Scott Linehan, Cowboys Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

Continuing their effort to get the band back together following an NFC East Championship, the Dallas Cowboys and passing-game coordinator Scott Linehan have agreed on a new contract.   

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the news:

The Cowboys confirmed the deal on Thursday, Jan. 15, via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com:

ESPN's Ed Werder provided additional details, including the length of the deal:

The Cowboys in recent days have worked to ensure their coaching staff would remain put heading into 2015.

Head coach Jason Garrett agreed to a new five-year contract, per the team's website, a deal that was followed by defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli re-signing with the team, per Rapoport. Getting deals done with Garrett and Marinelli, the latter coveted by teams on the open market, opened the door to keep the good times rolling with Linehan.

A longtime NFL offensive assistant and former head coach in St. Louis, Linehan joined the Cowboys in 2014 as their passing-game coordinator. The title is odd, mostly because it's unprecedented. Linehan was essentially hired to strip play-calling duties away from Bill Callahan, who kept his offensive coordinator title, despite not doing the one major function for which he was hired.

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For at least one season, the too-many-cooks strategy worked. The Cowboys went 12-4 on the back of their dominant offense, which consistently stripped the will of opponents with a physical running game and efficient passing game. Tony Romo emerged as a late-season MVP candidate, DeMarco Murray led the NFL in rushing and Dez Bryant caught three more touchdowns than any other receiver. 

Football Outsiders' DVOA metric ranked Dallas' offense behind only three other teams. The Cowboys clinched their first division championship since 2009 with a 4-0 December that saw them average 41.25 points and led all four games by at least three touchdowns.

While the campaign ended in a controversial divisional-round loss to the Green Bay Packers, it was understandable that Jerry Jones wanted to work quickly at retaining his staff. Nearly every coach worked 2014 as a proverbial lame duck, able to take another job without any contractual obligation to the Cowboys. 

Retaining Marinelli and Linehan keeps Garrett's two most trusted assistants in the fold. Garrett said the team is currently still making decisions about the rest of the staff. Sports analyst Ross Tucker notes that not having a coaches' salary cap removes any excuses in retaining both Callahan and Linehan:

“We’re going through that process right now,’’ Garrett told reporters. “I really believe that we’ve built something here that we’re all proud of, and we’re all excited about taking the next step with this football team. I think we have the right kind of guys on our staff."

Linehan would likely take the title of offensive coordinator if Callahan, not currently under contract, decides to leave. For now, the Cowboys will settle for keeping the architect of their most successful offense in ages.

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