent to DC Rod Marinelli.
Of course, everything is in flux for the Cowboys after they finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. If Jason Garrett is fired, that could mean a move or two up the ladder for Richard. Or, it could mean that Richard will be out of a job altogether.
In addition to the aforementioned Dolphins interview, Richard also interviewed with the Jets and Bucs in the last cycle. This year, the Cowboys finished No. 9 in total defense and No. 11 in points allowed.
HC/GM Rumors: Gase, Lynn, Panthers, Shurmur
Black Monday is tomorrow, so let’s take a look at the latest coaching and GM rumors from around the league:
- This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given that neither man was really believed to be on the hot seat, but Jets HC Adam Gase and Chargers HC Anthony Lynn will both be back in 2020, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (h/t NFL Update on Twitter).
- We learned yesterday that the Panthers would seek to interview Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, which David Newton of ESPN.com confirmed today. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes Rhule would leave Baylor if the right opportunity presented itself, despite signing a lengthy extension with the school back in September (Twitter link).
- Despite speculation that the Panthers could look to move on from GM Marty Hurney, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic says owner Dave Tepper remains intent on keeping Hurney, and Hurney wants to stay (Twitter link). Tepper does want to bring in an assistant GM, and Joe Person of The Athletic offers a list of potential candidates. The problem, as NFL insider Adam Caplan observes, is that Carolina could be blocked from interviewing candidates under contract with other teams unless the Panthers’ gig comes with decision-making responsibilities (Twitter link).
- We heard earlier today that the Browns are doing their due diligence on HC candidates, which isn’t a good sign for Freddie Kitchens. As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, the team wanted to see modest progress from Kitchens this year, which is why a loss to the Bengals on Sunday afternoon could seal his fate. But for all his faults, Kitchens remains well-liked in the building, so he’s not a goner just yet. We also heard today that Browns GM John Dorsey may be on the hot seat.
- Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reiterates yesterday’s report that Ron Rivera is high on the Redskins‘ wish list, and that Rivera could have a new job as soon as tomorrow (video link). However, other clubs also want a crack at Rivera. One of those clubs, the Cowboys, will almost certainly move on from Jason Garrett if they are eliminated from playoff contention today, and Rapoport names Rhule, Lincoln Riley, and Rivera as names to watch for Dallas’ expected vacancy.
- In the same report, RapSheet says Giants ownership is split on head coach Pat Shurmur, with Steve Tisch wanting to move on and John Mara not quite convinced. A win over the Eagles today could save Shurmur’s job.
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com confirms (via Twitter) that former Texans GM Rick Smith is definitely a name to watch if the Redskins move on from Bruce Allen, which they are expected to do. Graziano says it’s still unclear as to whether Smith wants to return to a front office, contrary to a report from last month, but if he is, Redskins owner Dan Snyder will be interested. Mark Maske of the Washington Post hears that Smith, who lost his wife to cancer 11 months ago, is not quite ready to return to football (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions:
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Drew Anderson
- Placed on IR: TE Darrell Daniels
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Donovan Olumba
- Waived: S Josh Jones
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: CB Tony Brown
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Elijah Nkansah
- Waived: DE Joel Heath
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Skai Moore
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: RB John Kelly
- Placed on IR: RB Darrell Henderson
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Garrett Dickerson
- Placed on IR: TE Scott Simonson
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers: TE Ross Travis
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Ben Braden
- Placed on IR: OL Tom Compton, OL Alex Lewis
Amari Cooper Wants To Remain With Cowboys
Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper is set to be one of the biggest wide receivers to reach free agency in recent memory. A team normally would prevent a 
receiver of Cooper’s caliber from reaching the open market by applying the franchise tag, but it appears that Dallas will have to save the tag for quarterback Dak Prescott. Still, Cooper made clear earlier in the season that he had no intentions on leaving America’s team. Granted, that was when the Cowboys were sporting one of the most lethal offenses in the league and looked poised for a deep playoff run. While the team remains in playoff contention, the 7-8 Cowboys have fallen far short of early season expectations and head coach Jason Garrett appears to be coaching his final season in Dallas.
At the halfway point in the season, Cooper was on pace for 12 touchdowns and over 1400 yards receiving. Instead, Cooper finds himself short of 1100 receiving yards entering the team’s final game. Cooper has not reached 100 yards receiving in a game since a Week 10 win against the Vikings and has only caught 5 passes for 43 yards in the team’s past two games. Most notably, Cooper was taken off the field for the team’s final plays in last week’s 17-9 loss to the Eagles.
As his free agency approaches alongside the Cowboys slide, speculation grew that Cooper could have been rethinking his future. But, according to Mike Fisher of Cowboys Maven, Cooper has not let the recent struggles sway his desire to stay in Dallas. On Friday, Cooper told reporters he still envisions himself as, “A Cowboy for life” and reiterated “I want to be here.” Obviously, until he signs a new contract nothing prevents Cooper from going in a different direction, but it does appear highly likely that the Cowboys will not need to look for a new number one receiver this off-season.
Cowboys LB Sean Lee Undecided On Playing Next Year
As Week 17 approaches, it looks like the Cowboys are going to miss the playoffs, barring a Giants upset of the Eagles. If they’re eliminated, longtime head coach Jason Garrett is expected to get the boot shortly after. That might not be the only major change Dallas sees this offseason, as there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding some key players. 
One of those is veteran linebacker Sean Lee, who was rumored to be considering retirement last year. He ultimately decided to come back, and will play in 16 games in 2019 for the first time in his career. The Penn State product is undecided about whether he wants to play in 2020, and elaborated on his process in some recent comments to the media. “If I do want to play again, you want to be a part of the entire offseason, which really kind of starts mid-March for me,” Lee said, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “And so that’s probably when I would make a decision.”
Lee’s contract is set to expire at the end of the year, and it sounds like he wants to inform the team of his decision before free agency starts, so don’t expect a prolonged process. “I’m happy that I was able to be consistently on the field and in a lot of situations, being able to help and being effective. That was a plus for me, and that will be part of the evaluation, obviously,” he said.
That last statement would seem to indicate he feels like he’s got something left in the tank. Lee has been plagued by injuries in recent years though, only playing in seven games last year and 11 the season before. He started the year off as a part-time player but has been counted on for a much larger role recently with younger linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on the shelf.
Lee is a franchise icon, and it’ll be interesting to see what path he takes. The Cowboys will almost certainly be entering a new era next season, and Lee could decide to return for one more run at a Super Bowl or to hang them up as the team starts over. Lee has functioned as somewhat of a coach when banged up the past couple years, and it’s entirely possible he’ll transition to coaching when he does decide to retire.
Cowboys Workout Group Of Players
As the regular season winds down, teams are starting to look toward the future. With that in mind, the Cowboys brought in a group of players for workouts on Friday.
Dallas auditioned running back Alex Barnes, quarterback A.J. Bush, defensive backs Derrick Jones and Derrick Kindred, and wide receiver Derel Walker, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Barnes is an undrafted rookie from Kansas State, who spent time with the Titans during training camp. Bush is also an undrafted rookie, from Illinois. Jones and Kindred have the most NFL experience in the group. Jones was a 2017 sixth-round pick of the Jets out of Ole Miss, who was hurt in training camp with the Texans this summer.
Kindred was a fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2016, who has a significant amount of starting experience. He started ten games for Cleveland in 2017 and two last year, while appearing in all 16 games. Walker went undrafted out of Texas A&M back in 2014, and has spent the past handful of years playing in the CFL. With the Cowboys unlikely to make the playoffs, they’re most likely taking a look at these guys with an eye toward 2020. Players can be signed to reserve/futures contracts next week.
Dak Prescott On Contract Talks
Dak Prescott bet on himself and will finish with statistical benchmarks in several categories this season — including touchdown passes (26) and passing yards (4,599). The fourth-year Cowboys quarterback has a good chance of eclipsing his previous single-season passing high by over 1,000 yards. Despite Dallas’ disappointing season, team brass remain bullish on a long-term Dak re-up. Prescott and the Cowboys have been negotiating for months.
With March 10 being the deadline for franchise tenders to be applied, the Cowboys not reaching an extension with their quarterback opens the door to the prospect of tagging Prescott and letting Amari Cooper hit free agency. As of now, with no CBA in place, teams would be permitted to use both their franchise and transition tags come March. Just as they were throughout this past summer, the Cowboys’ negotiations will be a key component of the upcoming offseason.
One of two divisions still up for grabs, the NFC East features the Eagles and Cowboys vying for the division’s 50th championship. Here is the latest from the two contending teams, along with the Giants and Redskins.
Cowboys’ Jason Witten To Keep Playing?
Sunday’s regular season finale could mark the final game of the Cowboys’ 2019 season and, in turn, the last game in Jason Witten‘s storied career. For what it’s worth, the tight end isn’t viewing Sunday’s contest against the Redskins as his swan song. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Still “Bullish” On Dak Prescott]
“I really don’t envision this being my last game. I just haven’t approached it that way,” the 37-year-old said (Twitter link via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News). “We’ll see what happens down the road.”
Witten rejoined the Cowboys after a year in the broadcast booth. Despite his advanced age and, perhaps, a bit of rust, Witten has remained productive. Appearing and starting in all 15 of the Cowboys’ games to date, Witten has notched 59 catches for 505 yards and four touchdowns. His per-catch average of 8.6 yards is a step back from his career average (10.7 per grab), but it appears that Witten still has plenty of offer, if he wants to continue his career.
Witten’s one-year, $3.5MM base-salaried deal will expire at the end of the season. After that, he figures to have plenty of options – the Cowboys would likely welcome him back for a 17th season on the field or he could even transition to coaching. If Witten wants to go to the sidelines, the Cowboys could have an opening for him.
Cowboys Still “Bullish” On Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott hasn’t had a great second half to the season, but Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says he’s as confident as ever in the quarterback. In an interview on 105.3 The Fan, Jones stood behind the Cowboys signal caller. 
“We’ve never blinked on (paying Dak Prescott). We’ve had a very aggressive offer out there every step of the way…I think Dak has given us every opportunity to have success this year. I’m as bullish about Dak as I’ve ever been,” Jones said.
Prescott, 26, has completed 64.8% of his passes this year with 26 touchdowns against eleven interceptions. Those numbers are weighed down by a flat second half. Through the first seven games of the year, Prescott completed more than 70% of his passes with 12 TDs and seven INTs.
In the offseason, you can expect the Cowboys to aggressively pursue a long-term deal with Prescott, though they’ll have to leave enough breathing room for the rest of the gang. That includes wide receiver Amari Cooper, who is hoping to stay in Dallas with a top-of-the-market deal.
In the near term, the Cowboys are hoping that Prescott’s ailing shoulder will be good to go for their regular season finale against the Redskins. Prescott was not on the field for the team’s Christmas Day practice, but he managed to play on Sunday against the Eagles despite being limited throughout the week.