Florio: Despite no extension, Jerry Jones assumes Jason Garrett will stay

Despite no extension, Jerry Jones assumes Jason Garrett will stay

Posted by Mike Florio on January 7, 2015, 3:59 PM EST



Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is working as a lame duck. And he’ll continue to work as a lame duck until the season ends.

Appearing Wednesday on ESPN, owner/G.M. Jerry Jones explained why Garrett hasn’t gotten a new contract. Along the way, Jones managed to throw a little shade at one of his more popular former head coaches.

“I just didn’t do it and didn’t want to — that is, extend the contract,” Jones said. “Jason’s been coaching under the same contract actually for about seven years. I’ve got tremendous confidence in Jason Garrett’s growth and how he has evolved as head coach. And so that I felt when the time is right — I didn’t think it was right to start the season. And so I felt when the time is right we’ll sit down and extend his contract. . . .

“We’ve paid a price and always do for a coach that’s learning. Just think, I’ll give you one example, Jimmy Johnson. We won one football game in his first year being a pro football head coach. So coaches grow, coaches evolve. I’m glad that we’re gonna get a chance to have the benefit of the experience and the growth that Jason Garrett has shown.”

That’s fine, but without a new contract, someone else may be getting the benefit of the experience and growth. Indeed, Jones’ explanation should be viewed by other teams with vacancies as an endorsement of Garrett as a guy who has worked out all the kinks on the Cowboys’ watch, and who’s ready to become a successful head coach with a new team.

There’s one way for Jones to avoid that. He can extend the contract now or, at the latest, immediately after the season ends. By then, however, it possibly will be too late.
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He's not going anywhere.

mschmidt64 said:

He's not going anywhere.

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Of course not, he is one of the few who Jones can avoid not pissing off because he takes his shit.

Most coaches have working emotion chips and would take offense to publicly being called trainees.

His family has worked for Jones since he's owned the Cowboys. I would be shocked if he left when Jerry wanted him to stay

It would be funny as hell though, if somebody else came in with a good offer and Garrett told Jerry to go F himself.

The massive aneurysm suffered by Hostile would be an added bonus.

This is thebest situation Garrett ould get. Most coaching vacancies are places with no QB and a losing record.

Of course he's not going anywhere.

Also, more than a little retarded to compare Garrett to Jimmy learning on the job. Jimmy had 1 win his yeae because he didn't have players. He wasn't learning on the job in the same sense as Garrett. Jimmy was a national championship winning head coach.

By year 2 in Dallas it was perfectly clear Jimmy knew exactly what he was doing.

It's also insulting to Garrett to keep referring to him learning on the job. After the success of this season there's no reason to go back to that narrative. It was a justification for keeping him on as HC, but that justification isn't necessary now.

Garrett turned down a couple jobs when he was OC here, no? Like there's even a chance in hell he leaves after this season. Florio making it sound like there's a chance. Ha.

Tony D said:

Garrett turned down a couple jobs when he was OC here, no? Like there's even a chance in hell he leaves after this season. Florio making it sound like there's a chance. Ha.

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He turned them down since Jones basically offered to pay him like a cheap head coach to run the offense. And it was pretty clear as soon as Phillips was gone, the job was his.

I also think a lot of the time Jones talks tough about Garrett, he doesn't mean it. During his interim, he was like, not sure yet, blah blah blah, when as soon as he didn't bomb, you knew he would get it. Same thing now after he's finally broken through. A lot of it is PR because he knows fans would go crazy if he did it without a winning season or playoff berth. It is harder to sell before results, much easier to do if you get them. He bet on Garrett getting it and it paid off.

Now he can get all the fans off the J's ass about this coach thing for a while.

Garrett is ok as a team manager, so I'm cool with it so long as he continues to be surrounded by solid assistants.

He has preached a lot of the same messages that Jimmy did, and the one thing you do have to give him credit for is that the team buys into his message and they all spew out the same things he does.

He emphasizes setting the expectations high and not settling for minor accomplishments, and you can see that the team has taken on that mentality this year. They aren't satisfied with just winning the division.

The more pressing issue is keeping Linehan, IMO.

Linehan is important because he is Romo's confidant.

Used to be in the past, he made a mistake, he would go to the sideline, pour a cup of ice water over his head and sulk. Now he goes straight to Linehan.

Jerry said:

“Jason’s been coaching under the same contract actually for about seven years.

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Lifetime?

Texas Ace said:

The more pressing issue is keeping Linehan, IMO.

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Linehan and Marinelli are both extremely important to me. I know some people act as though Marinelli being lost wouldn't be that big of a deal but I couldn't disagree more. He is a tremendous coach. The second he walked away from the Bears their defense went to shit. The second he took over this defense it went from shit to respectable. I'm terrified that if he were to leave this defense would quickly go back to total shit.

We need to keep both coaches badly. I agree with all the points about Romo needing Linehan and Linehan is obviously a very good play caller.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Linehan and Marinelli are both extremely important to me. I know some people act as though Marinelli being lost wouldn't be that big of a deal but I couldn't disagree more. He is a tremendous coach. The second he walked away from the Bears their defense went to shit. The second he took over this defense it went from shit to respectable. I'm terrified that if he were to leave this defense would quickly go back to total shit.

We need to keep both coaches badly. I agree with all the points about Romo needing Linehan and Linehan is obviously a very good play caller.

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Agreed. People like to bitch because our defense is a middle of the pack unit right now, and calling for his dismissal is idiotic. I'm curious as to what it would be without Marinelli running the show. We have next to no top of the line talent on the entire unit. But they play together and they play hard.

I'd like to see what he could put out there after a couple drafts and FA periods dedicated to the unit. It's clear that a unit full of JAGS have bought in to what he's trying to do. I look to the defenses he fielded in Chicago when he had some talent to work with. I'd love to have that here in Dallas.

I'd much rather have Linehan that Marinelli. He has guys flying around and should be credited with what an excellent motivator he is. I don't see him out Xing and Oing anyone though...I do with Linehan.

Carp said:

I'd much rather have Linehan that Marinelli. He has guys flying around and should be credited with what an excellent motivator he is. I don't see him out Xing and Oing anyone though...I do with Linehan.

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So Marinell isn't using X's and O's, he's just screaming into defenders ears to go fly around??

This guy is the real deal and Dallas is fortunate to have him, doubly so since it's already been proven he probably isn't a great HC candidate. Linehan too. Like Gilbride was in NY and LeBeau in Pittsburgh, these guys have the potential to be Cowboy coaches for as log as they remain effective.

But Linehan has had the advantage of Romo, Murray, Dez, Witten, three 1st round picks on the OL, and good health for the most part for all the above. He's also collaborating with Garrett and Callahan who have each been the OC for this team and has hours of film on what works and what doesn't.

Marinelli has been dealt the opposite hand and has been asked to win with less. And he has. So if Marinelli can get less talented players to play well, just imagine his success should Dallas actually acquire impact players? I've watched Orlando Scandrick play under four different coordinators for seven seasons, and it's now under Marinelli that we see him rising up taking ownership, and becoming a true leader.

That comfort comes from knowing what you are supposed to do on the field which laregely comes from trust that your coaches have put you in the position to succeed and trust that your teammates know what the F they are supposed to be doing and so are worth sacrificing for and competing with.

When was the last time you saw complete presnap disarray and finger-pointing on the defense? It seemed to happen all the time before Marinelli took over, but I can't recall it since. This defense holds itself accountable with more than a bunch of stupid push-ups. It's a complete culture change.

Carp said:

I'd much rather have Linehan that Marinelli. He has guys flying around and should be credited with what an excellent motivator he is. I don't see him out Xing and Oing anyone though...I do with Linehan.

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I don't care how Marinelli does it, I only care that he does it. He also has a knack for making D-lineman look much better then they do anywhere else. I don't think Linehan is any sort of a brilliant play designer. I just think he is a very good play caller. Of course he calls some plays that piss me off but in general I think he does a great job of keeping a defense off balance with his play calls.

ravidubey said:

So Marinell isn't using X's and O's, he's just screaming into defenders ears to go fly around??

This guy is the real deal and Dallas is fortunate to have him, doubly so since it's already been proven he probably isn't a great HC candidate. Linehan too. Like Gilbride was in NY and LeBeau in Pittsburgh, these guys have the potential to be Cowboy coaches for as log as they remain effective.

But Linehan has had the advantage of Romo, Murray, Dez, Witten, three 1st round picks on the OL, and good health for the most part for all the above. He's also collaborating with Garrett and Callahan who have each been the OC for this team and has hours of film on what works and what doesn't.

Marinelli has been dealt the opposite hand and has been asked to win with less. And he has. So if Marinelli can get less talented players to play well, just imagine his success should Dallas actually acquire impact players? I've watched Orlando Scandrick play under four different coordinators for seven seasons, and it's now under Marinelli that we see him rising up taking ownership, and becoming a true leader.

That comfort comes from knowing what you are supposed to do on the field which laregely comes from trust that your coaches have put you in the position to succeed and trust that your teammates know what the F they are supposed to be doing and so are worth sacrificing for and competing with.

When was the last time you saw complete presnap disarray and finger-pointing on the defense? It seemed to happen all the time before Marinelli took over, but I can't recall it since. This defense holds itself accountable with more than a bunch of stupid push-ups. It's a complete culture change.

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I'm not going to read all of this. I choose Linehan over Marinelli.

If you make me pick between the two, I keep Linehan.

Marinelli is doing a great job motivating rag tag guys and so on, but honestly, I am not a fan of his overall scheme.

Unless you have Hall of Famers like Sapp, Brooks and Barber, when has the Dungy system been more than bend not break?

I would like both to return but if Marinelli was the only one lost, my only worry is who they replace him with...meaning Eberflus, who I am not sure about.

Linehan has more intrinsic value.

boozeman said:

If you make me pick between the two, I keep Linehan.

Marinelli is doing a great job motivating rag tag guys and so on, but honestly, I am not a fan of his overall scheme.

Unless you have Hall of Famers like Sapp, Brooks and Barber, when has the Dungy system been more than bend not break?

I would like both to return but if Marinelli was the only one lost, my only worry is who they replace him with...meaning Eberflus, who I am not sure about.

Linehan has more intrinsic value.

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If I had to choose, I'd keep Linehan. Because Jason Garrett isn't going to start calling the defense if Marinelli leaves.

Also, I think Jerry would be more likely to actually spring for a defensive coordinator instead of just promoting a 3-4 LBs coach.