Parcells will take what he wants in Dallas
Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 8:25 PM
What’s good for the Dolphins is probably going to be very bad for the Dallas Cowboys. Bill Parcells probably hasn’t even finished moving his elephant collection (Trunks up for good luck.) into his new office, but he’s already well along in the business of rebuilding the franchise.
He’s fired Miami’s general manager, Randy Mueller and two other front-office employees, assistant director of player personnel Mike Baugh and college scouting coordinator Rick Thompson.
The moves will probably be felt in Dallas, where Parcells is looking at Jeff Ireland, Dallas’ head of college and pro scouting, to replace Mueller.
It’s not going to stop there. The Miami Herald is reporting that Tony Sparano, the Cowboy’s assistant head coach, is a leading candidate to replace Cam Cameron, should Parcells decide to jettison the Dolphins’ incumbent coach.
You’ll hear some say that Parcells ought to go after former Steelers’ coach Bill Cowher to take over, but it doesn’t sound like something the Tuna would do. He’s more likely to go with a top NFL assistant who Parcells can groom as his Mini-Me rather than with an established personality. I don’t think you need worry about seeing Brian Billick, either, for the same reason. Parcells wants a disciple running the team, somebody who thinks like he does.
He’s already the fountain from which the game has gotten Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Tom Coughlin, Eric Mangini, Dick Jauron, Romeo Crennel and Bobby Petrino. He’s not going to go with somebody else’s coach; he’ll want one of his guys.
Then there are the rumors in Dallas, as thelandryhat.com is reporting, that Parcells is interested in signing the Cowboys’ rugged running back, Marion Barber, who becomes a restricted free agent at season’s end.
According to one scenario, the Cowboys could work a draft-day deal that would put Barber and a couple of lower first-round picks in Miami and the number one overall pick in Dallas, where owner Jerry Jones will use it to take running back Darren McFadden, from Jones’ alma mater, Arkansas. The Cowboys would also say goodbye to free agent running back Julius Jones, according to that scenario.
I think it’s a bad idea for Dallas because running backs are so incredibly risky to take with a top pick. Better to get an impact defensive player or a premier offensive lineman. Dallas could also use a standout wide receiver – Terry Glenn is near the end of his career and Terrell Owens isn’t going to be around forever, either, because it’s not in his nature. Plus, why go after McFadden when Barber is already doing the job so very, very well?
I don’t have an answer to that, but if that’s what Jones wants to do, Parcells will be delighted to get a great running back and an extra draft pick. Whatever Dallas wants to give him, he’ll take. And what the Cowboys don’t want to give, he’ll probably take anyway.
