The NFL season is here. Don't miss any of the action with our daily updates: news, notes and more throughout the Cowboys' off-season. Presented by Sleep Number
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 31 Updates
1:57 p.m. – Kellen Moore is excited to be back as offensive coordinator and continue his work with quarterback Dak Prescott, who set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns in 2019.
Where did Prescott improve in his fourth season?
"His command," Moore said Monday. "I think he had really a good command, a lot of confidence to him. He was running the show – run game, pass game, involved in all aspects of the offense. Certainly that's something we can build on."
New head coach Mike McCarthy has said he wants to keep the offense's terminology similar this season, which will provide some continuity for Prescott in 2020.
Prescott has an expiring contract, but Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said last week that the team's No. 1 priority this offseason is to work out a long-term deal with Prescott.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 28 Updates
10:12 a.m. – Defensive lineman Antwaun Woods is recovering well from recent surgery on his left hip. Although still on crutches, he is expecting a smooth recovery this offseason.
Woods is an exclusive rights unrestricted free agent and expected to be back for the 2020 season.
Jan. 24 Updates
11:01 a.m. – Amari Cooper hasn't talked to his agent recently about contract negotiations with the Cowboys, but he continues to emphasize his desire to stay in Dallas.
"I mean that wholeheartedly," Cooper told NFL Network's Jane Slater at the Pro Bowl. "I love Dallas. Just to have the opportunity to play on a different team, you see the changes and stuff like that. I feel like it's home. I feel like I want to live there for a long time."
Cooper has an expiring contract but re-signing him is a top priority for the Cowboys.
While the Cowboys haven't yet announced a finalized staff under new head coach Mike McCarthy, multiple reports say Adam Henry is expected to be named new wide receivers coach. Cooper said he might ask Browns receivers Jarvis Landry or Odell Beckham Jr. about Henry, who coached both at LSU and Cleveland.
"I was going to ask him about that, just to kind of get a heads up," Cooper said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 23 Updates
3:15 p.m. – The Cowboys have not yet announced new head coach Mike McCarthy's full coaching staff, but Leon Lett reportedly is expected to return as an assistant on defense.
Lett was scheduled to interview with the defensive staff after he coached in the East-West Shrine Game last weekend. Jim Tomsula has been hired as the Cowboys' new defensive line coach.
Lett has been a Cowboys defensive assistant since 2011 and coached the defensive tackles last season. Lett was a member of all three Cowboys Super Bowl teams in the 1990s and made two Pro Bowls as a defensive lineman.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 22 Updates
2:03 p.m. – Speaking at the Senior Bowl, Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones told reporters that linebacker Leighton Vander Esch's recent neck surgery went well.
"I feel good about it, really good about him making a full recovery and being ready to participate in everything," Jones said.
Vander Esch missed the final six games of the season with a neck issue. The Cowboys opted for him to rest and try to let the inflammation calm down first before considering a minor procedure as an option. He'll point toward participating in the voluntary offseason program this spring, which starts in April.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:05 p.m. – The Cowboys' front office is at the Senior Bowl this week in Mobile, Alabama evaluating the nation's top senior prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft.
This week, the NFL also announced the 99 underclassmen who have been granted special eligibility for April's draft in Las Vegas. Sixteen more prospects have fulfilled their college degree requirements with college eligibility left.
For the full list of this year's early-entry prospects, click here.
The 99 underclassmen granted special eligibility are the league's third-most in the last 10 years. The list topped 100 in 2018 and 2017.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 21 Updates
3:15 p.m. – While the veteran tight end said he would likely make a decision regarding his future "pretty soon" after the season, there has still been no word on Witten just yet.
From the Senior Bowl in Mobile on Tuesday, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones didn't have anything to add when asked about Witten's future.
"Really nothing there to comment on," Jones said of Witten, who will be an unrestricted free agent in March if a decision isn't made before then. Witten played 15 seasons from 2003-17 before retiring in 2018 to join Monday Night Football.Witten returned last year to have 63 catches for 529 yards, his lowest single-season output since his rookie year.
Jan. 17 Updates
6:09 p.m. – Head coach Mike McCarthy still has some work to do in finalizing his staff, but multiple reports Friday say the team's next wide receivers coach could be Adam Henry, who has been with the Browns in the same role the last two seasons. No official word yet from the Cowboys, however, as McCarthy said Thursday that the team was still working on the receivers coach position.
Sanjay Lal held the job the last two seasons. Henry has coached receivers at the NFL level since 2015 with the 49ers, Giants and most recently the Browns in 2018 and 2019.
The coordinators and most of the position coach spots are settled, but McCarthy said Thursday the team is still evaluating its strength and conditioning staff position. He also said Leon Lett, defensive tackles coach last year and a defensive assistant since 2011, will interview with the defensive staff in the coming days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 15 Updates
12:03 p.m. – Former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is expected to interview for the Giants' vacant offensive coordinator position, according to NFL Media and reports.
The Cowboys announced earlier this month that they would not seek a contract extension with Garrett, their full-time head coach from 2011-19. Mike McCarthy was introduced as new head coach last week.
After spending seven seasons as a backup quarterback with the Cowboys (1993-99), Garrett had the same role with the Giants from 2000-03.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 14 Updates
2:38 p.m. – As expected, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch underwent a successful minor procedure on his injured neck, per multiple reports, and is expected to make a full recovery.
After a follow-up examination in December, the Cowboys placed Vander Esch on injured reserve and planned for him to have surgery at some point in January. The belief is he'll point toward participating in the voluntary offseason program this spring, which starts in April.
Vander Esch missed the better part of eight games this season, including the final six games, due to neck issues. The Cowboys opted for him to rest and try to let the inflammation calm down first before considering surgery as an option.
"They think he'll have a full recovery – complete, thumbs up," Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in December.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 13 Updates
The last few weeks of the regular season weren't that enjoyable for Jeff Heath, who battled through a pair of shoulder injuries that had him in and out of the lineup. Heath had successful surgery last week on his left shoulder and should give him plenty of time to recover by training camp in July.
The only question now is where. Heath will be an unrestricted free agent in March, one of over 25 free agents for the Cowboys this offseason.
Heath was one of 10 players to play at least 100 games during this past decade for the Cowboys, totaling 106 since 2013 when he made the team as undrafted rookie.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 12 Updates
9:37 a.m. -- The Cowboys have yet to make official announcements about new head coach Mike McCarthy's staff, but multiple reports say they're close to adding Maurice Linguist to an unspecified coaching role in the secondary.
An All-Big 12 honorable mention safety at Baylor in 2006, Linguist has coached defensive backs at the college level for the past 13 seasons, most recently Texas A&M's cornerbacks last year, Minnesota's defensive backs in 2018 and Mississippi State's safeties in 2017. He also has been a defensive passing game coordinator at Iowa State (2015) and Buffalo (2013).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 8 Updates
5:44 p.m. – The Ford Center plaza was packed with media, Cowboys staff members and several players – including starters Randall Cobb, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick and Antwaun Woods – for head coach Mike McCarthy's introductory press conference.
Cobb, of course, was drafted by McCarthy and the Packers back in 2011 and spent the first eight seasons of his career playing for him in Green Bay.
McCarthy spent a few minutes visiting with the players after the media session. He said he'll begin the process of reaching out to more players and current staff in the coming days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 2 Updates
2:21 p.m. – Cowboys passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Kris Richard officially interviewed for the New York Giants' vacant head coaching position, the Giants announced Thursday.
Richard has been the Cowboys' defensive passing game coordinator for the past two seasons, working alongside defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
The Giants parted ways with Pat Shurmur on Monday after a 4-12 season.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:59 a.m. – The Cowboys have signed the following players to Reserve/ Future contracts:
RB Jordan Chunn
C Marcus Henry
TE Cole Hikutini
WR Tevin Jones
DB D.J. White
DE Daniel Wise
QB Clayton Thorson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec. 30 Updates
3:42 p.m. – In the wake of the Cowboys' final meeting of the season, Sean Lee acknowledged the difficulty of the situation.
The day after the end of the season is always tough, no matter when it ends.
"These teams change every year," Lee said. "Saying bye to some guys and knowing that you're never going to be teammates for some guys. It can be very challenging."
Lee could be part of that transition this year. He is 33 and just finished the 10th year of his career. And while Lee enjoyed some of the best health of his career, appearing in all 16 games, he's not quite ready to make a decision on his future. That will come later.
"I'm going to take some time, talk to the wife, talk to the family and see where I'm at physically in a month or two and make a decision then," he said.
If he does decide to keep playing, Lee will be a free agent in March and could be one of many decisions for the Cowboys to make going forward.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9:42 a.m. -- The day after the regular season ended on Sunday, head coach Jason Garrett said he will meet with the Joneses Monday after his team meeting with the players around noon.
On 105.3 "The Fan," Garrett said he expects to sit down with both Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones. "We'll have a good visit and we'll see what's next."
Garrett's contract expires after the season, his ninth year as the Cowboys' head coach. Overall, Garrett is 85-67 in regular-season games with a 2-3 postseason record. This is the sixth year his team failed to make the playoffs.
