News: BTB: Reading Between The Lines: What Re-Signing The Coaches Really Says About Jerry Jones

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Jason Garrett and Rod Marinelli got paid today because of what they have done, but more to the point they are sticking around because of what Mr. Jones feels.

By now you have already read and commented on the post by our managing editor Dave Halprin regarding Jason Garrett's contract and the one by OCC that confirms that Rod Marinelli will not be moving to Tampa in the near future. There is also speculation that Scott Linehan will be attaching his signature to a new contract soon. Not too bad for a group of coaches that many speculated to be among the most likely of victims on Black Monday 2014. Tying for the best record in the league and bringing home a division title will work wonders for a staff's future but the reasons for keeping this staff together go beyond just wins and losses.

Since the moment he inherited Wade Phillips' old office, Jason Garrett has been about one thing and one thing only: fixing the culture problem in Dallas. Everything else that has been said and done has revolved around that. It is clear that his boss, Jerry Jones, is pleased with the vision that Garrett has brought. From the earliest days of Jason's tenure Jones has been known to refer to the coach as his Tom Landry. Now, nobody expects Garrett to be the innovator that the legendary Cowboys coach was, but Landry was not successful because of his football mind alone. Landry was methodical in his approach to his job and had a clear vision of what he was planning to accomplish. That is the trait that Garrett shares with the man who defined what a Dallas Cowboys head coach should be.

What many find remarkable is that Jerry Jones has shown the patience to stick with Garrett when naysayers around the NFL were stating that the coach was in over his head. Jones had listened to what Garrett planned to create at Valley Ranch, and how he intended to get there. Jerry bought into the vision his coach was sharing, and from the inside he was able to see the changes taking place as the team worked to accomplish Garrett's goal. Sure wins and losses are important, but equally important was creating a culture conducive to a sustained pattern of winning. Jason Garrett offered his boss a process in hopes of getting back to what Landry gave to Clint Murchison, an extended period of time at or near the top. The closest thing Jerry had felt in his tenure was the short, but phenomenal period of the Jimmy Johnson built dynasty.

Jerry Jones is a man with an ego, nobody will dispute that, and Jason Garrett is trying to present him an opportunity to pad that ego by building something comparable to other franchises who have had sustained success. That, more than anything else, is why the Dallas Cowboys chose to extend their commitment to the red-headed coach. The boss has proven that he is at least as committed to the process as is Garrett, and he confirmed his support in the form of contract extensions for not only his head coach but for the people who help make Garrett's success possible.

Jason Garrett has not only built a football team in Dallas, he has transformed a lethargic organization that had become a resting home for aged stars in the twilight of their careers into a dynamic franchise. It has not been easy; it has not been quick. A lifetime of business experience has taught Jerry Jones to recognize a good investment opportunity when he sees one. With the contracts awarded today, Jones has thrown good money into such an investment opportunity. The man who owns the Dallas Cowboys believes he has found what will be his lasting legacy on football and it appears to have the dynamics to be a positive and sustainable one. He has thrown his full support into making that vision happen.

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