Garrett turns down Ravens, Falcons

[DrunkBomber]

After spending Tuesday interviewing with the Baltimore Ravens regarding the team's head coaching vacancy, the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator was offered the position, reports NFL Network's Adam Schefter.

 

Garrett spent more than six hours interviewing with the Ravens, who preferred not to let Garrett leave without signing a contract. Garrett, however, followed his time in Baltimore with a flight to Atlanta, where he will discuss the Falcons' head coaching position that has been offered to him by team owner Arthur Blank.

 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys view Garrett as a future head coach and are willing to match any salary that is offered by Atlanta or Baltimore to remain Dallas' offensive coordinator, giving the upstart coach a third viable option.

 

 

Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett joined the Dallas coaching staff prior to the 2007 season.

 

The 41-year-old Garrett was the first person to receive a second interview for the Baltimore job, which became open when owner Steve Bisciotti fired Brian Billick on Dec. 31.

 

"I had a really productive day today," Garrett said on Tuesday. "I'm going to continue through this process I'm in right now, and at some point we'll make some decisions on both sides."

 

Garrett met with Bisciotti, Ravens president Dick Cass and general manager Ozzie Newsome.

 

Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne said, "We had a good day of interviews. It's the start of the second round. We have more interviews for the second round later on in the week."

 

Newsome declined comment, and Bisciotti was not made available. Newsome will be out of town Wednesday, and interview sessions could resume as soon as Thursday.

 

"It was a great day. I had a chance to start this process last week, and was excited to come back and visit again," Garrett said. "It's been an exciting time for me to be here."

 

Garrett has attracted interest from the Ravens because of his success in Dallas. Garrett directed an attack that ranked second in the NFL with 455 points in his first season as the architect of the Cowboys' offense. Quarterback Tony Romo set franchise records with 36 touchdown passes and 4,211 yards passing.

 

The Ravens, meanwhile, are looking to cure a stagnant offense that ranked 22nd in total yardage and was 24th with 17.2 points per game this season. In nine years under Billick, the Ravens never ranked higher than 14th in total offense.

 

Dallas was third in total offense this season, averaging 365.7 yards per game. But the Cowboys averaged only 10.5 points in their final four games, including a 21-17 playoff loss to the New York Giants on Sunday that took the luster off Dallas' 13-3 record during the regular season.

 

Garrett began his second interview with Baltimore on Monday night. He arrived at the team's training complex on Tuesday morning with his wife, Brill, and spent much of the day negotiating a deal.

 

Garrett has connections to members of the search committee. He and Cass are Princeton graduates. And Garrett's father, Jim Garrett, coached vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty, when Moriarty was with the Cleveland Browns.

 

The Ravens are also interested in Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh, who was a finalist for the UCLA job that went to former Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel.

 

The Ravens have also interviewed Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell; Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano, who is also a candidate for the Miami Dolphins' opening; former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who's a strong candidate for the Falcons' job and is expected to get a second interview with Atlanta; New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and Harbaugh.

 

Garrett was a quarterbacks coach for two seasons with the Miami Dolphins before spending last season with Dallas.

 

He was hired by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones last year before the team hired Wade Phillips as head coach.

[balta1701-A]

Ah, the myth of the super-coach continues...

[balta1701-A]

Garret turns down both offers, elects to remain in Dallas, and sends a cryptic message to Wade Phillips...something about how he should be wary of the Ides of February or something like that.