Cowboys Could Hire Al Harris As Assistant Head Coach Under McCarthy and Zimmer: Tracker
MARCH 17 HARRIS PROMOTION? The Cowboys are expected to promote Al Harris to assistant head coach, per a Dallas News report.
Harris. 49, has been working with the Dallas defensive backs. He interviewed for the coordinator job vacated when Dan Quinn became the Washington head coach.
That job on Mike McCarthy’s staff went to Mike Zimmer … and now Harris may serve as his top aide.
MARCH 13 WAGS TO WASHINGTON It was an idea that was often kicked around while Dan Quinn worked in Dallas. The idea just became reality, though, for Seattle Seahawks legend Bobby Wagner ... as he is headed to Washington.
Wagner is signing a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million with the Commanders. The deal reportedly includes $6 million in guaranteed money.
Wagner will be reuniting with new Commanders head coach Quinn, who was the defensive coordinator during Seattle's "Legion of Boom" era that was headlined by defensive stars like Wagner, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and others.
DQ has suggested that "Wags'' might be the greatest linebacker he's ever seen. ... so the attraction in the installation of a new defense is obvious.
Wagner, 33, will be entering his 13th NFL season. He played 10 straight seasons with the Seahawks before the two sides parted ways in 2022. He then signed with the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, but spent just one season with the NFC West rival before making his return to Seattle last offseason.
And now "Boom'' skips over Dallas and goes to D.C.
MAR 12 PASS-RUSH PIPELINE Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. has reached an agreement with the Washington Commanders on the second day of the NFL's legal tampering period.
Rushing the passer is vital, so losing quality depth is always going to sting. But when it's lost to a division rival, that pain lingers. Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left Dallas to become the head coach of the Commanders and has had no reservations about calling his former understudies.
Earlier in the tampering period, Washington signed former Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz and edge rusher Dorance Armstrong.
Details on the contract are yet to emerge, though Pro Football Focus projected Fowler to earn a one-year, $2.5 million deal in free agency. Fowler generated four sacks in 2023 and 10 total across his two seasons in Dallas.
MAR 12 RB CALLS Derrick Henry has himself a contract offer ... but it's not from the Cowboys.
Dallas did call a free agent running back you've heard of in Zack Moss ... but he's not signing here.
Tony Pollard has left Dallas for the Titans on a three-year deal worth about $7 mil APY. And ... additionally, the Packers signed Josh Jacobs (4 years, $48 million), the Giants signed Devin Singletary (3 years, $16.5 million), the Bears signed D'Andre Swift (3 years, $24.5 million), the Chargers signed Gus Edwards (2 years, $6.5 million), the Patriots signed Antonio Gibson (3 years, $11.25 million) and the Bengals signed Moss (2 years, $8 million). ... Moss, by the way, did receive a call from Dallas, for what it's worth.
But ... the Cowboys bowed out because Moss got $4 million APY? That tells you where Dallas really is when it comes to their shopping plans on the likes of Henry, Joe Mixon and Aaron Jones.
MAR 11 WILSON DEAL - $1.2 MILLION! The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Russell Wilson have agreed to a one-year deal that is unique in the sense that it'll cost his new team just the league minimum of $1.2 million.
And why? Wilson, 35, will have the other $38 million left on his 2024 deal paid by the Broncos, who two seasons ago made the blockbuster trade to acquire him from the Seattle Seahawks ... only to see the whole setup collapse in failure.
Wilson, who visited Pittsburgh last week, confirmed the news on social media by posting a video that was captioned "Year 13. Grateful" and tagged the Steelers' official X account.
Wilson last year did go 7-8 and threw for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions. The nine-time Pro Bowler will join his third NFL team in hopes of getting back to the Super Bowl, and he obviously believes the Steelers have the roster around him to make true contention a reality.
Wilson's other weekend visit was with the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys' rival in the NFC East.
MAR 8 PETERSON CUT IN PITTSBURGH Per a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to release eight-time Pro Bowler cornerback Patrick Peterson, avoiding a $3 million roster bonus that kicks in on March 16.
Last offseason, Peterson signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Steelers. His release will free up $6.85 million in cap space for Pittsburgh.
Peterson played in all 17 games for Pittsburgh last year, recording two interceptions, 11 passes defended and 42 total tackles.
Peterson will likely draw interest from teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, who could lose corner Stephon Gilmore to free agency this offseason.
FEB 13 GIANTS BLOCK DALLAS! The Giants have denied the Cowboys’ request for permission to interview their defensive line coach Andre Patterson, who was once a top assistant in Minnesota under Mike Zimmer.
Zimmer is now the Dallas coordinator, and of course an assortment of assistants are leaving, so there are vacancies. Patterson was the defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator in Minnesota under Zimmer, but New York is going to keep him on staff.
FEB 12 ZIM OFFICIAL We pause, given the murkiness of the day, to use the word “official,” but here goes …
The Dallas Cowboys have a done deal with new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer as Washington-bound Dan Quinn's replacement.
The "done deal'' wasn't done.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones himself did say as much last Thursday here in Las Vegas for Super Bowl Week. But …
CowboysSI.com reported early Monday morning that there was a "contractual'' snag on the way to making the official hire. … and then came ESPN's Adam Schefter with a hazy suggestion that Rex Ryan - who interviewed well with the Jones family a week ago - is re-entering the picture as a candidate.
But enough of the murky and the hazy. The Jones family is getting its guy.
FEB 9 DURDE LEAVES, WINK TO WOLVERINES As the Cowboys finalize their arrangement to hire Mike Zimmer as the new defensive coordinator in Dallas, another rumored name is going to college.
Michigan is planning to hire former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale as its defensive coordinator, ESPN reports.
Martindale, who was an engineer of some recent top-notch Ravens defenses working under John Harbaugh, will replace Jesse Minter, who became the Chargers defensive coordinator. ... where he will be working under Jim Harbaugh, John's brother, who was just hired by L.A. away from - you guessed it - Michigan.
FEB 9 DURDE TO SEATTLE Like the Cowboys, the Seahawks are searching for a defensive coordinator ... and both teams had interviewed Dallas assistant Aden Durde as a candidate to fill that role.
In Seattle, Durde, a native of Great Britain, will join rookie head coach Mike Macdonald's first coaching staff.
In Dallas, there is now a vacancy on the staff of just-hired coordinator Mike Zimmer..
The 44-year old Durde has interviewed for the Dallas vacancy and has also drawn interest from other NFL clubs.
FEB 6 ZIM IN Mike Zimmer is on the docket for Tuesday and scheduled to interview for the defensive coordinator job for the Cowboys today.
Zimmer coached here from 1994 to 2006 before becoming the Minnesota head coach.
Dallas’ interview process is also expected to include Washington ex head coach Ron Rivera.
There are rumors that the Jones family comes into this process already sold on Zimmer. But we are told Jerry, Stephen, Will McClay and Mike McCarthy will all have a voice here … as was the case when Dallas hired Dan Quinn, who now moves on to Washington as the head coach there.
FEB 5 WHY NOT? Why don’t the Dallas Cowboys hire Sean Lee as a coach?”
It’s among Cowboys Nation’s most-asked questions since Lee’s retirement … and we have in the past tried to explain how much he and wife Megan are enjoying their post-NFL life … absent the grind required of a player …
And a coach.
But from now on, when the question comes up, we will answer it with this Pro Bowl Week photo … which also explains why expectant parents Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos are not in Orlando, choosing instead to chill on a Colorado mountaintop.
Troy Aikman told CowboysSI.com that his playoff-failure advice was to “get away.” Dak and Sarah Jane seem to have received the message.
FEB 4 ‘VERY’ JERRY - AND ZIM The search for the Cowboys’ next defensive coordinator has officially begun, with Dan Quinn signing on as the head coach of the Washington Commanders and with sources detailing the next steps in the process to CowboysSI.com.
Among those steps as Dallas works on who will replace Quinn as the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator. ... Jerry Jones has long valued defensive coordinators with head coach experience; Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy feels the same way and has a similar history in Green Bay. That explains in part why Mike Zimmer and Ron Rivera are already lined up as candidates.
Said a source about the setup: "Jerry is very involved.''
FEB 3 ‘HOME RUN HIRE’? Cowboys owner Jerry Jones vows that his organization is "all in'' toward trying to win big in 2024. And he has at least one high-powered and high-profile colleague who believes him - at least when it comes to Dallas' search for a new defensive coordinator to replace Dan Quinn.
"Watch him,'' a fellow NFL owner tells CowboysSI.com on the condition of anonymity. "Jerry wants a home-run hire. He's swinging for the fences here.''
The team owner could not offer more specifics than that as the Cowboys work to replace Quinn, who is taking over the Washington Commanders. And of course, "what Jerry wants'' is no guarantee.
But the owner's remarks do suggest that Jones is involved in the coming hire (meaning its not solely up to head coach Mike McCarthy, who will enter his final contractual year). And they should send Cowboys Nation minds racing through the possibilities, all the way to "the fences.''
To wit, some names (and comments) in alphabetical order ... click above.
JAN 30 JERRY ON BELICHICK Jerry Jones claims he's "all in!" for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024. But come 2025?
Given a chance to shut down the Bill-Belichick-to-the-Cowboys rumors, the owner on Tuesday night instead left the door wide open.
"I know him personally and I like him,” Jones told reporters while watching Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Alabama. “There’s no doubt in my mind we could work together. None. None.”
