Many would call the Cowboys’ hiring of Brian Schottenheimer on Friday night as the next head coach a decision founded in comfort and safety. While that’s true from a football operations standpoint, it’s also perhaps the riskiest decision Jones could have made. That risk isn’t tied to wins and losses, but something Jones cares about even more.

If Michael Irvin had been in charge of the coaching search for the Dallas Cowboys, it's safe to say that he would NOT have selected Brian Schottenheimer, who was hired as the team's new head coach on Friday night.

I started the conversation three or four years ago, returning each year since, in explaining why the Cowboys don't sign external free agents. They conduct football