HEADLINES

Rob Davis

Cowboys Move On From Joe Philbin, George Edwards, Four Other Staffers

January 26th, 2023 at 9:05am CST by Sam Robinson

Coming off their second straight 12-win season, the Cowboys will still make some notable staff changes. They are parting ways with six assistants, including senior defensive assistant George Edwards and offensive line coach Joe Philbin.

The Cowboys jettisoned Edwards, Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett and assistant Rob Davis, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill (all Twitter links). The staffers’ contracts were all up, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who adds (via Twitter) offensive assistant Kyle Valero will also not return. But this still marks a fairly significant shakeup for the resurgent NFC East team.

A former Dolphins HC, Philbin was a Mike McCarthy staffer for much of the latter’s Packers tenure. Hired before McCarthy arrived in Green Bay, Philbin stayed on under McCarthy through 2011 and returned to Green Bay after his Miami stay ended. McCarthy rehired Philbin as his OC in 2018, and the Packers named him interim HC following McCarthy’s firing later that year. Philbin, 61, oversaw a position group that featured some moving pieces this season. Tyron Smith‘s injury led to first-round pick Tyler Smith sliding to left tackle in late August, and the All-Decade blocker played right tackle when he came back. Jason Peters also transitioned to guard during his age-40 season.

Edwards joined McCarthy’s staff a year before Dan Quinn‘s arrival, but the ex-Vikings DC served as Micah Parsons‘ position coach. Edwards expressed confusion at the Cowboys’ decision, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets, noting that Quinn — upon returning from his second Cardinals interview — was also caught by surprise by the move. A defensive coordinator for three teams before coming to Dallas, Edwards joined Lett in assisting with unleashing Parsons’ unique skillset over the past two seasons.

Lett, who enjoyed a memorable playing career in Dallas, has been with the team since 2011. The Cowboys added the former D-lineman to their staff early in Jason Garrett‘s tenure. Peete initially joined the Cowboys’ staff upon Wade Phillips‘ arrival back in 2007, staying six seasons, and returned upon McCarthy’s hire. He played a rather important role in Tony Pollard‘s development into a Pro Bowler. Davis worked with McCarthy for most of his Packers run, residing as Green Bay’s player development director before coming to Dallas in 2020.

Jerry Jones has repeatedly endorsed McCarthy and did so again Sunday, indicating the 49ers’ divisional-round win will not impact the three-year HC’s job. But the team moving on from multiple multi-stint McCarthy staffers, along with other experienced assistants, represents an interesting decision after going 24-10 over the past two seasons. Sean Payton has been linked to being interested in a Dallas return for several months, and a recent report said a mystery team loomed for the high-profile coach. Dot-connecting could point to the Cowboys, but NFL.com’s Jane Slater tweets McCarthy’s job is safe. The team has not contacted Payton, nor has it discussed any trade with the Saints, Slater adds (on Twitter). McCarthy’s fourth Cowboys staff stands to look remarkably different, especially if Quinn lands one of the three jobs for which he has interviewed.

NFC Notes: Armstead, Floyd, Cowboys

January 26th, 2020 at 7:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Terron Armstead missed only one game because of a high ankle sprain he suffered in November, but the Pro Bowl Saints tackle is also dealing with a wrist injury that may require offseason surgery. Armstead underwent a CT scan recently, and although it showed no broken bones or ligament damage, the seven-year veteran acknowledged an offseason procedure is not off the table.

“As far as ligament damage, tendon damage, it’s more of a, ‘If it’s still feeling like this or you can’t pick up anything in two weeks, we got to go further,'” Armstead said, via NOLA.com’s Amie Just.

Although Armstead made the trip to Orlando for the Pro Bowl, he did not play in Sunday’s game. The Saints have their left tackle under contract for two more seasons.

Here is the latest from the NFC:

  • If the Bears do not release Leonard Floyd, he will be on their books for $13.2MM — once his fifth-year option vests. With Khalil Mack‘s cap number spiking to $26.6MM — from an $11.9MM figure in 2019 — that would mean the Bears would have approximately a fifth of their salary cap tied to two players. But Ryan Pace‘s indications thus far have been Floyd will be a Bear next season, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. If, in fact, the Bears do retain Floyd, it would seemingly behoove them to extend the 2016 first-rounder or restructure Mack’s deal to lower one of the pass rushers’ cap numbers. Floyd recorded just three sacks this season and has not eclipsed 4.5 since his 2016 rookie year.
  • Mike McCarthy hired a longtime coworker to join him in Dallas. The Cowboys are bringing in ex-Packers staffer Rob Davis to be an assistant head coach, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. A longtime NFL long snapper, Davis worked in the private sector over the past two years but served as the Packers’ director of player development from 2006-17.
  • Signs are pointing to the Packers letting linebacker Blake Martinez walk in free agency.

Packers Notes: Allison, Guion, Davis

July 19th, 2017 at 8:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from Green Bay:

  • The NFL announced Wednesday that it has suspended Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison one game for a violation of its substance abuse policy. Allison was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in December and pleaded no contest in April, when he paid a $330.50 fine to reduce the charge to an ordinance violation, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Allison’s Week 1 ban will cost him far more – a $31,764 game check. As a rookie in 2016, the undrafted free agent from Illinois racked up 12 catches, 202 yards and two touchdowns in 10 regular-season games. Allison will enter training camp as the fourth option in a packed receiving corps.
  • Defensive tackle Letroy Guion will go to trial next month in Hawaii for intoxicated driving, reports the Associated Press. Guion was arrested in June on a driving under the influence charge, and his attorney is now seeking witnesses to the arrest, according to the AP. Guion had a blood alcohol content of .086 an hour after the arrest and smelled of both alcohol and marijuana at the time. He’s already set to serve a season-opening four-game suspension for a separate infraction – a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
  • The Packers will have a new director of player development with Rob Davis having left the organization, Demovsky tweets. Davis spent 12 seasons as a long snapper in the NFL, including 11 with Green Bay, before embarking on a front office role with the Packers for nine years. He’s on to a “special opportunity,” though team president Mark Murphy declined to say where Davis is headed.
  • In case you missed it, the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have not begun extension talks.

Zach Links contributed to this post.