Eight teams and seven games left: Who goes on to make the ‘ship? We have our picks this week for you, plus some news and predictions on head coaching vacancies from the Dallas Cowboys and six other NFL teams.

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Is Deion Sanders next for the Cowboys?

It finally happened — the Cowboys and coach Mike McCarthy parted ways due to being unable to agree on the length of a potential contract. Now, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is looking for his next head coach, and our guy Mauricio Rodriguez put together an updated list of potential candidates. Below are some highlights, with Mau’s notes in italics:

Jon Gruden: “Experienced and his name is expected to pop up in the NFL's interview process. He's a former Super Bowl champion and if Dallas can look past the 2021 e-mail scandal, it wouldn't be a surprise if they consider him.”

Jason Witten: “Zero NFL coaching experience but Jerry himself has said repeatedly he thinks Witten could do the job. It wouldn't be the franchise's best look but I could see them pulling the trigger.” It’s worth noting that NFL insider Jane Slater recently revealed that Jones was considering Witten to be the “heir apparent” to McCarthy before allowing him to leave.

Ben Johnson: “I don't know what else to add. He's truly a gigantic gameday edge with his creative play-calling. He's being selective though and I'm not sure the Cowboys will be willing to enter a bidding war and I question if Johnson wants to enter Jerry World.”

Joe Brady: “Before Brady, the Bills offense was far from perfect despite having Josh Allen at quarterback. But the way he's built the run game to help out has been impressive. He was the passing game coordinator of the iconic LSU offense that won the National Championship with Joe Burrow at quarterback.”

Wes Phillips: “This might be a surprise candidate for many but shoutout to @StevieJPTX for bringing it up on X. Wes Phillips, son of Wade, worked in Dallas between 2007 and 2013. The team is familiar with him. He's also part of the Shanahan/McVay tree, working from 2014-2018 in Washington before following McVay to L.A., where he was the passing game coordinator of the Rams' Super Bowl winning offense. He's currently the OC of the Vikings and they're clearly doing things the right way with Sam Darnold at QB.”

There’s one more big name to add to the list: Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders. Apparently, Sanders is considered a top candidate, and is the preferred choice for Cowboys legend Dez Bryant. Sanders himself noted that the opportunity was intriguing, but did not comment on whether he was up for the job. Sanders seems like a good fit for the position, but Mau noted a reason why it probably won’t happen.

5 coaches the Dallas Cowboys could realistically target, 5 fan favorites, and 2 who check both boxes

Potential head coaches for the Cowboys.

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Predicting the next head coach for six remaining teams

The Cowboys joined six other teams who needed a head coach heading into the offseason. The New England Patriots recently filled their vacancy with former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, and now turn their attention to filling their vacant offensive coordinator position.

With six teams left looking for a coach, our guy Mike Payton put out his predictions for how he think those spots will be filled:

Raiders: Todd Monken. “It's surprising that Monken didn't get hired last offseason. He's been doing big things with the Ravens offense for a while and this season the Ravens were dang near unstoppable on offense. Lamar Jackson is likely to win his third MVP and his second with Monken. The Raiders need to figure out their new offense and if the speculation that they may try to move up for the first pick and get Shedeur Sanders is real, then this would be quite the pairing.”

Cowboys: Pete Carroll. “This one just feels right. Jerry Jones knows this guy's name. He can't pry Bill Belichick away from North Carolina, but he can sign another older coach who had success elsewhere. Carroll was great for the Seahawks and he could be pretty solid for the Cowboys too. This is a team that needs to establish some sort of culture that isn't what it is right now. Carroll could be the best bet to come in and back Jerry down a bit. Then again, Jerry might fight back. Who knows?”

Jets: Aaron Glenn. “Speaking of culture, there is not a team that needs a reset in that division more than the Jets. Things are crazy toxic over there with Aaron Rodgers completely taking over the franchise. With Glenn, they can get Rodgers out of there and start over again. Glenn is an extension of Dan Campbell and can bring a lot of what Campbell brought to the Lions. Players absolutely love this guy and would follow him into hell.”

Bears: Kliff Kingsbury. “The Bears should be looking for a guy that can unlock their offense and while they may want Ben Johnson, I just don't think Johnson is going to want them back. That doesn't mean they can't find a good offensive-minded coach. Kingsbury didn't do so well in Arizona, but he's worked his way back into being a head coaching candidate in the last couple of years and everyone is taking notice of what he did with Jayden Daniels in Washington. He could do that with Caleb Williams in Chicago. The good news is that they've already worked together at USC.”

Jaguars: Liam Coen. “The Jaguars' new head coach wouldn't even have to leave Florida. That's convenience right there. The Jaguars are no doubt looking for a guy that can get Trevor Lawrence going and if they can't get Johnson, here's a guy that has shown some real ability in the NFL. He's probably the next best thing. Coen just had Baker Mayfield have the best year of his entire career with 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. Not bad at all. The Jaguars have a lot of weapons, this would be a fun offense with Coen.”

Saints: Joe Brady. “Really went back and forth on this one because I think the Saints and Jets will fight it out for Aaron Glenn, but at the end of the day, I have the Jets winning out. I'm ready to be wrong about that. Brady has been a phenomenal offensive coordinator in Buffalo and the Saints are on the verge of likely looking for a brand new offense. Here's a chance for them to build that with a young up-and-coming coach. If they're patient in New Orleans, this could pay off.”

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