Cowboys: 5 QB Possibilities In NFL Draft
Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys figure to be serious players in the process of evaluating and likely selecting a future quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft in Chicago.
The Dallas Cowboys draft needs have become quite clear during the 2015 regular season. This is generally the case for a team that’s just 3-8 with only five games remaining on the regular season schedule.
A losing team always has a laundry list of factors to blame, which include lack of talent, new offensive and/or defensive systems, injuries and obviously bad quarterback play/availability. The Cowboys fit those last two factors more so than they do the first two.
Which brings us to the 2016 NFL Draft, an event which is still close to a half year away.
Yes, that’s how dire the situation is for America’s Team, a franchise which entered this season with somewhat legitimate Super Bowl expectations.
Given the status of longtime starting quarterback Tony Romo, it’s hard to place any other position of need above a quarterback position that’s far more unstable than most ever imagined. Unless you somehow believed that Romo would play out that seven-year contract signed in the spring of 2013, the current situation shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
This is not so much an argument that Romo needs to be purged from future plans right this second, but rather to highlight some of the potential opportunities for the future at quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
Some in the media presently speculate that Cleveland Browns quarterback – and former Heisman Trophy winner – Johnny Maziel might be a target of temptation for Dallas owner Jerry Jones if the former Texas A&M superstar is released.
Others have suggested that Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford could wind up with the Cowboys in a few years. Washington Redskins first-round bust Robert Griffin III is another veteran who could make his way back to the state of Texas according to others in the media.
Make no mistake: The Cowboys need to draft for the future at quarterback. No veteran player at this position worth having will be available in the first place, so it’s time to grab a premium prospect for life after Romo from the college ranks, even if Romo does, in fact, start for another year or two.
According to Forbes.com, the Romo era is over.
What does Forbes know about the NFL, you might be asking?
Well, Forbes understands money, period. The reality is that the Cowboys have to bring hope to a franchise that’s already showing signs of future financial slippage, and finding a new quarterback is just one of the key steps towards preventing future problems, like home games not selling out at AT&T Stadium and decreased merchandising sales and opportunities.
The following are arguably the top five quarterback prospects that might, or might not, be available to the Cowboys in the first couple of rounds. Two prospects are juniors who could opt to return to school for their final season of eligibility. Three others are sure-fire entries into the NFL draft.
These prospects are ranked in terms of their likelihood of being selected by the Cowboys, a franchise that under the guidance of Jones has limited history drafting quarterbacks, especially if they’re intended to actually play.
Next: Look Where Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Came From