Yesterday, reports emerged of Dallas showing interest in Detroit Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn. However, they couldn’t interview him until the Lions were eliminated. Following a shocking upset, that hurdle is now cleared, and the Cowboys’ head coach search is now expanding.
We’ve all heard about the guys associated with Dallas’ initial interviews and interest; Kellen Moore, Deion Sanders, Robert Saleh, and Leslie Frazier. To be frank, the names mentioned to this point have either been lackluster, or far-fetched.
The Cowboys have been missing candidates who are highly regarded league-wide.
With the Lions’ loss, both Glenn and another top-tier coach are fully available, and Dallas could look to take advantage of that development.
We’re approaching the time when the Cowboys’ head coach vacancy should be filled, and things could heat up quickly if they consider Detroit’s coordinators. With that in mind, let’s discuss the chances they are brought in and the reasons why this could work.
Aaron Glenn: Top Defensive Mind In Dallas?
Don’t let that high-scoring game against Washington fool you: Glenn is the best defensive coach Dallas could hire, and he could elevate that unit to one of the best in football.
As a former defensive backs coach, and cornerback in the NFL, Glenn’s knowledge, experience, and developmental skills could be huge for Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, and Caelen Carson.
In addition to that, we’re talking about a native Texan who played in Dallas with the star on his helmet for two seasons.
Glenn would command the locker room, bring a much-needed culture change, bolster the defense, and have the experience of being a Cowboys’ player to relate to the guys under him as the head coach.
If Dallas wants to really make an impact with this next hire, bringing in Aaron Glenn could get them there. Toughness is needed, and he’d bring it.
Ben Johnson: Will Cowboys Consider Star OC?
To this point, we haven’t heard much about the Cowboys having an interest in the Lions’ star offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson. Could that change now that their season is over?
It’s tough to answer that question, as Dallas’ search is quite literally unfolding by the day right now. After all, we didn’t know they had interest at all in Glenn 24 hours ago.
We do know that Adam Schefter believes the Cowboys won’t pursue Johnson, but ESPN’s top insider also said Mike McCarthy’s job was likely to be safe heading into the offseason. Essentially, things can change quickly.
If Dallas did consider Johnson, it could be a match made in heaven.
The Cowboys have one of the best wide receivers in the game, an emerging tight end and offensive line, an All-Pro level quarterback when healthy, and they could draft a star running back in the first round.
Johnson could replicate his offensive success in Detroit with a similar Cowboys unit. Jerry Jones needs to pick up the phone and at least see if the young coach would be interested.
The Bottom Line: Cowboys Search Is Heating Up
My best guess is the Cowboys are still likely to hire a candidate like Moore or Sanders before one of the Lions coordinators. That said, this situation is developing quickly.
With Detroit out of the playoff race, the Senior Bowl approaching, and Dallas formally scheduling interviews, it would surprise me if we did not have an answer, or close to it, this time next week.
The Cowboys head coach search has expanded with the Lions’ development, and now it’s the front office’s job to narrow it down to the candidates they really like.
If there is an attraction at all between Aaron Glenn or Ben Johnson, and the Dallas higher-ups, I’d imagine they would soon like either one quite a bit. The question is, will they ultimately gauge their interest?