It's going to be a process, but Dallas Cowboys fans are slowly warming up to the Brian Schottenheimer hire. As much as Jerry and Stephen Jones tried to derail it, Schottenheimer knocked his introductory press conference out of the park.
Where Schottenheimer really won the day was when he outlined his plans for the offense. Schottenheimer plans to deviate from Mike McCarthy's outdated scheme and incorporate more motion, shifting and using the run to set up play-action.
Schottenheimer obviously now has to put that plan into action, but he couldn't have done more to alleviate the initial tidal wave of fan apprehension and vitriol. Of course, most, if not all, of that is directed at the Joneses.
Schotty's excellent press conference aside, though, it is still a trying time in the franchise's illustrious history. The fan base is starved for good news.
Well, good news arrived in emphatic fashion on Wednesday.
Cowboys and VP of player personnel Will McClay agree to multi-year contract extension
According to Patrik Walker of the team's official website, the Cowboys have signed vice president of player personnel Will McClay to a multi-year contract extension. McClay's contract was set to expire in May following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft.
That sound you hear is Cowboys Nation breathing a huge sigh of relief.
Simply put, McClay is one of the most valuable executives in the NFL. He's been the leader in the Cowboys' personnel department since 2014 and has long deserved to be the general manager of his own team. Last offseason, the Panthers sought to make McClay their GM, while the Commanders wanted to make him their head of football operations.
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The Cowboys managed to keep him, but there was concern amongst fans that the Joneses would allow his contract to expire and potentially let him out the door. That would have set the franchise back years and that is not an exaggeration.
Since overseeing Cowboys' scouting since 2014, McClay has found a whopping 15 Pro Bowlers and six All-Pros through the draft. The team's first two draft picks under McClay's guidance? Future Hall of Famer Zack Martin and potential Ring of Honor candidate DeMarcus Lawrence.
While McClay has hit a slam dunk with first-round picks such as Martin, Lawrence, Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyler Smith and Travis Frederick, he has also found gems on day two and three. That includes Dak Prescott, Jourdan Lewis, DaRon Bland, DeMarvion Overshown and Osa Odighizuwa, among others.
Again, it is impossible to illustrated McClay's importance to Dallas' success. He's effectively the team's general manager even though the title belongs to Jerry Jones.
It is anyone's guess how the Brian Schottenheimer Era unfolds, but that McClay will be piloting the front office for the foreseeable future gives Schottenheimer the best chance to succeed as head coach.
What a huge day for the Cowboys.