Blogging The Boys
There seems to be a new energy surrounding the Cowboys.
Quite a few fans around Cowboys Nation wasn't exactly thrilled with the Dallas Cowboys decision to replace Mike McCarthy with Brian Schottenheimer as the new head coach. Schottenheimer really wasn't on anybody's radar as a head coach candidate in the league, and yet, that is the direction Jerry Jones decided to go.
As a first time head coach, Schottenheimer has a lot to prove and will have to do it under a microscope. Nearly everyone will be heavily scrutinizing every little move he makes now that he's running the show for one of the most popular sports franchises in the entire world.
Schottenheimer knows what he signed up for though, and believes he's capable of doing the job. It's going to be really interesting to follow his journey, and so far, early indications show that he's off to a good start with the Cowboys. The early impact he's making already shows positive signs he's changing the teams culture in a positive way.
Schottenheimer mentioned one of his early goals with the Cowboys is to "create one of the greatest cultures of professional sports". While that's a lofty goal, there are already things that he has done that seem to be paying off, renewing the "energy" level both inside and outside the organization.
One of the things he's done is create friendly competition among his players. There's a 10-foot basketball goal in the players lounge, a Nerf basketball goal hanging from the top of Schottenheimer's door in his office, and a ping-pong table that was moved from the players lounge into the locker room.
These are just some small changes he's made that have created somewhat of a family atmosphere, encouraging his players to get to know one another better on a personal basis. Early returns show that his players are buying into it and are feeding off the "energy" that it has created.
Rookie RB Phil Mafah is one of several new players joining the organization this year who have mentioned the energy level has impacted them since arriving in Dallas. Even CB Kaiir Elam has commented on the noticeable energy level since joining the team. He too is new, joining the Cowboys via trade from the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
"I feel like the energy here is something I've never been part of. I love the enthusiasm, and also I would just say the energy from the coaching staff, they actually make you feel like they care, and that something very exciting."
That's two new acquisitions the Dallas Cowboys have added this offseason to have been impressed with the energy level they've experienced since arriving in Dallas, especially from the coaching staff. Another new acquisition outside of the coaching staff, Tyler Booker, has also added to the renewed energy level in Dallas.
The selection of Tyler Booker in the first-round with the 12th overall pick can also be accredited to the culture Brian Schottenheimer is trying to establish...
