There are changes expected to land in North Texas this coming offseason, following a disappointing 2020 campaign that will likely see them miss the playoffs in the first season under head coach Mike McCarthy. Don't expect a shift atop the coaching pyramid for a second consecutive year though, with the team confirming a CBS Sports report that there will be "absolutely no change" at head coach in 2021 -- owner Jerry Jones labeling any speculation on firing McCarthy as "ridiculous" -- putting McCarthy in the safe zone going into the second season of his five-year deal.
The needle of change is instead aimed at Mike Nolan, the team's defensive coordinator who leads a historically bad unit that has been roundly criticized for not only continued lack of execution but, more importantly, lack of effort. The much-needed moral and actual victory over the lowly Cincinnati Bengals doesn't change the temperature beneath Nolan's seat one iota, sources told CBS Sports on Monday, and it will take some very fervent convincing to sway owner Jerry Jones into keeping him onboard.
For his part, when asked about his future in Dallas, Nolan shrugged off the horizon and instead chooses to live in the moment.
"You know, I don't even think about it," he told media on Monday. "I just take it a day at a time anyway. It's really not -- I prefer not to even answer the question just because it's not what's on my mind. We just take it a day at a time and try to win this week's game against San Francisco, and whatever happens after the season happens."
As noted in a CBS Sports report on Sunday ahead of the team's matchup with the Bengals, Nolan's fate isn't sealed just yet and there's also a chance -- thanks to the relationship between he and McCarthy -- he could be retained but simply moved out of the defensive driver's seat and into a different role. The Cowboys are currently weighing all of their options and whatever they choose to do may come swiftly at the conclusion of the season, so that they can get a head start on adapting for the 2021 season.
"When that time comes, we'll deal with it if there is a change," said Nolan.
A frustrated Jerry Jones was far less veiled in his comments regarding the Cowboys defense and its coaching staff, however, so while Nolan claims he isn't looking past the right now -- Jones is multitasking. The Hall of Fame owner has one eye on the present and another on the future, which includes having seen his defense be a key reason the team was flexed out of primetime and buried in the 1 p.m. ET slate for Week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers, hinting heavily at Nolan not being around (or, at minimum, in his current role) for the 2021 reboot.
"I will say this: we've got, like anybody, you got a lot of do-overs," Jones recently told 105.3FM the Fan. "I'd like to start again on how we approached our defense this year. I'd like to start that over again. I'm sure everybody else would, too."
Currently on pace to land a top-5 pick in the NFL draft, the Cowboys would be in position to trade down and truly rebuild their defense at all three levels, and Jones is excited at that silver lining to the dark cloud of 2020.
"Several years ago, maybe 10, 11 years ago, we went from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense," Jones said, referencing the team's stint with Bill Parcells. "But when we did it, there was a lot of reluctance on making that move by our coach. His name was Bill Parcells. And, so, he had a tough time buying into drafting DeMarcus Ware. He wanted to draft [Marcus] Spears because Spears fit both ways -- 4-3 or a 3-4.
"DeMarcus Ware was principally going to the [3-4]. All we did was turn around and have the greatest draft we probably ever had on defense and drafted Spears, Ware, [Jay] Ratliff and [Chris] Canty. And we were able to make the move right then and there. Had we not drafted those guys, that might have been a tough move and probably we wouldn't have gone into it as completely. That's speculation. But there's your case.
"You got to think about the personnel when you talk about changing your scheme."
But, as he additionally made clear, don't assume Nolan will be the one steering it next season, especially considering the consistent disconnect between he and several key players who didn't/aren't taking well to what he's preaching schematically.
"If you could have a draft like that, you could have some successful defense," said Jones. "Any coach you want to put in there."
Message sent.