The Dallas Cowboys are reshuffling their offensive staff below Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan, but look set to keep continuity where it is desperately needed the most. After speculation about his departure for Oakland or Houston, Running Backs Coach Gary Brown is expected back in Dallas for a sixth season.
Brown will remain in place to coach Ezekiel Elliott, who can restore normalcy to a run-oriented Cowboys offense that missed his services for six games (three losses) in 2017. In Elliott’s place, Alfred Morris and Rod Smith did have their flashes.
Brown was also firmly in place as the RB coach when Darren McFadden resurrected his NFL career with the Cowboys in 2015, driving a Tony Romo-less offense with 1,089 yards on the ground.
This is also not the first time this offseason that both the Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans have been involved with Cowboys personnel decisions, as long-time special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia has already left to join John Gruden in Oakland.
It was the local Texans that became the first of what is multiple teams every year to show interest in Cowboys roster guru Will McClay. Turning down their opening at general manager, McClay looks safe to stay at least another year in Dallas.
Whether the Cowboys’ belief that bringing their running game back to where it should be will solve all their problems is accurate or not is a long way from being determined, but there will not be a new voice leading the way in this room in 2018.
Ezekiel Elliott, Rod Smith, and Gary Brown all back together. For once there can be agreement that change was not needed.
