Cowboys

• Calvin Watkins reports that the Cowboys are hiring Kyle Fuller as assistant OL coach.
• Tom Pelissero reports that the team is also hiring SMU DC Scott Symons as the ILB coach.

Giants

The Giants’ chase of new HC John Harbaugh was one of the most well-documented coaching searches in recent NFL history. It seemed like everyone was following along as Harbaugh arrived for his visit. Elia Mediterranean Restaurant, the location of dinner between Harbaugh and the team brass, received newfound notoriety as the place where New York closed the deal and landed their man. 

Except the actual agreement didn’t come until days later as the Giants and Harbaugh worked out the exact structure, with Harbaugh seeking to have both him and GM Joe Schoen report to owner John Mara rather than have Harbaugh report to Schoen. Harbaugh’s agent was still in contact with the Titans on the Saturday after his in-person interview when Mara called Harbaugh. 

“And he really wasn’t there yet,” Harbaugh said via The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor. “He was trying to process it all, and I explained to John why it was important for me. … I agreed with him that it doesn’t really matter in how we operate, but it did matter to me. I already had that (direct report to ownership) in Baltimore. It wasn’t new. I wasn’t comfortable not being that way.”

Finally, Mara said, “We have an agreement. Welcome to the New York Giants.”

Harbaugh told O’Connor that so far, so good regarding his working relationship with Schoen. The two have collaborated on building Harbaugh’s staff and other support hires. 

“I had high expectations for Joe, and I would say he’s lived up to those high expectations,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve worked really well together. We talk multiple, multiple times every day … and a lot of things come up. ‘We hired an analyst, so what are we paying him? What did the Raiders or Eagles say when we asked for permission to speak to someone?’ Joe’s been a smart judge of tactics and situations.”

Giants

• According to the Athletic’s Ian O’Connor, new Giants senior VP of football operations Dawn Aponte, formerly with the NFL league office, reports directly to Giants HC John Harbaugh instead of GM Joe Schoen. Harbaugh was heavily involved in recruiting and hiring Aponte, per O’Connor.
• Harbaugh didn’t get his first choice of offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, who got the Browns’ head coaching job, but he is ebullient about his second choice, former Chiefs OC Matt Nagy. He told O’Connor he thought Nagy could be just as good as Monken: “Of course. Of course. I expect Matt to be the best ever. I’m hoping he’ll be the best offensive coordinator to ever coach the game; that’s what we’re shooting for.”
• Harbaugh told O’Connor that he eventually settled on DC Dennard Wilson after a recommendation from his replacement in Baltimore, former assistant Jesse Minter.