Tyron Smith said he has given his parents and siblings more than $1 million since being drafted in 2011, but they keep coming back for more. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

After USC tackle Tyron Smith signed a four-year, $12.5 million contract as the ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft, he gave a substantial amount to his family. But it wasn’t enough, Smith told The Dallas Morning News.

Smith and his girlfriend have since had to file protective orders against his parents and siblings who have kept coming back for more.

During Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif. last year, one of Smith’s brothers showed up and had to be removed from the facility. In October last year, while Smith was at the Cowboys’ team hotel prior to a Sunday afternoon home game, two of his sisters showed up from California unannounced at his Dallas home. His girlfriend dialed 911. A Dallas police report reads the sisters were there to “harass and torment” him “in the pursuit of collecting financial gain.”

Last October Smith’s attorney at the time said Smith’s “mom and/or the stepdad threatened the physical well-being of Tyron and the life of his girlfriend.” The order also prohibits contact from Smith’s parents through his siblings.

The Morning News also reports on more than $1 million that Smith’s attorney claims his family took without authorization through a financial advisor they recommended to their son before the draft. Smith said no money has gone missing since switching financial advisors. Smith said he won’t pursue legal action at this time in an effort to recover the money.

“There was money missing, but I just don’t know where it went,” Smith said. “There were times I would check my statements and it wouldn’t make sense and I hadn’t authorized it at all. I just felt betrayed and I was like, ‘Who can I trust?’”

Last October, Smith’s mother, Frankie Pinkney, denied the family took any of Smith’s money without his authorization or harassed or threatened him. She has also blamed Smith’s girlfriend for the family’s turmoil.

“I don’t know anything about any missing money,” Pinkney said at the time. “The money that we did receive from Tyron was all accounted for and everything is in writing.”

Last season, when Cowboys coach Jason Garrett told Smith he was ready to move to the more prestigious — and potentially more lucrative –left tackle position, Smith wanted to share his good news with his parents via a text message. He said the return text might as well have just read dollar signs — and possibly started the demand cycle all over again.

“They were already looking forward to the next contract, talking about things they wanted to get already,” Smith said, dropping his head. “I was like I haven’t even got there and there’s not even a sure thing that I will. And that was all that was coming out of their mouth.”

A disappointing 2012 led the Cowboys to demand a pay cut from offensive tackle Doug Free. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys have apparently won their game of chicken with offensive tackle Doug Free. Free has accepted a pay cut to remain with the team, according to a source reported by ESPN.

Free was due $7 million this season and count $10.02 million against the Cowboys’ salary cup, before the team informed him he would be cut unless he took a salary reduction.

The 2007 fourth-round draft pick out of Northern Illinois reportedly will make $3.5 million in 2013 and 2014, clearing the same amount in the team’s cap.

Free has been disappointing at right tackle after an impressive 2011 season led to a four-year, $32 million deal that included $17 million guaranteed. The Cowboys have said they believe a second year under assistant coach Bill Callahan will benefit Free.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says his team is not run like a country club. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ensured the team’s season ticket holders that the Cowboys don’t have a lack of leadership and that the team isn’t run like a country club, despite those who may think otherwise.

The Cowboys have missed the playoffs the past three seasons and four out of the last five.  Former coach Jimmy Johnson said last November that the team doesn’t have a sense of fear because the team is “a country club where everybody is buddies.”

“I don’t think that we do have a country club atmosphere around here,” Jones said, according to the Dallas Morning News. “There’s too much competition. These players recognize how fortunate they are to be in the NFL, to have these opportunities. We’ve got as good or better leadership than my experience in 24 years with the Cowboys has seen.

“I think the stage is set with the attitude, the personnel, what Jason Garrett is doing relative to his leadership. All of those things will come to bare. We just need to win a couple of games that we didn’t win, let’s say each of the last two years, get in the tournament and go from there.”

Tim Tebow is looking for an NFL job after the Jets put him on waivers. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

If you thought Jerry Jones’ penchant for pursuing high-profile free-agents and keeping the Dallas Cowboys in the news would generate interest in signing Tim Tebow, it’s not going to happen. At least that’s what the Cowboys owner and general manager said during a conference call with season-ticket holders Wednesday, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Jones deflected a question about signing Tebow with talk about starter Tony Romo and backup Kyle Orton.

“We feel really good about Kyle Orton,” Jones responded according to the Morning News. “And that’s where it all starts and stops right there. He will be used differently to some degree than we’ll use [Tony] Romo. But he’s very capable of winning big games and we know how important that back-up slot is, especially if it’s temporary if you don’t have Romo. So we’re pretty set at quarterback and we wish Tim all the luck and all the best in the world. But we’re going forward there. What we need to look at at quarterback is what we might be doing with the third quarterback, and that remains to be seen.”

Tebow became a free agent after clearing waivers Tuesday. Tebow quarterbacked the Broncos to the 2011 playoffs, but played sparingly for the Jets after they traded for him prior to the 2012 season.

Spring Dekaney football coach Willie Amendola — father of Patriots receiver Danny Amendola — is struck by a golf cart at Cowboys Stadium in 2011. (YouTube)

The father of New England Patriots receiver Danny Amendola is suing Cowboys Stadium for injuries and “great personal embarrassment” in an incident involving a runaway golf cart and the 2011 Texas high school football championships, according to CourthouseNews.

William Amendola, head coach of Spring Dekaney High School, was celebrating his team’s victory in the 2011 Class 5A Division II state final when an unmanned golf cart with a field marker jammed against the accelerator collided with him on the Cowboys Stadium field.

The video of the cart upending Amendola and carrying him for several seconds attracted big views on YouTube, embarrassing Amendola and his wife according to the lawsuit.

After falling off the cart, Amendola gathered himself to do on-field television interviews and returned to the Houston area with his team. His attorney released a statement saying Amendola sustained injuries significant enough to require serious back surgery.

Amendola and his wife are seeking more than $1 million.

The Cowboys are reportedly in talks with free-agent tackle Eric Winston. (Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys are in talks with free-agent offensive tackle Eric Winston about a deal, reports ESPN.com. 

Winston, 29, spent his first six seasons with the Houston Texans before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason. Winston was due to make $4.9 million in base salary next season.

He has started 103 games in his career including all 16 games last season for the Chiefs, which finished 2-14 and have the first pick in the NFL Draft next month.

If Winston is signed, it could make Cowboys tackle Doug Free expendable. The Miami Dolphins also reportedly had interest in Winston.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports that, per sources, the Cowboys and Tony Romo have reached a six-year extension to make Romo the highest paid player in team history. The deal is worth $108 million, with $55 guaranteed. The Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones and Romo’s agents did the deal together.

The Cowboys put all business on hold on Friday to focus on the Romo deal. The QB has gone 17-21 in the past three seasons, and hasn’t led the Cowboys to a playoff game since 2009. He’s also notched only one career playoff win. Still, he’s been a top-ten QB and is coming off career highs in attempts (648) and passing yards (4,903). At 33, the extension will keep Romo with the Cowboys until he’s 39.

Cowboys and Tony Romo reached an agreement on blockbuster 6-year extension that makes him highest paid player in team history, per sources.—
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2013

Tony Romo’s contract does not allow the Cowboys to franchise him after the 2013 season. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

As the Cowboys tiptoe the salary cap line while attempting to sign free agents and make room for rookies, the team’s attempt to reach a contract extension with quarterback Tony Romo has been in the background as a cap solution.

The Cowboys reportedly have only about $100,000 in salary cap space available and would be forced to sign Romo or linebacker/defensive end Anthony Spencer to long-term contracts, restructure more contracts or cut more players to free up enough space to sign any player.

Now Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports a detail in Romo’s contract increases the urgency to extend him and strengthens the quarterback’s negotiating leverage. In short: Romo can become a free agent prior to the 2014 season.

According to Rapoport’s sources with indepth-knowledge of the language in Romo’s contract, the Cowboys cannot place the franchise tag on Romo at the end of the league’s 2013 year.

Rapoport reports:

Here’s why Romo would become a free agent: He technically has three years left on his current contract. Based on paragraphs 27 and 28 of the deal, however, the final two years of Romo’s contract void with no action necessary from either party if he’s on the Cowboys’ roster by the end of the 2013 league year. So, if Romo still is on the roster at that time, he’s a free agent.

That’s when a team usually would issue the franchise tag.

Yet all of that occurs after the franchise-tag window has closed. So the Cowboys could not use their tag on Romo.

If the void happened during the franchise-tag window, Romo could be tagged. But it won’t, so he can’t. Not that the Cowboys won’t try if it comes to that, but sources believe it won’t work.

The Cowboys used more salary cap tweaks to officially sign free agent safety Will Allen and linebacker Justin Durant, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Cutting wide receiver Anthony Armstrong and reworking the contract of backup quarterback Kyle Orton Wednesday allowed the Cowboys to free up the approximately $1 million needed to sign Allen (one-year deal) and linebacker Justin Durant (two-year deal). Armstrong didn’t have a reception for the Cowboys last season.

Allen started just seven games for the Steelers in the last three seasons. He previously played six seasons for the Buccaneers.

The Cowboys hosted free agent safety Michael Huff Monday, but he agreed to terms on a three-year, $6 million contract with the Ravens on Wednesday.

Durant, who started 26 games for the Lions in the last seasons, is expected to compete with Kyle Wilber at outside linebacker. He confirmed his move to Dallas via Twitter:

Shout out to Detroit man I wanna thank y'all for the luv and support y'all showed me the past couple years I really appreciate it—
Justin Durant (@JDurant52) March 26, 2013

I thank the organization for allowing me the opportunity to play the last 2 years I am forever grateful—
Justin Durant (@JDurant52) March 26, 2013

Preciate the luv from everybody in Dallas—
Justin Durant (@JDurant52) March 27, 2013

Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant says he is eyeing the 2,000 yard receiving mark this season. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant had a breakout 2012 season, catching 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, including catching 50 passes for 879 yards and 10 touchdowns in the final eight games of the season.

He is setting his sights on even loftier goals for 2013: 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.

“That’s still scratching the surface,” Bryant said to ESPNDallas.com. “It’s only going to get better, to be honest. I still have a lot to give. I feel like nobody’s seen anything.  I feel like it can be a lot more than that. That’s just being honest. I honestly feel like [2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns] can potentially happen.”

Bryant played the last three games of the season with a broken index finger that required surgery this offseason and says that he is more mature and plans to take a leadership role this season.

“That’s all having to do with understanding me being a Dallas Cowboy, me knowing who I am as a person, just understanding that I’m a grown man,” Bryant said. “It’s time to be a leader. It’s time to step up and just do what you need to do. Hold yourself accountable.”

Josh Brent’s trial date has been set for Sept. 23. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent is set for a Sept. 23 trial date on charges of intoxication manslaughter after the death of teammate Jerry Brown, Bloomberg’s Thomas Korosec and Andrew Harris reported on Monday.

“That’s the date,” Debbie Denmon, a spokeswoman for the Dallas County district attorney’s office, told Bloomberg.

In late December, a Texas grand jury formally indicted Brent on one count of intoxication manslaughter in connection with a Dec. 8 crash that killed his friend Brown. Intoxication manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Police say Brent was driving at least 110 miles per hour when he crashed in December, which killed Brown. He failed a field sobriety test and had a blood-alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit.

Last week, the Dallas Morning News reported that Brown will not play for Cowboys next season as he awaits trial. The week after the fatal crash, Brown appeared on the Cowboys sideline, to the surprise of many in the organization.

Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent will reportedly not play for the team next season. (Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent, who is awaiting trial on a count of intoxication manslaughter in the death of teammate Jerry Brown Jr., won’t play for the team next season, reports the Dallas Morning News. 

Police say Brent was driving at least 110 miles per hour when he crashed on Dec. 8, 2012, killing Brown, a passenger in the car. Brent failed a sobriety test, and had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. Brent is currently free on bond and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The league has not punished Brent yet, but league sources expect NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to rule soon.

The last NFL player to find himself in a comparable situation was Donte Stallworth. The receiver, now a free agent, struck and killed a pedestrian in March of 2009.

Goodell suspended Stallworth without pay for the ’09 season.

Laurent Robinson had his best NFL season as a Cowboy in 2011. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

The Cowboys will take a look at a former free-agent find — Laurent Robinson — when the team manages to find some money under the cap.

Robinson caught 54 passes for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns after the Cowboys signed, released and re-signed him as a free agent during the 2011 season. He quickly became Tony Romo’s go-to wide receiver in the red zone, and the team hoped to keep him until he accepted a 5-year, $32.5 million offer from the Jaguars last year.

Robinson made his guaranteed $14 million as a Jaguar, but was cut after catching just 24 passes for 252 yards and no touchdowns in 2012. Four concussions limited him to seven games. The 27-year-old must also show prospective teams that he has overcome an ankle injury.

Despite his health concerns, Robinson’s previous rapport with Romo still piques the Cowboys’ interest, the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore reports.

“Obviously, he played lights out and we tried to sign him last year and his price got more than we could handle under our cap,’’ executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “But obviously things change from year-to-year.

“We’ve got to look at the big picture with Laurent. He had some injuries that we’re going to be doing our homework on and be going from there.’’

The Dolphins will play the Cowboys in the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 4 in Canton, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.

The Cowboys have played in the series four times and hold a 1-3 record; their last appearance was a 16-7 win over the Bengals in 2010. They also played in the only sudden-death occurrence in Hall of Fame Game history — a loss to the Browns in 1999. The Dolphins are 0-3 in previous visits, with losses to the Bears (2005), Rams (2001) and Eagles (1978).

The new class of Hall of Fame inductees will be introduced into the Hall the day before the game; three of the seven members have ties to the Cowboys or Dolphins (Larry Allen, Bill Parcells, Cris Carter). The other inductees are Curley Culp, Warren Sapp, Jonathan Ogden and Dave Robinson.

This year marks the Hall of Fame’s 50th anniversary, and a Golden Reunion Celebration will feature more than 120 Hall of Fame inductees, the largest ever gathering of Hall of Famers.

Dolphins and Cowboys will meet in this year's Hall of Fame Game to kick off the preseason! 8/4 at 8pm & televised nationally on @SNFonNBC.—
Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) March 19, 2013

The Dallas Cowboys have placed their franchise tag on outside linebacker Anthony Spencer for the second straight year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Spencer played in 14 games for the Cowboys this season, recording 95 tackles while posting a career-high in sacks with 11.

According to Spencer’s agent, Jordan Woy, the Cowboys and Spencer will now look to work towards completing a long-term agreement.

The 29-year-old linebacker has 361 tackles and 32.5 sacks in six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas placing franchise tag on Anthony Spencer.—
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 04, 2013

Dallas Cowboys will franchise tag Anthony Spencer for 2nd year in a row. We will work on long term deal.—
Jordan Woy (@JordanWoy) March 04, 2013

DeMarcus Ware’s contract was reworked, saving the Cowboys $4 million in cap relief. (Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys restructured defensive end DeMarcus Ware’s contract on Wednesday, saving the team $4 million against the cap, reports ESPN.com.

The restructured contract now converts $5 million of Ware’s base salary this season into a signing bonus. Ware is scheduled to make $12.25 million in 2014 and $13.75 million in 2015, which will complete a seven-year, $79 million contract he signed in 2009.

In addition to Ware, the Cowboys now plan to restructure the contracts of about a dozen players to get under the salary cap by March 12, according to a source. One of those players the club approached was cornerback Orlando Scandrick, according to a source. That deal has yet to be finalized.

The deal with Ware could be an indication the Cowboys do not expect to complete negotiations to extend Tony Romo’s contract and lower his team-high $16.8 million salary cap figure before March 12.

Ware had 33 tackles and 11.5 sacks for the Cowboys last season.

Jason Garrett told reporters on Friday that he “absolutely” expects Jay Ratliff to be a part of the Cowboys in 2013.

Ratliff was arrested earlier in February for drunk driving. The nose tackle was in an accident with an 18-wheeler six weeks after teammate Josh Brent was charged with intoxication manslaughter of teammate Jerry Brown.

Garrett said earlier this month that he is “very disappointed” in Ratliff, and will let the legal process play out before making any decisions on Ratliff.

Jason Garrett says "absolutely" he expects Jay Ratliff to be part of the #Cowboys in 2013. They see him as a perfect three-technique—
Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 22, 2013

Cowboys leading tackler Anthony Spencer will likely be with the team next season. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys will likely not use the franchise tag on defensive end Anthony Spencer, reports Fox Sports Southwest. 

Spencer led the team in tackles last season with 106 and also had 11 sacks. The team placed the tag on Spencer last year and ended up paying him $8.8 million. If he is franchised again, it will come at a cost of about $10.6 million. The Cowboys are currently $20 million over the salary cap and need to cut players to re-sign Spencer to a long-term deal.

“We’re always in the business of keeping great football players and he is one of those,” Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said.

“Anthony wants to stay here and the Cowboys smartly want to keep him. Hopefully there will be some creativity available to get something done,” Spencer’s agent Jordan Woy said.

Josh Brent was charged with intoxication manslaughter in a Dec. 7 crash that killed close friend Jerry Brown Jr. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was driving at least 110 mph before losing control of his car in an accident that killed his teammate, according to police documents obtained by NBC 5.

Brent, who was moved to the team’s reserve/non-football injury/illness list, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in the death of Cowboys practice squad member and friend Jerry Brown Jr.

On December 7, traffic surveillance cameras show Brent’s four-door Mercedes S600 driving prior to the accident, reportedly as fast as 134 mph on the way home from a nightclub.

Police reports say the car flipped after Brent lost control and hit a curb. The two players were not wearing seat belts, investigators said.

Brent’s blood-alcohol level was more than twice the state’s legal limit, according to police.

The Cowboys and Brown’s mother have attempted to support Brent in the wake of the tragedy, though the team did ask him to refrain from appearing on the sideline late in the 2012 season.

The Cowboys’ new luxury bus lists for $1.5 to $2.5 million depending on its finish-out.

Dallas Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones promised to make things “very uncomfortable” at the team’s Valley Ranch headquarters during the off-season. But the team’s latest high-profile, off-season acquisition — a luxury bus — will be fully equipped for comfort according to David Moore of The Dallas Morning News.

The Morning News offers a photo tour of the Prevost Marathan Coach — nicknamed “The Elegant Lady” — scheduled to arrive Tuesday along with team personnel attending the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Jones and his staff have long used a luxury bus to transport them around NFL cities and events such as training camps, team marketing events and Super Bowls — after they arrive by plane.

Club officials are tight-lipped on the cost. But this model lists for $1.5 million to $2.5 million, depending on how it’s finished out.

Anyone who has seen the subtle and often expensive touches the Jones family incorporated into Cowboys Stadium can assume this project also pushes the upper end of the scale.

The luxury bus made its debut this month in New Orleans for the Super Bowl. Former Cowboys star Larry Allen sat on one of its three plush couches, watching one of the vehicle’s nine TV screens, as he learned he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Since the bus was parked, driver Emory Tyler was able to slide a portion of the cab out an extra foot to give Allen a little more leg room.

Tyler reportedly put more than 2 million miles on the club’s original bus, which remains in service.

Surprisingly, the driver said the bus created an unexpected response from fans of the Cowboys’ NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.

“I was in Philadelphia with the other bus once during the off-season and I was surprised,” Tyler said. “It was so cool. The people there loved it.”

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo played in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

The Cowboys’ desire to extend quarterback Tony Romo’s contract and make him “a key piece” going forward have yet to begin, a source said in a report by ESPN Dallas’ Calvin Watkins.

A report last week said the Cowboys were hoping to extend Romo soon.

Romo and the Cowboys agreed to suspend contract extension discussions during the 2012 season to avoid any distractions. As of now, Romo will begin the last year of his contract earning a base salary of $11.5 million, including a team-high $16.8 million. It has been speculated that the 32-year-old undrafted free agent could expect an extension in the neighorhood of $12 million to $14 million per season.

In a National Football Post report Friday, former agent Joel Corry said Romo maintains “a tremendous amount of leverage” in future contract talks with the Cowboys including an expected attempt by Creative Artists Agency to boost Romo’s value along with client Matthew Stafford’s extension.

“CAA did the same thing in 2007 with Condon client Marc Bulger’s six-year, $65.5 million (with $23.55 million guaranteed) contract extension that was signed a couple months before Romo received his six-year, $67.5 million (with $28.5 million guaranteed) contract extension,” Corry wrote. “Romo’s new deal should eclipse the four-year, $62 million contract extension Matt Schaub signed with the Houston Texans right before the start of the 2012 regular season unless Romo directs his agent to take a home team discount, so the Cowboys will have a better chance at retaining key free agents, such as Anthony Spencer.”

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones and head coach Jason Garrett both said Romo is a big piece of the franchise’s future last week.

“Tony is a key piece of what we’re about going forward,” Jones said. “We’re certainly going to be looking at his situation (in) time. “We’ve historically (extended contracts) with quarterbacks for the Dallas Cowboys ahead of time. We did it with Troy (Aikman) and we certainly want to look at that with Tony so we can all move forward in terms of how we want to play around our salary cap with our team. Tony is the key piece in terms of how your cap is represented.”

One of the story lines hovering over the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason has been Jerry Jones’ declaration that he was going to make things “very uncomfortable” for those working at the team’s Valley Ranch headquarters.

Signs of Jones’ discontent with the team’s second straight 8-8 season and lack of a playoff berth since 2009 started to show in the firing of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and/or exit of several assistant coaches including running back coach Skip Peete, special teams coach Joe DeCamillas and even tight ends coach John Garrett, the brother of head coach Jason Garrett.

Was Jerry or Garrett calling the shots on these coaching changes? And would Garrett lose some of his game-day responsibilities?

Early reports ranged from Jones insisting that Garrett give up play-calling duties, to the owner/general manager almost conceding that offensive line coach Bill Callahan would assume those duties. Then the Cowboys and Garrett grew very quiet about the situation.

On Tuesday, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told reporters that Garrett was the man to ask about the play-calling question. “At some point Jason will address that,” Jones said. A few hours later the Cowboys’ PR staff announced that Garrett would hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Would the off-season’s biggest question be answered? After filibustering for more than half an hour of his press conference before answering questions, Garrett’s revelation was a big maybe.

Garrett’s non-committal sound bites included “working through the mechanics” of trying to involve Callahan more into coaching the offense because he would have no problem giving up those responsibilities. Garrett also pointed to the NFL’s successful teams whose head coaches call plays including Green Bay, New Orleans and Houston.

The “decision” could come as late as mid-August.

Jason Garrett's endurance is amazing. Going on 27 minutes and not one sip of water yet!!!—
Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 13, 2013

Jason Garrett: "Our staff is set." So, if there is a play-caller, it'll be from inside. Garrett or Callahan—
Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2013

Summary of Garrett presser: No decision on play-caller, yet. System on O will have Callahan influence. Kiffin/TB coaches won JG over in '04.—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 13, 2013

Jason Garrett on whether or not Jerry wants him calling plays — "You'll have to ask him that". Says Jerry always like play-calling HCs.—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 13, 2013

Jason Garrett expects a play-calling explanation by early August for a preseason game. So… This topic isn't going away #yay—
Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2013

The Cowboys are looking to sign Tony Romo to a long-term deal. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys still believe that quarterback Tony Romo is a vital piece to the team winning a championship and are making plans to try to sign him to a long-term deal.

But to do that, they must get under the salary cap by March 12, as all NFL teams do. The Cowboys are about $20 million over the cap, which is expected to be around $121 million once the league year starts.

Romo is in the last year of a six-year, $67.4 million contract extension he signed in 2007. He is scheduled to make $11.5 million next season and his salary cap figure is $16.8 million.

“Tony is a key piece of what we’re about going forward,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said to ESPN.com. ”We’re certainly going to be looking at his situation (in) time. We’ve historically (extended contracts) with quarterbacks for the Dallas Cowboys ahead of time. We did it with Troy (Aikman) and we certainly want to look at that with Tony so we can all move forward in terms of how we want to play around our salary cap with our team. Tony is the key piece in terms of how your cap is represented.”

Last season, Romo completed 65 percent of his passes for a career-high 4,903 yards, with 28 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Derek Dooley is reportedly set to become the Cowboys next WR coach. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys are set to hire former Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley as their wide receivers coach, reports ESPN.com. 

Dooley, who also coached at Louisiana Tech, was fired by Tennessee after a 15-19 record in three seasons in Knoxville, including an abysmal 4-19 mark in Southeastern Conference play. He had an overall record of 32–41 in six seasons as a college head coach.

It is unknown what Cowboys receivers coach Jimmy Robinson’s status with the team is. He was not seen at Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala. this week with the other Cowboys coaches.

“I don’t want to address him or that situation,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said regarding Robinson. “I don’t think that what we’re doing is the reason that we may be doing things different with Jimmy. It has more to do with Jimmy and his career and where he is in that career at this time.”

The Cowboys wore No. 53 stickers in memory of Jerry Brown Jr.’s death in an alleged drunk driving crash. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is talking with the Cowboys about instituting a program designed to raise team awareness about drunk driving following the recent death of one player and the arrests of two others.

Jeff Miracle, director of the North Texas chapter of MADD, said the organization’s local chief executive officer has arranged to meet with team officials after the Super Bowl to discuss an educational program.

Cowboys representatives declined to comment to The Dallas Morning News on MADD’s proposal.

Nose tackle Jay Ratliff’s arrest for drunken driving Tuesday followed the December death of practice squad member Jerry Brown Jr. who was the passenger in a suspected drunken driving crash. The car’s driver, defensive lineman Josh Brent, was indicted on a second-degree felony charge of intoxication manslaughter.

The Cowboys already provide resources to help prevent players from driving drunk including 24/7 limo services and a full-time team security employee who can pick up players at anytime.

“Drunk driving is not unique to the Dallas Cowboys, or even the NFL,” Miracle said. “This is a societal thing. We’d like to arrange how to best use resources to show the dangers of drunken driving.”

The Cowboys’ Jay Ratliff was charged with DWI after he crashed his vehicle into an 18-wheeler. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated on Tuesday after police say he crashed his vehicle into an 18-wheeler, reports ESPN.com.

Ratliff and the driver of the 18-wheeler were not injured in the crash.

Police arrived in the 2800 block of East State Highway 114 at 12:36 a.m. to investigate a crash. According to Grapevine, Texas, police senior officer Sam Shemwell, upon an investigation of the crash, arrested Ratliff after allegedly determining he was intoxicated.

Ratliff was bonded out of a Grapevine jail on Tuesday morning.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about Ratliff’s status as the team on Tuesday. Ratliff played in only six games this past season and underwent surgery for a sports hernia last month.

“As far as I’m concerned, he is outstanding, he has given everything he’s ever had to the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said. “With me, any of that emotion that were involved between us is only reflected back on many times that we’ve had in our own way some emotional time with each other. And it in no way before was ever contentious.”

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has been criticized for clock management miscues while calling plays. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Tuesday that head coach Jason Garrett will not be the team’s offensive play-caller next season.

While speaking to the media from Senior Bowl practices, Jones indirectly inferred that offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will take over the team’s play-calling and that Garrett agreed with the change.

Garrett said he would be comfortable with Callahan handling the play-calling next season before Jones spoke Tuesday. Garrett has called the Cowboys’ offensive plays since becoming head coach two and a half seasons ago. He has faced criticism for an offense that often must hurry to get a play off and game clock management mistakes.

“I’ve never been a guy where it’s been hell or high water that I’m going to call the plays,” Garrett said. “It gives you the opportunity to step back a little bit and engage in the other two aspects. Obviously, my role as the head coach, if I’m not the play-caller, will be significant.

Jones said that removing play-calling from Garrett’s game-day responsibilities should not be viewed as a negative.

“It’s not a step back for Jason. It’s actually a step forward for Jason in my mind,” Jones said. “Make no mistake about it, when I hired Jason to come into the organization as a coach he was hired specifically for his skills for his abilities to call the plays. When he became the head coach, it was at my insistence that he continue to call the plays. It was not at Jason’s insistence. It is not a step back for the Cowboys or a step back individually for him to change the way we basically are putting our game plan together or are calling the plays on the offensive side of the ball. As you well know, differences in opinion can frankly be a step in a better direction.”

Callahan’s 14-year resume includes four years (1998-2001) calling plays for the Oakland Raiders. Former Raiders wide receiver Tim Browns repeated a story Tuesday that implies Callahan’s decision to change the offensive game plan prior to Super Bowl XXXVII “sabotaged” the team’s chances to beat Tamp Bay.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones promised to make things uncomfortable for his team and coaches this offseason. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is quietly looking for a new offensive coordinator who would likely take over play-calling from head coach Jason Garrett, according to a league source in a ProFootballTalk.com report.

In a possibly related story, the Cowboys interviewed former Arkansas and Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt this week for an undetermined job on their staff. The Cowboys currently have an opening at running backs coach.

Garrett is reportedly resisting the move and — in a possible effort to lower the odds of his in-season firing — has stipulated that the new OC must have no head-coaching experience.

ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen first reported that Jones is pushing Garrett to give up play-calling. Bill Callahan currently has the dual title of offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, but Garrett calls all plays.

Garrett has come under criticism for making questionable game-management decisions, including ill-timed timeouts. The Cowboys, one of the league’s most penalized teams, often get offensive snaps off just as the play clock is expiring, which some attribute to a slow play-calling process and quarterback Tony Romo’s audibles.

After missing the playoffs for the third year in a row, Jones said he intended to make things uncomfortable for the Cowboys during the offseason. He began by firing running backs coach Skip Peete and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Garrett’s brother and Cowboys tight ends coach, John Garrett, may also be feeling the heat at Valley Ranch. He applied for the head coach job at Delaware, but lost out to Rutgers offensive coordinator Dave Brock.

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was criticized for his play-calling during the Cowboys’ 8-8 season. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Although he has thus far survived the wave of firings since the NFL’s regular season ended, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is reportedly being pressured by owner Jerry Jones. Jones is pushing Garrett to relinquish play-calling duties, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (via ProFootballTalk).

Garrett, the former Cowboys quarterback and offensive coordinator, is known as an offensive specialist, while the team hired Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator this week to replace axed coach Rob Ryan. But Garrett came under fire after Dallas missed the playoffs for the third straight year at 8-8, particularly for his clock management.

Jones also wants Garrett to fire his brother, John, the team’s tight ends coach who is calling around the league in search of other jobs, according to Mortenson.

John Garrett also played at Princeton and participated in Cowboys training camp as a wide receiver in 1988. He came to Dallas as a coach along with his brother in 2007 and also held the title of “passing game coordinator” the last two years.

The move could be Jones’ way of forcing Jason Garrett out, writes PFT’s Mike Florio:

It also could mean that the Princeton-educated Garretts sense that Jones is trying to provoke a showdown that will result in Jason Garrett leaving as the head coach without Jones flat-out firing him.  Indeed, it’s one thing for Jones to roll out of bed one morning and decide to make a coaching change.  It’s quite another for Jones to want his head coach to make changes and for his coach to resist, creating an impasse that leads to only one logical conclusion.

The Cowboys are 21-19 during Garrett’s tenure as head coach. He replaced the fired Wade Phillips halfway through the 2010 season.

It took a quite a bit longer than “five minutes,” but fired Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been hired by the Rams, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post via Twitter.

Ryan was fired Wednesday after his Cowboys defense finished 19th overall, 17th against the run and 21st against the pass, while missing five starters due to injuries and two backups who had become starters.

Ryan, the brother of Jets head coach Rex Ryan and son of former Bears defensive coordinator and Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan, was surprised by the firing.

“I inherited a team that was 31st in the league in defense and made them better,” Ryan told ESPNDallas.com’s Tim MacMahon. “I (expletive) made them a hell of a lot better. I’ll be out of work for like five minutes.”

“I think I did a good job and I think our staff did a good job on defense trying to compete with what we had at the end of the year,” Ryan told MacMahon. “But the best job we did was when we were able to coach our starters.”

Cowboys officials reportedly had been leaning toward firing Ryan long before he managed to patch the team’s injury riddled defense during a late unsuccessful bid to make the playoffs. Cowboys executives thought Ryan focused too much on his scheme, at the expense of forcing turnovers and fundamentals such as tackling. The 2012 Cowboys forced a franchise-low 16 turnovers, the league’s fourth-worst total, and a league-low seven interceptions.

The Rams were looking for a new defensive coordinator after the team fired Gregg Williams who remains indefinitely suspended for his role in the Saints bounty scandal.

Source: Rob Ryan has been hired by the Rams as their new defensive coordinator.—
Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) January 12, 2013

Monte Kiffin has agreed to become the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, according to reports. (Stephen Dunn, Getty Images)

Monte Kiffin has reached an agreement to become the new defensive coordinator for teh Dallas Cowboys, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Ed Werder Friday afternoon. Kiffin has been the defensive coordinator at the University of Southern California where his sone Lane is head coach, but resigned citing a desire to return to the NFL.

Kiffin, 72, served as an assistant coach or coordinator for 25 years in the NFL between 1983 and 2008 when he left to work with his son at the University of Tennessee. His most famous NFL job was as defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he is credited with the invention of the “Tampa Two” style of defense.

According to another ESPN report, Kiffin’s hire would switch the Cowboys defensive scheme to a 4-3 from its current 3-4, with DeMarcus Ware slated to move to defensive end for the first time in his career.

Source: Monte Kiffin has reached agreement with the Dallas Cowboys to be their defensive coordinator. #cowboys—
Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) January 11, 2013

The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Tuesday after missing the playoffs again. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Tuesday, reports ESPN.com.

Ryan, 50, spent two seasons with the Cowboys after various stops in the league including Cleveland, Oakland and New England.

Ryan, the brother of New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan and son of former NFL coach Buddy Ryan, started as an NFL assistant in 1994 breaking in the with Arizona Cardinals.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs both seasons Ryan was in Dallas. The Cowboys ranked 14th in yards allowed in 2011 and 2012, while this year’s team ranked 23rd in points allowed, including 31 points a game in the team’s final two games.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says big changes are on the horizon for the team. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had made it clear that things are going to change in Dallas. The Cowboys’ season ended in disappointing fashion on Sunday, when the Redskins beat the Cowboys 28-18, a loss that featured three Tony Romo interceptions.

But Jones has said that Romo will not be a part of those changes, and head coach Jason Garrett at least survived Black Monday. Back when the Cowboys were alive for the postseason, Jones said Garrett will stay with the team–whether that’s still true is unconfirmed.

Jones told The Fan’s New School on 105.3 that changes are coming, but wouldn’t say what.

 “I can assure you guys — I can assure our fans — it’s going to be very uncomfortable for the next few weeks and months at Valley Ranch.”

While Garrett has said Romo is a “big part” of the Cowboys future, Jones declined to comment today on the future of the head coach or defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett says Tony Romo is the future of the team. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys have missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, but head coach Jason Garrett believes the team does not need to make a change at quarterback.

Garrett says Tony Romo is the future of the team. Romo is under contract with the Cowboys for 2013 for $11.5 million and Romo requested that all talks about a long-term deal be shelved until after the season.

“We have a great belief of Tony Romo as our quarterback,” Garrett said to the Dallas Morning News. “Tony has won a lot of big games for us, too, to get us to the point where we can play for the division in Week 17 in consecutive years. We all know that we want to take the next step, and Tony is going to be a big part of that going forward. You have to understand the whole body of work. You have to understand that winning is how we get evaluated. He’s done a lot of great things for this franchise. We’re excited about him being our quarterback.”

Romo, 32, passed for 4,903 yards with 28 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, including three in the Cowboys’ 28-18 loss to the Washington Redskins that knocked them out contention for the NFC’s final playoff berth.

Michigan State’s athletic director abandoned a plan to have Cowboys Stadium host an event in which four basketball teams would play at once. ( Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis has abandoned a plan to host an eight-team event at Cowboys Stadium that would see four games go on simultaneously.

Hollis, who initially shared the plan with SI.com’s Seth Davis, said Thursday that his plan was “off,” according to a report in The Detroit Free Press.

The Free Press reported that the lack of a TV deal to showcase the event — which would have kicked off the 2013-14 season on Veterans Day — ultimately was its biggest backbreaker.

ESPN, CBS and Turner networks were approached, but there were concerns about “diluting exposure and tying down four networks,” Hollis said, at a time of year in which college basketball does not typically receive high ratings.

The eight schools also had disagreements about how to split the financial take.

Hollis explained that he hoped the event would create a March Madness-like feel in November. Each of the four games would have started 15 minutes after the previous one.

“We’re going to squeeze everything into a three-hour time period,” Hollis told Davis. “We’re talking with eight institutions right now that have a very high interest and have that weekend open, and we’re going to partner with the 12 [military] bases that are around Dallas, so we can make it a celebration for the guys at Fort Hood and others.”