Texans granted permission to speak to Cowboys’ McClay about GM job; no interview set

Are the Dallas Cowboys in jeopardy of losing their top talent evaluator?

Will McClay, the Cowboys’ senior director of college and pro personnel, is widely respected as one of the top talent gurus in the league and his name has emerged in the Houston Texans’ general manager search.

The Cowboys have granted permission to the Texans to interview McClay, but there has been no further communication between the Texans and McClay.

McClay said he has not been officially contacted by the Texans to set up an interview. It’s unknown whether McClay would entertain an interview opportunity because it hasn’t come to fruition yet.

The Houston Chronicle reported earlier Sunday that McClay had declined the Texans’ request for an interview, but that is not accurate.

McClay has expressed his desire to stay with the Cowboys in the past, and the organization understands how important he has been to building the foundation of the team. McClay has been working in the Cowboys’ personnel department for 16 years, and was promoted to his current position in 2015.

“Will has done a great job for us here. We think the world of him,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan Monday. “All indications are to me that he's wanting to remain here with the Cowboys.”

Owner Jerry Jones is not expected to give up the “general manager” title anytime soon, leaving McClay of interest to teams searching for a general manager.

The Texans are looking for a general manager to replace Rick Smith, who is taking a year-long leave of absence.

This story was originally published January 7, 2018 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Texans granted permission to speak to Cowboys’ McClay about GM job; no interview set."