MOVING ON: Kevin Ogletree reunites with John Garrett in Tampa Bay
Bucs receivers coach John Garrett added one of his former players today (Thursday), reuniting with Kevin Ogletree. Garrett was the tight ends coach with the Cowboys during all four of Ogletree’s seasons in Dallas.
Ogletree, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, became the Cowboys’ No. 3 receiver in both 2011 and 2012. He lost the job early during the 2011 season to Laurent Robinson, who was signed off the street after final cuts. Ogletree lost playing time late last season to Dwayne Harris.
Ogletree played 457 plays to Harris’ 257, but 212 of Harris’ plays came the final seven games, including 68 on Thanksgiving Day against Washington when Ogletree sat out with a concussion. In the final seven games, six of which he played, Ogletree was in for only 143 snaps.
Harris is expected to get the first shot at the No. 3 job this season behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.
Ogletree finished his four seasons with 46 games played, two starts, 57 receptions, 730 yards and four touchdowns.
DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER: It’s about execution, not who’s calling the plays
Jason Garrett might give up play-calling duties to Bill Callahan. Then, again, maybe he won’t. Both Garrett and Callahan spoke to the media this week, but it remains a mystery about who will actually call the plays for the 2013-2014 Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas tight end Jason Witten said it’s not about who calls the plays, but how they are executed. The Cowboys were sixth in total offense last season, but they were only 15th in scoring.
“I think more’s been made of that than probably needs to be as far as a player’s perspective just because it’s all about execution for us,” Witten said Friday night in Fort Worth. “We’ve got to execute those plans better. We’ve got good plays, and we’ve got some good players, but we’ve got to do a good enough job of executing time and time again. That’s where I focus is on as players, I think, and that’s where it needs to be moving forward.”
The Cowboys offense is expected to look much the same as it has since Garrett became the offensive coordinator in 2007 regardless whether he or Callahan is calling the plays.
The Cowboys hope to run the ball better. They were 31st in rushing, with a franchise-low 1,265 yards for a 16-game season. They need to protect it better, too, having turned it over 29 times, and they want to score more points in the red zone (25 touchdowns in 49 red-zone trips, ranking 20th in the league).
“We just need to do a better job of scoring and taking care of the ball collectively and not putting ourselves in those situations where we’re having to come from behind,” Witten said.
Witten will have a new position coach after six seasons with John Garrett. Witten had 554 catches for 6,110 yards and 30 touchdowns the past six seasons, an average of 92 receptions for 1,018 yards and five touchdowns. He set an NFL record for a tight end with 110 catches in 2012.
But John Garrett departed for Tampa Bay to become the Bucs receivers coach, and Wes Phillips was promoted from assistant offensive line coach. Phillips is the son of former Dallas head coach Wade Phillips and was retained by the Cowboys after Wade Phillips was fired.
“I am excited for Wes,” Witten said. “I think Wes breaks that label of ‘I got in because of my dad.’ He’s proven he’s a good football coach. He’s a young, fiery guy. John was a guy was near and dear to me. I think what we were able to accomplish over the last six years is special. He pushed me every day, and as good as he was as a coach, he was a better man. But Wes has been in the receiving end. He’s also been on the line. I think he’ll be a perfect mix. I’ve enjoyed working with him. I think we share a lot of the same beliefs as far as how you prepare and attack a game plan. So I’m looking forward to that opportunity.”
HAPPY TRAILS: John Garrett is headed to Tampa Bay as new WRs coach
Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach John Garrett has accepted a job to become the Tampa Bay Buccaneers new receivers coach. Garrett worked in Dallas for six seasons, arriving when his brother, Jason Garrett, became offensive coordinator. John Garrett added the title of passing game coordinator to his title in 2011.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity in Tampa,” Garrett said. “We had a had a great time interviewing down there, getting to know coach [Greg] Schiano more and more and the offensive coaches and the rest of the staff of the Buccaneers. It really went well, and I’m thrilled for the opportunity and just really excited to get started working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
Though Garrett still was under contract with the Cowboys, Dallas already had OK’d his leaving. He and other coaches had been allowed to look for other jobs, and Garrett had applied for the University of Delaware head coaching job. The opportunity with the Bucs came last week.
Garrett, 47, will leave his brothers Jason and Judd, the Cowboys’ director of pro scouting, but he said he will miss his tight ends room just as much. Garrett said he developed a special relationship with Jason Witten, John Phillips and James Hanna. Witten left for Hawaii and his eighth Pro Bowl on Sunday.
“My six years with the Cowboys have been fantastic,” Garrett said. “I want to thank the [Jerry] Jones family and the entire Cowboys organization. The opportunity to work with the coaches here on staff and everyone in the administration has been fantastic. I loved coming to work every day. But most importantly, working with the players in my position. The tight ends are just fabulous people, really good players and do it the right way. They love football. They prepare. They execute. They have just tremendous integrity and character. It was a great, great tight end room from Jason Witten to John Phillips to James Hanna. I just loved coming in and coaching them every day. They were like sponges, soaking everything in and being prepared for the games and the practices. I really appreciate that and the fact that they gave everything they had.”
Garrett has seen his career come back to where it started. He began his post-playing career as a pro personnel assistant for the Bucs, staying in that role from 1992-94. He worked with the Bucs receivers, too, during the week those two seasons and assisted the defensive staff on game days.
When he left the Bucs for Cincinnati in 1995, he was replaced in Tampa by Mark Dominik. Dominik now is the team’s general manager.
Garrett’s tie to Schiano is his father. Jim Garrett was a long-time NFL scout whose path crossed several times with Schiano while Schiano was in the college ranks.
“Greg Schiano is a fantastic person, and a great football coach, and he loves football and does everything the right way,” Garrett said. “I’m really excited to learn more from him and be part of his program.”
Garrett will replace Bucs receivers coach P.J. Fleck, who was hired as the head coach at Western Michigan. Garrett inherits Vincent Jackson, who, in his first season in Tampa, earned a Pro Bowl berth with 72 catches for 1,384 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Vincent Jackson is a fantastic player and from what I hear and what I saw when I had the interview, he is arguably a better person,” Garrett said. “All the coaches there think he’s an outstanding leader, a fantastic worker. He loves to be coached and loves football. They had a lot of comparisons to this is our [Jason] Witten, how he just loves it and as a star player sets the tone and pace for how to work and prepare. I got a chance to visit with him in the course of the interview and that’s exactly the case. I developed a good rapport, and I’m looking forward to working with such a talented guy.”
Garrett is the fifth assistant to leave Dallas, continuing a restructuring of the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was let go, replaced by Monte Kiffin. Defensive line coach Brian Baker also was not retained, replaced by Rod Marinelli.
Running backs coach Skip Peete also was let go, and he landed in Chicago. The Cowboys have not replaced him yet. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis’ job also has not been filled. DeCamillis also joined the Bears staff.
Wes Phillips, who has been on the Cowboys staff for six years, could be considered for John Garrett’s vacated job. Phillips has spent the past two seasons as the assistant offensive line coach.
The Cowboys also are unsettled at play caller, though the job could go to offensive line coach Bill Callahan.
THE OTHER GARRETTS: Dallas Cowboys Pro Scouting Department delivers again
Last year, it seemed like whoever the Cowboys brought in during the regular season, it was smart move.
Laurent Robinson wasn’t just a steal, but one of the best pickups off the street you will ever see on any team. The guy had four touchdowns in four years and he gets 11 in 14 games.
But he wasn’t the only one. Tony Fiammetta started games at fullback, while Frank Walker was a big addition in the secondary. Even tailback Sammy Morris helped out when DeMarco Murray went down.
PHOTO: The three Garrett brothers played football at Princeton in the late 80’s. In 1987, the three played together for the Princeton Tigers. From left to right, Judd, Jason, and John.
Now, the guys in the Pro Scouting Department – Judd Garrett and Will McClay are at it again. Trading for Ryan Cook seemed like a nice cushion to the interior line. That’s before Phil Costa played just three snaps against the Giants and now will be out a while.
Cook is THE guy at center and the Cowboys seemingly made a nice call with him, especially since he’s been mostly a guard and tackle during his seven years in the league. But they saw enough of him at center, and obviously trusted former Cowboys scouting director Jeff Ireland, who is the GM in Miami and traded him to Dallas for the seventh-round pick.
What they did last year on the fly to get Robinson, Fiammetta, Walker and company, coupled with this free agent period in March to get Brandon Carr, Kyle Orton, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Nate Livings and Dan Connor, suggests those pro scouts have a good feel for what the coaching staff is looking for.
And that only makes sense considering Judd Garrett is running the pro scouting department and happens to be the brother of the head coach.
But already Cook looks to be a good pickup, and it makes me think the addition of cornerback LeQuan Lewis should be rather helpful, too.
RELATED: Everything you ever wanted to know about Judd Garrett, and more!
Judd Garrett (born June 25, 1967) is a former coach and running back. He is currently the director of pro scouting for the Dallas Cowboys.
Playing career: Early years
Judd Garrett went to high school at University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio, where he earned a varsity letter in football, basketball, and baseball. He was named Most Valuable Player in all three sports his senior year. In football, as a senior, Garrett gained a school record 2,011 yards rushing and scored 35 touchdowns. He was selected first team all-state and he won the Cleveland Touchdown Club’s Lou Groza Award which is given to the Most Valuable Player in Northeast Ohio. Garrett graduated from University School in 1985.
Prior to University School, Garrett attended grade school at Saint Ann’s Catholic School which is located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio from 1978-1981. His three years at Saint Ann’s, Garrett played in three consecutive City Championship Football Games and his team won the City Championship in 1979.
College
Garrett is a 1990 graduate of Princeton University where he was a three year starter at running back. In his three seasons, Garrett gained 3,109 yards rushing, caught 137 passes and scored 41 touchdowns. In his senior year, Garrett lead the Tigers to their first Ivy League championship in 20 years. Following his senior season, Garrett was awarded the Asa S. Bushnell Cup which is given to the Ivy League Player of the Year, and he was selected to the Division 1-AA All-American team. He played in the 1990 Hula Bowl where he scored the first touchdown of the game. He also represented the Ivy League with a group of 40 league All-Stars in the Epson Ivy Bowl in Tokyo Japan vs. a team of Japanese All-Stars.
Professional
Garrett was drafted in the 12th round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. After being released by the Eagles, Garrett spent part of the 1990 season on the Dallas Cowboy’s injured reserve list. Garrett then played the next two seasons (1991–1992) with the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football. His first season in London, he led the league in receptions with 71 while helping the team amass an 11-1 record and the first ever World Bowl Championship. In that championship game, Garrett set a World Bowl record of 13 receptions and caught the game sealing touchdown with less than a minute left in the first half. After the 1991 season, Garrett was selected to the All-World League team. Following his two seasons in the World League, Garrett spent the 1993 season on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, earning a Super Bowl ring. He finished his playing career with two stints in the Canadian Football League with the Las Vegas Posse (1994) and the San Antonio Texans (1995).
Coaching career
Garrett started his NFL coaching career as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints under Mike Ditka from 1997-1999. After leaving the Saints, Garrett spent six seasons with Miami Dolphins from 2000–2005, as an assistant coach under Dave Wannstedt and Nick Saban during which time the Dolphins had five winning seasons, won a Division Title and two playoff appearances. After the 2005 season, Garrett was hired by the St. Louis Rams to coach tight ends. He stayed with the Rams from 2006-2007. He was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as the director of pro scouting in May 2008.
Personal
Judd Garrett was married to the former Kathleen Kobler, an all-American soccer player at Princeton University, for 14 years, and together they had four children, Calvin, Frances, Campbell and Kassity. Kathy died unexpectedly on August 19, 2007 from a heart attack.
He has two brothers who currently coach in the NFL. Jason Garrett is the current head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and John Garrett is the tight ends coach of the Cowboys.
His father (Jim Garrett) was an assistant coach for the New York Giants (1970–1973), New Orleans Saints (1976–77), and Cleveland Browns (1978–84), head coach of the Houston Texans of the fledgling WFL (1974), and head football coach at Columbia University (1985). From 1987-2004, he served as a scout for the Dallas Cowboys
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VERSATILE TIGHT END: John Phillips has chance to shine as a Dallas Cowboy
It’s easy to see that John Phillips is way ahead of where he was a year ago.
Last summer, as the Cowboys headed to training camp, the young tight end was trying to put his faith in a surgically repaired knee. A ligament tear had kept him out all of the previous season.
This year, as the Cowboys get ready to start training camp in two weeks, the fourth-year veteran is considered a vertical threat in the passing game.
"You will get to see him running down the field more than he used to," tight ends coach John Garrett said after an organized team activity practice in June at Valley Ranch. "Now that he’s the second tight end, he’s going to get a lot more opportunity to play all the different spots."
The opportunity is coming to Phillips because he is the Cowboys’ most experienced option behind Jason Witten, now that Martellus Bennett is gone.
But Phillips’ best pass-catching days were a long time ago. At least that’s what he thinks. In college at Virginia, he caught 48 passes for 385 yards and two touchdowns as a senior, the second-best season by a tight end in school history.
"That was a long time ago," he said with a laugh after the final minicamp practice in June.
But he does remember how he did it, because the Cowboys are using him the same way he was used in college.
"I did a lot of different things there, similar to here," he said. "Fullback, slot — they moved me around. It’s something I can do. I embrace it. I like doing it."
Garrett said the Cowboys want to take advantage of Phillips’ versatility and his nearly identical size to Witten. Phillips is 6-foot-5, 261 pounds. Witten is 6-6, 265.
They will both block. They will both catch.
"They have the size, the athleticism, the knowledge to play both spots, so they’re interchangeable," Garrett said. "There’s going to be times when John’s going to be blocking. Sometimes Witt’s going to be blocking. We are trying to get them enough work in either role so we can be really diverse in our formation use with those guys."
Garrett expects Phillips and Witten to work even more closely together this year.
"They’re good friends, and they’re close teammates, and they talk a lot about different techniques and the way to block and the way they’re working together on a block or on the same side on a pass pattern," Garrett said. "They certainly talk a lot and make sure they’re on the same page."
Garrett said Phillips is deceptively fast, and with his size, he can be a mismatch for defensive backs. But even with that advantage, he will have to go a long way to match Witten in catches.
Witten has averaged 77 catches a season in his nine-year career. As a pro, Phillips has 22 catches total.
But Garrett said the challenge of the "promotion" hasn’t fazed Phillips.
"He doesn’t freak out at all. He’s fine," Garrett said. ‘You want me to do that? Great. I’ll be ready for that. Don’t worry about it. I got it.’ He’s just really confident. He knows his stuff. He works at it. He’s in great shape. You can’t wear him out."
Quarterback Tony Romo can picture Phillips as a threat.
"I think John has stepped into the role," Romo said. "He’s a guy you can count on. I think he’s going to have a good camp and he’s going to do good things for us this year."
Phillips said he likes the idea of being a threat in the offense, but he doesn’t have to be.
"I think we’ve got a lot of weapons on our team," he said. "I think a lot of guys can make plays. That’s what you get in camp for, to make plays and to get some packages for yourself and get some balls thrown your way.
"I think anybody that has a chance to have the ball in their hands envisions catching passes, catching touchdowns. But ultimately, it comes down to winning games, and it doesn’t matter who gets in there, as long as we score."
Courtesy: Carlos Mendez
COACHES ROSTER: Meet the 2013-14 Dallas Cowboys coaching staff
There have been a number of changes in the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff over the past few years. Here’s an updated list of the assistant coaches and links for more detailed information on each of them.
DALLAS COWBOYS HEAD COACH
Jason Garrett was named the eighth head coach in Dallas Cowboys history on January 5, 2011. Garrett, who played for or worked alongside four of his predecessors, became the first former Dallas Cowboys player to become the team’s head coach.
DALLAS COWBOYS COACHING STAFF
| Offensive Coaches | Defensive Coaches | Specialty Coaches |
| Jimmy Robinson Asst. Head Coach/Wide Receivers |
Monte Kiffin Defensive Coordinator |
Mike Woicik Strength and Conditioning |
| To Be Determined Tight Ends/Passing Game Coord. |
Jerome Henderson Secondary |
Chris Boniol Assistant Special Teams/ Kickers |
| Wade Wilson Quarterbacks |
Matt Eberflus Linebackers |
Brett Bech Assistant Strength and Conditioning |
| Bill Callahan Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line |
Rod Marinelli Defensive Line |
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| Wes Phillips Assistant Offensive Line |
Ben Bloom Quality Control/Linebackers |
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| Keith O’Quinn Off. Quality Control/Wide Receivers |
Joe Baker Assistant Secondary |
This post has been revised. Please click HERE.
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