FRISCO, Texas –The Houston Texans don't yet know who their next general manager will be – but it won't be Will McClay.
McClay, the Cowboys' vice president of pro personnel confirmed Wednesday that he had officially declined an offer to interview for the Texans' vacancy. McClay's name had been circulating as a possible candidate for the job since last week, when Rick Smith took a leave of absence due to personal reasons.
This decision is undoubtedly welcome news for the Cowboys, as they ease their way into their preparations for the 2018 NFL Draft. Although he handles a variety of duties for the Cowboys' front office, he has seen his name circulate in league circles largely for his role in Dallas' draft success over the last five years.
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McClay has run the Cowboys' personnel department since 2014 – a stretch that has seen them draft Zack Martin, Demarcus Lawrence, Anthony Hitchens, Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott.
This probably doesn't come as a surprise to those in the front office. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Monday that he thought McClay was leaning toward remaining with the Cowboys.
"I just know Will has done a great job for us here. We think the world of him," Jones said. "He works well, not only with obviously Jerry and myself, but he's certainly a fine leader back there in the scouting department and then he's got a great relationship with our coaching staff."
The Cowboys still have some turnover to deal with on their coaching staff, to be sure. The Oakland Raiders announced the hiring of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia to their staff on Wednesday. Tight ends coach Steve Loney and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson have also confirmed their retirements.
At the very least, though, they'll have stability in their front office with McClay staying in place.
