Did Dallas Cowboys owners Jerry and Stephen Jones give a serious thought to hiring Mike Vrabel before he achieved his destiny and became head coach of the New England Patriots?

The Dallas Cowboys were recently taken to task over owner Jerry Jones' handling of the head coaching situation.

Editor's note: This story was published early Monday. Later, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Mike McCarthy is not expected to return to Dallas and is now set to become a free agent, per source. The two sides engaged in no discussions about a new deal, and McCarthy is expected to be a candidate in Chicago and New Orleans.