I desperately want the hiring of Mike McCarthy to work and think it has the potential to do so. Six coaches have taken two different teams to the Super Bowl. What does it take for a coach to have that kind of success and does McCarthy possess those characteristics? - JEFF PARSONS / AMARILLO, TX
Nick: I think he's proven he has those characteristics. What I like more than anything he did in Green Bay from 2006-18 is what he did in 2019. There's something about taking the initiative to get a "staff" together and try to stay involved with the game and make sure you're prepared even more for the next job. There's something about what he did this past year that really makes me think he's going to be ready to take this team to another level.
Rob: From everything we hear about McCarthy, he connects well with players, he holds them accountable, and obviously he's a proven teacher. Just as important for a head coach, he appears to be building an experienced staff that he's familiar with. The way things ended in Green Bay had to be a major disappointment for him. He has shown major initiative in the past year to improve – and in some ways reinvent – himself as a coach. That had to be attractive to the Cowboys.
With the Mike McCarthy hire, how does he affect the future of Randall Cobb with the Cowboys? - JOHN WALKER / AUSTIN, TX
Nick: I honestly don't think it affects Cobb as much as you might think. McCarthy was obviously there for all of Cobb's time in Green Bay but I'm sure in that span, the coach had to cut and part ways with good players that had been really good at one time. It's part of the business. So whether or not they have time together with the Packers, McCarthy still has to make sure Cobb is the right fit for what they're trying to do. Sure, he might have a better plan on how to use him, but I think the Cowboys will probably look to go younger with a slot receiver. Maybe it makes sense to bring him back again on a 1-year deal like they did with Austin last year, but I would imagine McCarthy and this staff would be willing to make a change there, regardless of their ties together.
Rob: We'll see. I have always felt like Cobb will have opportunities elsewhere if he chooses to test the market, and the Cowboys have a lot of major financial decisions to make on the roster – not just at receiver with Amari Cooper, but at multiple positions. McCarthy is only other NFL head coach Cobb has had, and he parted ways with the Packers organization before Cobb did. Obviously he knows how to maximize his strengths in an offense.
