Rex Ryan vs. Mike Zimmer: Cowboys Controversy or Jerry Jones Spin?

The Dallas Cowboys' hiring of Mike Zimmer as the new defensive coordinator seemed to hit some snags along the way -including a Rex Ryan angle and a Super Bowl angle. What really happened?

FRISCO - On Monday, CowboysSI.com and other outlets learned that the Dallas Cowboys had finally agreed to terms with former and now current defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to take over the unit after Dan Quinn left for the Washington Commanders.

But we also reported this way back on Thursday of Super Bowl Week.

What took so long? A “snag”? A “Rex Ryan leverage ploy”? Or just “Super Bowl busyness”?

Our Mike Fisher on Monday morning that there was a “contractual snag” but suggested that ultimately is would be smoothed out … as it obviously was.

Meanwhile, the name of Rex Ryan - who was also interviewed for the vacant position - popped up again on Monday.

Ryan on Sunday morning announced on national television that the Zimmer deal wasn't done. … and that too was accurate.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter eventually backpedaled an on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday said that the Cowboys were still interested in Ryan due to a strong interview.

Was that true? Or was Schefter simply playing CYA?

Cowboys fans came out of Super Bowl Sunday and into Monday with still no deal done for a new defensive boss at The Star.

As it turns out - regardless of all the perceived drama surrounding the hire - Zimmer was the guy all along, and it was just due to owner and general manager Jerry Jones' travel plans to and from the Super Bowl that delayed the deal.

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But then came a third chapter in the drama … a less-than-transparent effort by the Cowboys to make it seem like there was never any issue at all.

One reporter from the Dallas News first insisted that team owner Jerry Jones being in Las Vegas at the Super Bowl is what slowed the announcement.

So that’s it, Cowboys fans, right? It was never in question and there were no second guesses by anyone? It was just a matter of travel plans and the biggest weekend in football?

Yeah, but … now a second Dallas News reporter is trying to explain away the Ryan involvement, hinting that visiting with him was simply a leverage ploy in order to push Zimmer into accepting Dallas offer.

But if Dallas wasn’t interested in Ryan, why call him a second time? And if Dallas really wanted Zimmer and only Zimmer, why would Jerry need “leverage” to close? And in what world does Jerry being out of town mean it should take 14 days (since Dan Quinn’s move to Washington) to sign Zimmer?

In the end, the Cowboys got their man. But in the end, the Cowboys also did it their way … with a move accented by controversy and peppered with spin.