Wade Phillips Extended

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Cowboys have reached a three-year extension with Wade Phillips to remain as head coach.

It's not clear if the deal is a solid three years or two with an option, but nonetheless, the Cowboys expect to stay with their current staff and hope continuity will improve their post-season results.

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Cowboys Will Draft 27th

Dallas' loss to Minnesota Sunday means the Cowboys will pick 27th in the April NFL draft. Under the new rules governing the uncapped year, draft order is determined by round of exit. In year's past, the initial list of 32 teams was made based on regular season record. The Super Bowl finalists would then float down to the 31st and 32nd spots with the other teams shuffed accordingly.

This year, the 20 football teams missing the playoffs were locked in and then each group to exit would be rated according to round of loss. Dallas lost in the divisional round, meaning it was slotted among the four teams in the 25-28 group. San Diego got the 28th spot because of their 13-3 record and Dallas, which had the next best record at 11-5 got the 27th pick.

Dallas had a similar pick two years ago when its 13-3 record put it 28th. Dallas traded with Seattle on draft day, moved up to the 25th slot and selected cornerback Mike Jenkins.

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NFC nor'EASTer: Cowboys Hire Pasqualoni, Giants Tab Fewell

On Thurday, the Dallas Cowboys announced defensive line coach Todd Grantham would leave the team at the conclusion of their season to become the new defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia. This move had been rumored for several days prior to becoming official.

The Cowboys also announced that former linebackers coach Paul Pasqualoni would replace Grantham. Pasqualoni had served under Bill Parcells and followed former assistant Tony Sparano to Miami in 2008.

In other division news, the Giants named former Bills assistant Perry Fewell as their new defensive coordinator. He replaces Bill Sheridan, who was dismissed after a disappointing season as Steve Spagnuolo's successor.

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Bradford, Claussen & McCoy Top Early Entrant List

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Claussen, Tennessee safety Eric Berry and Oklahoma standouts Sam Bradford and Gerald McCoy top a list of 55 underclassmen who declared for the 2010 NFL draft.

Friday was the deadline for underclassmen to declare. Bradford, a likely top pick in last year's football pick 'em, had his 2009 season derailed when he separated a shoulder in Oklahoma's season opener against BYU. He will likely remain a high pick this year, pending medical tests. Claussen, Berry and McCoy are strong bets to join Bradford in the top dozen or so picks.

The complete list of early entrants can be found here.

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Tebow Commits to Senior Bowl

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow joined a growing list of NFL prospects who will attend the 2010 Senior Bowl, which will be played on January 30th.

Tebow, a spread option star for the Gators, has divided opinions among former NFL honchos. Weeks ago, former Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson claimed Tebow would only succeed as a pro if a team were willing to create a similar offense for him. In the story linked above, former Bucs and Colts coach Tony Dungy claims Tebow will be a high pick and a fine pro.

The Senior Bowl can be viewed here. Possible Cowboys players of interest on the current list (it is still being filled) include S Nate Allen, DT Dan Williams and NT Terrence Cody.

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Cowboys DL Coach Grantham on Georgia's Radar

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports that Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham is a favorite for the University of Georgia defensive coordinator's job.

Grantham is occupied this week preparing his line for their third matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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NFL nor'EASTer Bulletin: Shanahan Does D.C.

Mike Shanahan has accepted the head coaching job in Washington, and will team with Bruce Allen to run the team.

The Washington Post cites several other sources which claim Shanahan has agreed to a five-year contract worth $7 million per season.

Shanahan will have final say over personnel matters but will work with Allen, who was the General Manager in Tampa Bay in the '90s, when the Bucs built a fearsome defense. Redskins fans will hope the two's talent eyes complement each other; Shanahan had final say over personnel his last years in Denver, and showed the ability to find talented offensive players. He struggled, however, to draft quality defensive starters, and struggled as a result.

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Cowboys Draft, Lesson One: Know the Team's Profiles

"I love pregame warm-ups, not for the fanfare but to determine if the opposing team has a grading system for player procurement. When a team had a random selection of body types at the same position, this told me it did not have a grading system and just randomly picked players..."

-- Michael Lombardi, The National Football Post, Dec. 2, 2009

Does Dallas have a consistent rating system for its talent? Or are the Cowboys like the Charlie Weis-led Notre Dame team that Lombardi, a former personnel guy, profiled in this story, collecting a hodge-podge of different players at one spot?

Try this experiment. Go to the team's official site and bring up the roster. Group players by position. See any patterns? See any size and speed combinations repeating?

Look up the roster and come back later this week, and we'll start going though each position, to tease out those Cowboys' profiles. And there's your hint. Profiles exist -- definite ones -- at every position on the field. Dallas knows what it wants.

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Regular Season Ends, Cowboys Hold -- For the Moment -- the 28th Pick

The final regular season draft order has been established. The top 20 spots are set in concreted, precluding trades, but the final spots could be shuffled, depending on which teams reach the Super Bowl.

The top five:

1. Rams
2. Lions
3. Bucs
4. Redskins
5. Chiefs

The Giants hold the 15th pick. The Eagles occupy the 27th spot right now and the Cowboys have the 28th pick.

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NFL nor'EASTer

Winds of Change Blow Through New York & Washington, Could Bring Mike Zimmer Back to the Division

The Giants did as expected, firing defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan after one season. New York spent heavily on defensive front seven players in the last free agent period, but that unit collapsed after a 5-0 start.

Washington fired head coach Jim Zorn almost immediately after the team's plane returned from San Diego. Owner Daniel Snyder and new general manager Bruce Allen are already meeting with former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. He is expected to take the job in the next couple of days.

The National Football Post's Michael Lombardi passes on rumors that former Cowboys and current Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer could run Shanahan's defense. I can't see Cincinnati permitting a lateral move, especially after Zimmer's defense helped the Bengals win the AFC North.

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Cowboys Enter Eagles Week in the 26th spot

If the 2010 draft order were finalized today, the Cowboys would pick 26th.

That position is fluid. The Cowboys could pick as high as 23rd, if they lose to Philadelphia on Sunday and do not advance to the Super Bowl. They could pick as low as 31st or 32nd, if they can ride their current momentum all the way to Miami.

Developing...

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