DALLAS — By now you have processed the fact that Sean Payton isn’t coming through that door. Dallas nearly froze for three days in the wake of this news but the delayed realization that Kellen Moore isn’t coming back brought the sun out Friday morning.
Actually, neither of these developments felt like they mattered much once the Jones Boys got to talkin’ in Mobile, Ala. The Senior Bowl — where the Dallas Cowboys have had a strong presence for a generation, given that it takes place while two other teams are preparing for the Super Bowl — is a reminder that the shuffling of coaching faces in the annual team photo is rarely at the heart of this franchise’s long meanderings through the darkness.
Some of you really wanted Payton. Despite his almost identical resume to Mike McCarthy’s, I get that. Payton is a hell of a lot better self-promoter. Might even be a better head coach, although that‘s a debate involving fractions. But I wouldn’t have traded a first-round pick and then lost a second-round pick in exchange for a third just to see if he could build a better staff here. Never mind the fact he costs about $10 million more per year — that’s a Jones issue. I just don’t see shedding assets to see if he’s inches ahead of McCarthy.
