The Dallas Cowboys had a tough season, finishing 7-10 and missing the playoffs for the first time in the past seven seasons. A year like that had consequences as head coach Mike McCarthy parted ways at the end of his contract and was replaced by Brian Schottenheimer. But while McCarthy’s departure was a big move, it may not be enough for the Cowboys to turn around next season.
The Cowboys roster is loaded with stars in Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons but the problem has been their supporting cast. While general manager duties will stay with Jerry Jones, he may want to consider adding another voice to help find players in the NFL Draft.
With that in mind, there’s a perfect opportunity to add to the front office and it could make the Cowboys rebuild a little bit easier.
Cowboys Should Inquire About Former Raiders Executive Champ Kelly
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Las Vegas Raiders are parting ways with front office assistant Champ Kelly. The 44-year-old had been with the Raiders organization in 2022 and was the interim general manager when Dave Ziegler was fired during the 2023 season. But his biggest value to the Cowboys could come as a scout.
The #Raiders and assistant GM Champ Kelly have mutually agreed to part ways, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 17, 2025
New GM John Spytek is making over the front office and Kelly, the onetime Raiders interim GM, will pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Kelly served as the Chicago Bears director of pro scouting and the assistant director of player personnel before arriving in Las Vegas. He also served as a college scout with the Denver Broncos and served as the assistant director of player personnel there as well.
With an extensive resume, Kelly should be in line for a general manager job soon. But the Cowboys can take advantage thanks to the current challenge of their roster.
Prescott and Lamb signed top-of-the-market contracts during last year’s training camp and Micah Parsons is the next in line to cash in this summer. With three big deals on the Cowboys’ payroll, finding pieces to surround them in the upcoming drafts will be important to help Dallas get back into contention.
Hitting on those players will be important but so will finding the right people to make those decisions. While Jones will always have the final voice, having another voice wouldn’t hurt, making Kelly an ideal pursuit for the Cowboys’ front office.