You don’t think of Jerry Jones as a boy scout but his actions over the last week certainly follow the Boy Scout Motto of “Be Preapared”.

The way Jones has kicked into action virtually hours after Bill Parcells resignation should tell us all that Jerry had his plans set long before Parcells took a hike. ..

…He quickly interviewed 3 staff members for the job. And, in the process fulfilled the league requirement of interviewing a minority for the position.

..Jason Garrett went from obscurity, as far as this job is concerned, to being hired as the offensive coordinator and possible next Head Coach within a couple of days.

…By Thursday, less than 72 hours after Parcells departure, Jones also had scheduled Valley Ranch meetings with his other 3 top candidates for the job….

…It appears Jones will have started and completed the entire first round of his job search in just over 6 days.

But that job search leaves people all over the country scratching their heads. They ask why an owner would interview and sign his offensive coordinator before talking to any of his other 3 major candidates for head coach (by the way, Miami signed Dom Capers to a 3 year contract to be defensive coordinator long before settling on Cam Cameron to be their new head coach).

Jones’ move could be genious. Jones’ move is bazaar. Jones’ move might fail.

The process has created scrutiny and controversy. So, what else is new?

Jones tends to live and work on the edge.

We must realize, however, that Jones had a defined plan and that plan may cover the next several years of his ownership. Garrett would probably be best served by being a coordinator for at least a couple of years before taking over any head coaching job. Wade Phillips, at 60 years old, could still conceivably coach several years in this league if his teams are successful.

The Cowboys surely would risk losing Garrett pretty quickly to some other rival who would want him to be their head coach. But Jones might be able to keep Garrett by offering a lucrative long term deal and assuring him he’s next in line.

To many observers that does and will continue to look like a strange way to run a railroad. But that’s Jerry Jones.

Good for Bill Parcells.

Good for the Cowboys organization.

Good for the future of the Cowboys.

Parcells made a very difficult decision. He turned down more money to coach a good football team and instead made the incredibly decision for him. He stopped being what he’s always been, a football coach.

Bill Parcells has very little life outside of football. To leave, for him, was a decision significantly more difficult than it would be for most of the coaching community.

But, he’s gone. And, that’s terrific for the Cowboys. They did not need a limbo coach with a limbo coaching staff. Players admitted seeing Parcells wear down late last season. Why would we (and they) think it would be any different in 2007?

The Cowboys now have one of the finest jobs in professional sports to offer. A good young team…an owner who’ll spend whatever he needs to try to win…a fantastic stadium just 2 years away and one of the highest profile coaching jobs in the world.

Jerry has the right to call ANYONE he wants to at least discuss this job. But what do the Cowboys need? Not, who! But, what do they need?

They are looking for a HEAD Coach. Not a guy who ran a particular system as an assistant. They are looking for a man who can come in and, in effect, coach an entire franchise.

Bill’s departure at this point may have ruined Jerry’s “masterplan”. That could well have been to have Bill coach 1 more year and then look for a coach in a market place that may have included Cowher, Gruden, Fisher and Schottenheimer.

Now Jerry must scurry to figure out which coach, in a moderate market place, best fits the Cowboys future. For me, the overwhelmingly most important characteristic is a coach with energy, passion and a man who has demonstrated an ability to create a plan and make it work.

To most football fans Cowboys Special Teams Coach Bruce DeHaven leaving for Seattle might not even be a blip on their radar screen. Just another line in tiny print far back in the sportspages under the heading of transactions.

That’s the last note that we’ll probably ever have in Dallas regarding DeHaven. But check out some things:

• Under DeHaven, Mat McBriar developed into a Pro Bowl punter
• Under DeHaven, Tyson Thompson and Miles Austin both rank amongst the better kick returners in the entire league, a spot that was a gaping hole before DeHaven arrived
• Last year, under DeHaven, the Cowboys ranked #2 in the entire league in defending kickoff returns.
• Last year, after Mike Vander-clank failed, the Cowboys appeared to have made the right choice by taking Martin Gramatica off the street

There are other tiny lines in the transactions column this weekend. Miami got the man they wanted to be head coach—San Diego Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron. Carolina got highly respected Tim Lewis, once a prominent Defensive Coordinator in the NFL to coach their secondary. In days the contract of Cowboys Secondary Coach Mike McEntire will expire. Arizona hired 3 more assistants as they fill out Coach Ken Wisenhunt’s staff.

Just another weekend at Valley Ranch. Another very good assistant leaves, other good people get hired and Dallas waits on Bill Parcells.

Why in the world are we even considering paying $50 million to renovate the Cotton Bowl?

On the first of November would you buy a silk dress and diamond earrings to dress up a turkey that’s going to get slaughtered in 3 weeks?

To keep paying for tradition alone is not logical. It is not wise.

For a longtime I was a season ticket holder of the Cotton Bowl (meaning that I purchased my 2 tickets every year). I love the Cotton Bowl. I love Fair Park. But truth is truth. And, facts are facts.

Within the next 60 days, the Cotton Bowl will announce that it’s taking it’s planning on taking its game to Arlington once Jerry builds his stadium.

There comes a time when tradition is simply too costly. I hear people saying that even without the Cotton Bowl game, the Texas/OU game and the Grambling/Prairie View game along with the possibility of others will keep the Cotton Bowl viable.

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But there are no long term commitments here. And, within 5 years who’s to say that another $50 million won’t be required?

Are you kidding me? There are much much better ways to spend $50 million. Schools, police and fireman, fixing potholes, I don’t care where you spend it. But, there are much better ways to spend this money..

Does Mike Zimmer’s leaving as Cowboys Defensive Coordinator say anything about what defense Dallas will play next year?

One assumes that they’ll stay in the 3-4. And, hiring a Defensive Coordinator, given the shakiness of Parcells’ tenure, almost certainly suggests a member of the current staff will take over that current position and continue with the 3-4.

But, what about the draft and free agency? Does Dallas draft and sign free agents as though they are going to continue in the 3-4? If they do that means a need at linebacker must be addressed at some point.

…Listening to Jerry Jones it seems likely that CB Anthony Henry will make the move to Free Safety. That’s fine. He’ll likely do a very good job there. But that means Dallas must use yet another high draft choice or more big free agent bucks to plug yet another hole in the secondary.

…The answer to Roy Williams ineffectiveness at safety does not lie with shifting him to LB. Williams’ deficiencies will be less obvious if the Cowboys will study the schemes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cardinals. Both of those teams have found ways to turn Troy Polamalu and Adrian Wilson into stars. Each of those teams play schemes which get their strong safeties regularly involved around the line of scrimmage.

For the past couple of days Jerry Jones has had to digest a meal that he did not expect to have to digest.

Jerry is tired of answering questions about Parcells. Jerry’s tired of answering questions about T.O.

He has made it clear that he is planning on bringing T.O. back and paying the roster bonus that is due in March. Jerry is in control of that decision.

The Bill Parcells situation is completely different. Jerry is not in control of the Parcells situation. And, that has got kill him.

Right now the Cowboys do not have a Head Coach. They really don’t. Until Bill Parcells makes his decision the Cowboys are a team without a coach.

Right now Jerry says that he wants Parcells back.

He says that he is planning on paying huge roster bonuses to both of his receivers (Glenn and Owens).

Jerry also has made it clear (with comments he made on Sportsradio 1310 the Ticket) that he wants to get Roy Williams closer to the line. That means moving Roy Williams to linebacker. That’s a pretty bold move. And, it’s pretty risky.

You may ask yourself: Is Jerry Jones the person to make these decisions? Shouldn’t the Head Coach be making these decisions?