NFC Notes: Mike McCarthy, Kellen Moore, Cowboys, Giants QB Possibilities

Cowboys

Former Cowboys QB and current ESPN analyst Troy Aikman was surprised the team moved on from HC Mike McCarthy.

“I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of surprise for me today that he’s not going to be,” Aikman said, via PFT. “What went into those conversations . . . I’m not exactly sure. It suggests that there’s not a real plan.”

Aikman doesn’t believe that Dallas is as coveted of a job as people within the media believe it to be.

“As far as a coveted job, I don’t know that that’s accurate,” Aikman said. “I do think the Cowboys are obviously a high-profile team and whoever is head coach of that team is certainly going to draw a lot of attention. But I think most football people that take over as a head coach want to do it on their terms, and that’s hard to do [in Dallas]. You take a Dan Campbell for instance. Is Dan Campbell Dan Campbell if he’s with the Dallas Cowboys? It’s hard to imagine that he is. It’s hard to imagine that a lot of these coaches might me. I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years. I wish them well. But to say it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I would necessarily agree with that.”

• LoneStarLive.com’s Josh Tolentino reports Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and McCarthy had extensive meetings last week that centered around the football team, including the disappointing 7-10 finish, the injuries and what the plan for next steps would be.
• Tolentino notes Jones was impressed by how McCarthy kept the team playing hard and got quality production out of backup QB Cooper Rush. At the end of the week, both sides were optimistic about a future together. 
• However, Tolentino says talks never got off the ground because there was a disagreement about how many years a deal should be. Most coaches sign four to five-year contracts, but Tolentino heard that Jones preferred a much shorter contract. 
• He adds that the two sides never even got to a point where money was a factor in the discussion, but McCarthy likely would have wanted a raise from his previous $4 million per year salary, which would rank toward the bottom of the scale for NFL head coaches. 
• Tolentino also mentions that Jones broached the idea of an unprecedented incentive-based pay for the coaching staff. Incentives aren’t a new thing for coaches but it sounds like the structure Jones had in mind would have put dramatically more compensation in the form of incentives instead of guaranteed salary. Tolentino quotes Jones: “For instance, I might say, ‘Look, I’m going to pay you this much, but then [I won’t pay you] any more. And I know you want twice that, but if you get to the playoffs or you win a Super Bowl, I’ll give you five times that.’”

Cowboys

The Cowboys officially parted ways with Mike McCarthy this week. Dak Prescott said he enjoyed playing under McCarthy but understands the nature of the business. 

“Just [a] great dude and blessed to be able to play underneath him,” Prescott said, via Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. “It’s a business.”

• Eagles OC Kellen Moore is a candidate for the Cowboys’ head coaching job, notably starting his coaching career after finishing his time as a player in Dallas. Moore said he’s only focused on Philadelphia’s upcoming NFC Divisional Round game: “I spent a lot of time there, eight years there. So have plenty of relationships in that place. I love it here. I’ve had so much fun here. It’s been a really fun process, and we’re in a really special situation right now, getting the chance to play this Sunday, having a chance to make a run at this thing, and that’s really all you worry about. Everything else is what it is, and we’ll see where it takes you.” (Zach Berman)

Giants

• Connor Hughes mentions it may be difficult for the Giants to land QB Cam Ward or QB Shedeur Sanders in the upcoming draft, given that the QB-needy Titans and Browns pick ahead of them.
• Hughes goes on to say that the team should explore their options of trading back, as they are not one piece away from being competitive, before using the No.3 pick on Colorado CB Travis Hunter should the draft fall that way.
• When it comes to GM Joe Schoen, Hughes believes he would prefer to draft Sanders if given the chance. In free agency, Hughes does not find QB Justin Fields or QB Aaron Rodgers to be viable options.
• One name that Hughes says to keep an eye on for the team is former Vikings and Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, who could be an inexpensive signing and may wind up playing better once he is further removed from his Achilles’ injury.
• Dan Duggan mentions several Giants staff departures, including defensive assistant Ben Burress, who is leaving for an offensive assistant role at South Carolina.
• Director of Strength and Conditioning Frank Piraino is also leaving to re-join Mike Vrabel in New England and Director of Sports and Performance Nutrition Steve Smith is also leaving the team.