Dallas Cowboys reach new deal with VP Will McClay, sources say

1:03 PM

With a number of general manager jobs open across the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys have made sure nobody will be able to lure away Will McClay, agreeing to a new contract with their Vice President of Player Personnel, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

The Cowboys have a chief personnel man who works closely with executive vice president Stephen Jones, who has final say over the team's draft and free-agent processes.

The Cowboys have drafted nine players who have gone on to play in the Pro Bowl.

In free agency, the Cowboys have not signed big-money players recently, but this season they found value in the likes of Jayron Kearse, Damontae Kazee, Malik Hooker, Jeremy Sprinkle, Keanu Neal, Carlos Watkins, Tarell Basham and Brent Urban.

Mike McCarthy said that the personnel man was an even better person. I enjoy working with Will. I can't say enough good things about him. He's very knowledgeable about the inner workings of the personnel department and the collaboration between Will, Stephen and Jerry. I enjoy working with him and we spend a lot of time together.

He's someone that we would not want to lose. He's definitely deserving of any opportunity that comes his way. Will does a great job.

On gameday, the defensive coaching staff and players appreciate his personnel and coaching background.

Jourdan Lewis said that he was on the ground floor with them every day. He's at practice every day and we joke back and forth. He has an amazing mind. He knows how to play football. He knows people. That is one of the good qualities that he has. He's a great judge of people and a great judge. You can see that he gets the right guy.

A lot of these guys are draftees that he drafted. You can see how much work we've done since then. I know he's getting a lot of attention, but at the same time everyone is thinking about the ring, getting to the Super Bowl.

The Cowboys' success this season has led to other teams looking their way. Dan and Kellen have been requested for interviews. Moore was interviewing with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He has been with the organization for 20 years. He was a pro scout and a coach in the Arena Football League. He was named the assistant director of player personnel in 2013. He was named the senior director of pro/college scouting and the vice president in 2015.

The Cowboys made sure they did not lose a vital piece to the organization this year, despite the fact that they had opportunities to talk with other teams.