Case for Shanahan sporting a Cowboys hat

[dragondawg]

By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports

Immediately before Mike Shanahan turned the Denver Broncos into back-to-back Super Bowl champions in the late 1990s and then proceeded to spend 14 years nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Broncos were coached by a laid-back, good-natured man who had made his reputation as a strong defensive coordinator.

Once again, Wade Phillips should be worried.

With Shanahan hitting the streets Tuesday after Broncos owner Pat Bowlen fired him, you have to think that the ears of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones perked up more than the year he had plastic surgery.

Word around the NFL is that Shanahan will have another job soon and might have set up something before Bowlen dropped the axe. The Rocky Mountain News reported that Shanahan forced Bowlen’s hand by refusing to fire defensive coordinator Bob Slowik.

It’s odd given that Shanahan has treated defensive coordinators like Kleenex in recent years (three in the past three seasons) and lends credence to the notion that Shanahan has another option.

Meanwhile, Jones has told anyone who will listen that he’s not changing coaches. He has said it more than once, including before the end of the season and again after it. Furthermore, neither of the other high-priced coaches on the market, Bill Cowher and Mike Holmgren, fit for Jones and the Cowboys.

But it doesn’t take long to realize that Shanahan is a perfect fit for what ails the football team from the other D city that celebrates the ranching life.

It’s time for Jones to cowboy up and herd in the stray bronco. Or else Jones can sit back and watch hundreds of millions of dollars he has spent on players and the new palace they play in go to waste.

While there are plenty of Shanahan detractors who claim that he has been nothing special since John Elway was his quarterback, those people don’t get the big picture. Here’s a quick list of why Shanahan should be so compelling:

He’s a disciplinarian

In just about every tangible way, Shanahan is the anti-Phillips. Shanahan is uptight and combative, almost to a fault. He doesn’t tolerate fools. In that way, he can rein in the many egos that have run over Phillips. Just as important, Phillips is kidding himself with the idea that he’ll regain control of the locker room.

On Monday, Phillips told Dallas media: “If it means being more demanding, more whatever, I have to get it done.” The follow-up question to that was how Phillips can do that while being true to himself.

“My personality is probably not going to change as much as what you ask them to do … My personality of looking like I’m laid back all the time, that’s not going to change,” Phillips said.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take an MBA from Harvard to understand that it’s hard for any manager to control employees once they know you’re not a tough guy. Phillips can ask for anything he wants. He’s just not going to get it when he really needs it.

Shanahan will. Or he’ll put his foot somewhere way up somebody’s backside until he does.

Shanahan is a larger than life personality

During Jones’ 20 years with the Cowboys, his best success has come with the likes of Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells riding herd over the collection of stars that Jones likes to assemble.

Shanahan is cut from the same cloth as Johnson and Parcells, bowing to no one. In Phillips, the Cowboys have a guy who didn’t command as much respect as offensive coordinator Jason Garrett when HBO’s “Hard Knocks” was taping the team in training camp.

Shanahan already has Terrell Owens’ respect

When Owens was on the open market in 2006, the Broncos were the only team that brought him in for a look. That was after Shanahan expressed interest. Ultimately, Shanahan refused to pay the price Owens got from Dallas, but Shanahan at least paid his respect to Owens. That will go a long way with getting Owens to be on the same page as Shanahan. While it might not work over the long term (nothing usually does with Owens), it certainly could work in the next season or two when Dallas needs to win or risk wasting the talent Jones has collected.

Shanahan knows offense

Be it Owens, quarterback Tony Romo, tight end Jason Witten or whoever, none of them can question Shanahan’s ability to game-plan or call plays. Even with the limited squad Shanahan had to work with this season in Denver, he could run plays and put pressure on opposing teams.

Furthermore, when Shanahan is at his best, he’s a run-first play-caller, and the Cowboys have a run-first team. Armed with backs Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice running behind that big offensive line featuring Flozell Adams and Leonard Davis, Shanahan has a good mix of players to operate his type of game. Yes, the pass blocking is suspect, but Shanahan has the ideas and the tools to cover that up.

Shanahan can’t ask for control over personnel

Unlike Cowher and Holmgren, who both want to buy the groceries, Shanahan can’t do that right now. Shanahan’s biggest problem as a coach was Shanahan the general manager. He botched the draft and self-destructed in free agency. Shanahan also mangled his defense year after year by changing coordinators at the drop of a hat.

In that way, he fits with Jones, who refuses to give up control over personnel. Not that Jones has been brilliant with the draft or free agency (he has yet to win a playoff game since Johnson was picking the players), but there’s no question that the Cowboys are a talented bunch. This is the same team that went 13-3 in 2007 and looked like it could roll to the Super Bowl before being upset by the New York Giants.

In other words, even if Shanahan wanted to be in charge of players, there isn’t much for him to do. Dallas is ready-made to win.

And as Shanahan showed in the late 1990s, he can win with a good team.

Even if he has to run over Phillips to get the gig.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

[lex]

If Shanahan goes to Dallas, he is either going to have to rebuild the offensive line or abandon the ZBS. Dallas doesnt have the linemen to pull off the ZBS. Just last weekend they were talking about how the Cowboys OLine is good as long as the defender is right in front of them. Not exactly what you want in a blocking system that requires mobility.

The thing is though, Shanahan has been around a lot of offenses. He was on the staff at Oklahoma when they ran the wishbone back in the 70s. He has seen a lot of types of offense and so its not unthinkable that he could go into Dallas and make it work with what they have. But that would definitely be an issue. When you think about it, he would probably have to change his play book a lot.

[Bronco Bob]

Nice thing about Shanahan going to Dallas is we only see him once every
four years. In the AFC there is a good chance we see him almost every
year, and shudder to think if he ended up in KC or Sandy-Eggo.

[rugbythug]

Shanny Is too perfect for the Cowboys. He could take them to the Bowl in a hurry.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Jerry Jones has the 2nd biggest ego in sports behind Al Davis and he's interested in only one kind of coach; the perfect Yes Man.

Show of hands for people who think Shanahan's a Yes Man...that's what I thought.

Totally stupid idea.

[Rohirrim]

There are few teams I hate as much as the Cowpukes. If Shanny was coaching them, I'd hate him too.

[Arkie]

Jerry Jones has a big ego, but he's a lot sharper than Al Davis. I read somewhere that Jones created the most valuable franchise in all of sports. He may hire Shanny if he thinks it will improve his product. Davis, on the other hand, has gone insane.

[NFLBRONCO]

Cowboys would be perfect fit he needs a team that doesn't need a overhaul esp on D. I think he is very iffy on building D talent.

[socalorado]

Originally Posted by lex

If Shanahan goes to Dallas, he is either going to have to rebuild the offensive line or abandon the ZBS. Dallas doesnt have the linemen to pull off the ZBS. Just last weekend they were talking about how the Cowboys OLine is good as long as the defender is right in front of them. Not exactly what you want in a blocking system that requires mobility.

The thing is though, Shanahan has been around a lot of offenses. He was on the staff at Oklahoma when they ran the wishbone back in the 70s. He has seen a lot of types of offense and so its not unthinkable that he could go into Dallas and make it work with what they have. But that would definitely be an issue. When you think about it, he would probably have to change his play book a lot.

I thibnk he would abandon the ZBS. The incredible stable of RBs that Dallas has, is so good, that he could live with their current running scheme, but he would demand more from them with protecting Romo.
Shanny would absolutely POUND the football in DAL. Just pound teams into submission, get into the red zone, and use Witten and TO to perfection.

[cabronco]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Jerry Jones has the 2nd biggest ego in sports behind Al Davis and he's interested in only one kind of coach; the perfect Yes Man.

Show of hands for people who think Shanahan's a Yes Man...that's what I thought.

Totally stupid idea.

Bingo.

[Popps]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

There are few teams I hate as much as the Cowpukes. If Shanny was coaching them, I'd hate him too.

[Broncoman13]

Meh, I called this within an hour of hearing the news that we were jettisoning Shanny. He would go to Dallas and win in a hurry.

As for the ZBS in Dallas... no need. They already have a good running game with great RBs (3 of 'em!) a QB that he really likes, WRs that he really likes and a two TEs (Witten & Bennett) that fit exactly what he likes to do with TEs.

The only questions, would he learn from his most recent mistakes and hire somebody to come in and continue on the 3-4 defense that was showing a lot of life late in the season? and;

Would he be able to coexist with a "GM" like Jerry Jones making all the calls. I think it's something that could work well for a year or two, maybe three. It would be a brilliant move by Jones to put butts in his new stadium and probably would get him another SB within the next couple years. But at some point they would surely tire of each other.

[Rulon Velvet Jones]

What sickens me most is CowboyFan assuming that Shanahan would come to Dallas just because he's the biggest name out there. Makes me puke how these idiots think every marquee name wants to come to Dallas to work or play under Jerry Jones.

They bring up crap about how Shanahan wanted Romo, how he wanted Owens, that he's a good buddy of Jerry Jones'. They ignore his recent coaching records, his preference of a 4-3 defense (with an eye for crummy talent), the ZBS part of the running game and that, ultimately, he's not going to go somewhere to be the owner's b****. Shanahan is too strong of a person and a coach for Jerry Jones. That's why Jerry hires guys like Wade - because he can be the puppet and be bossed around by the man upstairs.

Also, if Shanahan comes in, they lose both Wade and Garrett and likely a couple other assistants. I'm sure Jerry would love scrapping almost everything he promised would return for 2009.

Go to Cleveland already, Mike. Or, better yet, take the year off and do some TV work with Lynch.

[baja]

shanny is going to dallas bank it

[ayjackson]

Jones hired Parcells, and worked fairly well with him in the draft room. Jones is a conciliator when it suits him. Shanahan could have a lot of say without the final say in Dallas. Jones would have no problem with that. Lets face it, Shanny's rep as a GM is a little tarnished right now.

[TonyR]

Originally Posted by Rulon Velvet Jones

Or, better yet, take the year off and do some TV work...

I keep seeing the TV work comments about Shanny but he doesn't strike me as the TV analyst type of guy.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by ayjackson

Jones hired Parcells, and worked fairly well with him in the draft room. Jones is a conciliator when it suits him. Shanahan could have a lot of say without the final say in Dallas. Jones would have no problem with that. Lets face it, Shanny's rep as a GM is a little tarnished right now.

Why do you think Parcells left Dallas after 3 years? Because he didn't want to deal with Jerry telling him what to do any longer. Jones started down the "conciliatory" road out of desperation but once he thought he had talent in place he started changing his approachand ignoring Paracells wishes. Bringing in TO signaled the beginning of the end for that relationship. It was totally Jones' idea and the Tuna had nothing to do with it. Parcels resented it and wouldn't even call TO by his name, calling him "the player" instead. Shanahan just left a situation with the most non-interference owner in the NFL after he was given an entire decade's worth of chances to do it his way and yet you think that Mike would instantly go from that to working with one of the biggest control freaks in sports? You must think Shanahan's an utter idiot. Whether or not his GM role is "tarnished" has nothing to do with it. Shanahan is going to go where he can be himself, and Dallas is the last place that will EVER happen.

[baja]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Why do you think Parcells left Dallas after 3 years? Because he didn't want to deal with Jerry telling him what to do any longer. Jones started down the "conciliatory" road out of desperation but once he thought he had talent in place he started changing his approachand ignoring Paracells wishes. Bringing in TO signaled the beginning of the end for that relationship. It was totally Jones' idea and the Tuna had nothing to do with it. Parcels resented it and wouldn't even call TO by his name, calling him "the player" instead. Shanahan just left a situation with the most non-interference owner in the NFL after he was given an entire decade's worth of chances to do it his way and yet you think that Mike would instantly go from that to working with one of the biggest control freaks in sports? You must think Shanahan's an utter idiot. Whether or not his GM role is "tarnished" has nothing to do with it. Shanahan is going to go where he can be himself, and Dallas is the last place that will EVER happen.

Shanny's ego will convince him to take the job but you are right it won't work out well, think Al Davis.

[Circle Orange]

He would inherit fat, slow footed lineman that can only plow forward and fall down. Any team with decent speed sends them to school every down, and that's why they struggled to protect Bollo the quarterback.

[broncsyanks]

shanny is going to dallas

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by baja

Shanny's ego will convince him to take the job but you are right it won't work out well, think Al Davis.

Shanny will think Al Davis, which is why he won't do it.

[ward63]

God I hope he doesn't go there! I hate the Cowboys and would not enjoy seeing him with them. If he does, Montrae Holland better start losing weight or get out....again

[ayjackson]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Why do you think Parcells left Dallas after 3 years? Because he didn't want to deal with Jerry telling him what to do any longer.

I was making the point that Jerry wouldn't only hire yes man, not that a big ego coach would enjoy working with Jerry for years and years. Jerry brought in Parcells because the yes men - switzer, campo, gailey - failed miserably.

[joe9999]

Shanahan said he wants to go where he has the best chance to win a championship. So one cold argue that Dallas is the best choice. But a good point was made here that he couldn`t co-exist with Jones for long. A super bowl win next year or the year after would make coexistace a lot easier.

Another place that no one has mentioned is San Diego. If he went there, San Diego would have a legitamate shot at a Super Bowl next year.

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by joe9999

Shanahan said he wants to go where he has the best chance to win a championship. So one cold argue that Dallas is the best choice. But a good point was made here that he couldn`t co-exist with Jones for long. A super bowl win next year or the year after would make coexistace a lot easier.

Another place that no one has mentioned is San Diego. If he went there, San Diego would have a legitamate shot at a Super Bowl next year.

Norv has the job already nailed down.