Only thing stopping Bill Belichick from being Cowboys' next coach is a big, fat check

Timing is everything. Had Bill Belichick known the Dallas Cowboys job might become available he may not have taken the North Carolina Tar Heels gig to begin with. The former longtime head coach of the New England Patriots is getting ready for his first spring practice in Chapel Hill, but perhaps the most intriguing NFL opportunity for him this offseason just became available in Dallas. Would he go?

Well, apparently Belichick has a ton of respect for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys as a franchise, for whatever that is worth. FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz reported on Monday afternoon that "Bill Belichick would have been interested in the Cowboys' job, and it's believed that Dallas would have been interested in him, had he known the position would become available." This is why he should not go!

Dallas' inherent dysfunction leads to me believe one thing above all else. It does not matter who coaches this team. For as long as Jones is the owner, nothing will ever change. He did not change when Belichick's mentor Bill Parcells took over the team two decades ago. Belichick may only need to come up with $10 million to leave UNC in the dust for an NFL job before June 1, so there is that, too.

Communication breakdown in the Mike McCarthy contract extension talks have led us to this point.

Dallas might be able to land a great candidate, but I think the ship has sailed on them hiring Belichick.

Dallas Cowboys' dysfunction has cost them a chance to hire Bill Belichick

As far as Dallas is concerned, what are you even doing here? The Cowboys had all season, and last offseason, to make a move for Belichick. Only the Atlanta Falcons seemed to take any real interest in hiring him last cycle. Dallas opted for complacency in running back a stale operation under McCarthy. They did not move on from him late in the year to get a bit of a jump start on their hiring competition.

Because Belichick has familial ties to Chapel Hill from his late father once working there, I sincerely doubt he is going to make the Tar Heels look a fool here. Belichick may covet a chance of breaking Don Shula's all-time wins record, but the optics would look so bad for Belichick to leave UNC hanging like this. Yes, Jones can afford to buy Belichick out of his North Carolina contract, but should he do it?

The only way I would be in favor of Dallas hiring Belichick is if Jones became far less involved as an owner. It is so amazing how much better the Carolina Panthers have been since David Tepper took a back seat to Dave Canales and Dan Morgan halfway through this past season. Unfortunately, old habits die hard. Jones is less likely to change his frustrating ways than Ebenezer Scrooge once did.

$10 million is nothing for Jones, but Belichick will not do North Carolina like he did the New York Jets.