Mailbag: Prescott a big factor in coaching hire?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

We all have heard the term a "Dak-friendly offense," so how big a factor was that in the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer? Could Prescott have thrived in a new system that wasn't similar to Mike McCarthy's or Kellen Moore's offensive schemes? – Bryan Scott/Glen Rock, PA

Nick: I feel like this is a pretty obvious one, even though Jerry Jones said on Monday that he didn't have any discussions with Dak about the hiring of Schottenheimer. But when you give Dak the kind of contract that he gave him, locking him up with a $60 million a year deal, then of course, you're going to give him every chance to succeed.

And with that, hiring Schottenheimer has to be a move that benefits your quarterback and your investment. But if Dak is going to be successful, he's going to need some help around him like all the great quarterbacks do. A better running game, more consistent offensive line and maybe another playmaker receiver will go a long way to giving Dak more success.

Some of the things Schotty talked about with his offenses that seem to have more motion, movement, play-action and disguises will help, if executed correctly. There was a sense that McCarthy was rather predictable as a play-caller. I think the trick with any coordinator - both offense and defense - is finding a way to make it simplified for your players, and difficult for opposing coaches to figure out.

Kurt: As far as your second question, I guess we'll never really know. At least not anytime soon. Given Prescott's work ethic and general knowledge of the game, though, I'm sure he could adjust.

Regardless, I think it's obvious that keeping Prescott happy played a huge part in the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer, and that's not a bad thing. The Cowboys have made significant investments in not only Prescott but their star wide receiver as well, CeeDee Lamb, so it shouldn't come as any big surprise.

Think back to 1998 when Dallas hired Chan Gailey as head coach. He came in and completely changed the offense, and even though the Cowboys made the playoffs both that season and the next, Gailey never jelled with quarterback Troy Aikman. The future Hall of Famer had basically run the same offense since he entered the league in 1989 and just wasn't happy with the new system. Largely because of that, Gailey was let go after only two years.

As Stephen Jones said during the press conference, the Cowboys wanted some continuity, but he also stressed that some changes to the offense would be coming. We were told that Schottenheimer disagreed with Mike McCarthy's game-planning on some occasions, and the new coach himself talked about things like using more motion and tempo.

So the assumption is that while the foundation of the offense will perhaps be the same, some more modern play-calling twists will be thrown in. Let's hope so.