Cowboys BREAKING: Al Harris New Job Interview with Washington Blocked by Dallas

Cowboys BREAKING: Al Harris New Job Interview with Washington and Coach Dan Quinn Blocked by Dallas

LAS VEGAS - It stands as a terrific quote that speaks both to the bond that Al Harris has with his old Dallas Cowboys boss ... and to the clever, colorful and passionate way Harris has of speaking that has endured him to his players and to the DFW media.

“Honestly, in whatever capacity he wanted me to come, I’m there,” Harris said before the start of this NFL Coaching Carousel, speaking hypothetically of sticking with Dan Quinn. “It could be Alaska. He could be coaching the Alaska Bluebirds …”

Quinn is in fact coaching the Commanders, having moved from serving as Dallas' defensive coordinator to becoming Washington's top guy. And DQ does indeed want Harris, the Cowboys secondary coach, to join him.

But that won't be happening.

Washington submitted an interview request to the Cowboys regarding Harris, and as is Dallas' right - and as Quinn surely knew would happen - the Cowboys declined that request.

So unless Quinn can offer Harris a promotion to Washington defensive coordinator, which he cannot, as he's already poached from the Dallas staff Joe Whitt Jr. to fill that role ... Quinn can't have him.

And so the popular assistant is staying put at The Star.

The former Green Bay cornerback, in addition to his Quinn loyalty, is also a "Mike McCarthy guy,'' and is valued on this staff for his communication skills and his teaching ability, both of which have helped him tutor the likes of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland into stardom. Indeed, Diggs is on record as campaigning for Harris, 49, to get the coordinator's job in Dallas.

That probably won't be happening, either, as the Cowboys' search has focused on more experienced candidates; indeed, every outside candidate who has been visited with to fill Quinn's old chair - Mike Zimmer, Ron Rivera, Rex Ryan and Marquand Manuel - has been a coordinator. And of that group, only Manuel hasn't been an NFL head coach, which is the same status as another wish-list candidate in Wink Martindale.

(ESPN reports that Dallas assistants Sharrif Floyd and Pete Ohnegian have been granted permission to interview in Washington.)

Harris, is under contract in Dallas, as is Lunda Wells, the tight ends coach who also got blocked from interviewing with Quinn's new team. And as there is no elevation available to Harris in Washington, he's a Cowboy ... unless the "Alaska Bluebirds'' come calling with a sweet, sweet song of an offer.