Archer: Wes Phillips interviewing with Redskins

Wes Phillips interviewing with Redskins
January, 16, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach Wes Phillips is interviewing with the Washington Redskins, according to multiple sources.

Phillips is among a handful of Cowboys’ assistants with expiring contracts. He has been with the club since 2007 when his father, Wade, was named the head coach. In 2013 he was the tight ends coach after serving as the assistant offensive line coach in 2011 and ’12. He also spent time working with wide receivers and special teams in his time on the staff.

Jason Witten caught 73 passes for 851 yards and had eight touchdown catches, the second-best single-season total of his career in 2013. As a group, the tight ends caught 94 passes for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Cowboys have yet to announce any changes to the coaching staff, although they and assistant special-teams coach Chris Boniol mutually agreed to part ways two weeks ago. Like Phillips, Boniol had a one-year contract.

The Redskins hired Jay Gruden as Mike Shanahan’s replacement as head coach and promoted tight ends coach Sean McVay to offensive coordinator.

Buh and bye.

Good, beat it.

Peace out, GSOB.

Wes Phillips leaves for Redskins
January, 17, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys will need a new tight ends coach.

Wes Phillips accepted an offer to become the tight ends coach of the Washington Redskins one day after interviewing for the position on Jay Gruden’s staff.

Phillips had been with the Cowboys since 2007 and finished his first season as tight ends coach. He joined the Cowboys as a quality control coach and worked with wide receivers and special teams. In 2011 he was named an assistant offensive line coach.

That the Cowboys allowed Phillips to interview with a division rival was a sign the Cowboys were ready to find a replacement.

The Cowboys could look in-house for a new coach with Keith O'Quinn, who has helped coach the wide receivers the past few seasons in addition to his offensive quality control work. Another possibility is Mike Pope, the long-time New York Giants tight ends coach who was let go this week. Pope is widely regarded as one of the best tight ends coaches in the NFL.

Iamtdg said:

The Cowboys could look in-house for a new coach with Keith O'Quinn, who has helped coach the wide receivers the past few seasons in addition to his offensive quality control work. Another possibility is Mike Pope, the long-time New York Giants tight ends coach who was let go this week. Pope is widely regarded as one of the best tight ends coaches in the NFL.

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I do not see any reason Mike Pope would go to Dallas for the right to be on lame duck trainee's staff for a year.

boozeman said:

I do not see any reason Mike Pope would go to Dallas for the right to be on lame duck trainee's staff for a year.

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Money would be the only reason he would consider it-- and JJ loves to overpay coaches. So-- it could happen.

Jason Garrett loses right-hand man

January, 17, 2014


By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com



When Wade Phillips lost his job as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, his son, Wes, remained on the coaching staff as one of the assistant offensive coaches.

Last season, Wes Phillips received one of his biggest promotions, becoming the Cowboys' tight ends coach.

Coach Jason Garrett called Wes Phillips his right-hand man, and relied on him for many things.



"A lot of what you do as an assistant is you sit in the room and you watch other coaches coach," Wes Phillips said last summer. "You do a lot of work behind the scenes in the office, and now you’re more involved in all aspects of game planning, preparing your meetings. I was fortunate to sit in that room and listen to some excellent coaches."

Maybe being sons in a football family bonded them together, but Garrett has talked lovingly of Wes Phillips.

In 2010, when Garrett took over for Wade Phillips, the move could have been difficult given Wes was still on the coaching staff. If anything, it made things easier.

"Wes is one of the great assets of this staff," Garrett said back then. "He’s been my right hand man for the last three years. He just does an outstanding job. He knows football. He likes football. He’s one of those guys who is always ahead of things and helps me immensely that way. He sees the game, he understands and can coach different positions. He’s really a huge asset for us."

Garrett, who has been with the Cowboys since 2007, depends on several coaches for help on game days, and Wes Phillips was the man providing information from the press box on if he needed to challenge close calls. When Garrett decided to make a switch with the offensive structure, he moved Phillips from the press box to the field so he could talk more with veteran tight end Jason Witten and continue to develop rookie tight end Gavin Escobar.

So with Wes Phillips moving on to the Washington Redskins, Garrett has to make a change on the coaching staff. Offensive assistant Keith O'Quinn is a possibility to replace Phillips.

But nobody can say Wes Phillips was on the Cowboys' staff because of his name. The Cowboys valued Phillips, and he earned respect across the NFL for his work.

"I think a lot of people look at nepotism and they think, ‘Well, guys get jobs that maybe don’t deserve them,'" said Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, who, as son of owner Jerry Jones, heard similar comments when he started his career. "I think that shows that obviously Wes is a sharp guy. He loves football. He works hard at it. He has a passion for it. He’s obviously made his mark around here ... I think his arrow is up, and he’s only going to get better in this league."

Garrett loses his right hand man?

Wes Phillips must've wanted to coach in college too. Only reason he left.