Cowboys request for Andre Patterson blocked by Giants; Sharrif Floyd to Commanders

A couple of staff details involving the Dallas Cowboys popped up on Tuesday.

The NFC East coaching crossover continues to be a thing. It is a bit hard to keep up at this point, but the division is sort of recycling coaches like crazy. Dan Quinn left the Dallas Cowboys to be the head coach of the Washington Commanders, taking some staff with him, and Kellen Moore is still an offensive coordinator but is now with the Philadelphia Eagles (as is Doug Nussmeier).

To date the only team that had not really been involved in this mess had been the New York Giants, but that changed on Tuesday. It was reported by ESPN that the Cowboys had their request to interview their defensive line coach, Andre Patterson, blocked by the G-Men. Patterson previously served as new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s co-DC when he was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

On the surface this just seems like gamesmanship from all involved. While interviews for jobs that are promotions cannot be blocked lateral moves can. As an example the Cowboys blocked Dan Quinn’s request to interview both Lunda Wells and Al Harris for his new staff.

Joe Whitt followed Quinn to the Commanders, and he will not be alone as it was reported earlier on Tuesday that Sharrif Floyd is headed there as well.

Interestingly Floyd played for Mike Zimmer’s Vikings, and whether or not a reunion on the Dallas coaching staff was possible will never be known. But the division continues to see coaches swap polos and half-zips all over the place.