The Cowboys took care of two big items on their to-do list Tuesday.
According to multiple reports, the Cowboys have reached agreements on new contracts with head coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
Terms haven’t been announced but Nick Eatman of the Cowboys website reported earlier in the day that the team was close to signing Garrett for five years and $30 million, which means going into the season without a contract for 2015 paid off pretty well in the end. Garrett never seemed to be in much danger of leaving after breaking through for a division title and playoff win after a series of middling seasons.
Marinelli’s return was less certain, but he won’t be heading to Tampa or anywhere else. It’s little surprise that the Cowboys wanted him back after turning a defense that was missing linebacker Sean Lee and coming off a terrible year into a capable enough unit that Dallas made it to the divisional round of the playoffs. Adam Caplan of ESPN reports that Marinelli landed a three-year deal.
The Cowboys will likely now move onto the offensive side of the ball. Passing game coordinator Scott Linehan, who called the plays this year, and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Callahan are both being targeted by teams looking for offensive coordinators in the event they don’t stay on board.
From there it’s on to contract talks with wide receiver Dez Bryant and running back DeMarco Murray during a typically busy offseason in Dallas.