Dallas Cowboys: QB Brian Hoyer a Dallas Cowboy?

The Dallas Cowboys have yet to address the back-up QB position this offseason. Could recently released Brian Hoyer be the answer in Dallas?

The Dallas Cowboys saw their 2015 season crumble with the loss of starting quarterback, Tony Romo. The Cowboys top signal caller suffered two broken collarbones in 2015, limiting him to only two complete games. As a result, the team that went 12-4 the season before, fell to 4-12 and has now earned the fourth pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Tony Romo is now healed up and ready to play in 2016 but his age and ubiquitous injury history suggests he’s a longshot to play a complete season in 2016 or honestly – ever.

Finding a back-up at QB (and/or a developmental heir) is high priority in the hearts and minds of many. Yet shockingly, the Dallas Cowboys have yet to do a thing to address the position. Two of the three fill-ins from last year are now gone, leaving only Kellen Moore to back-up the all-important Tony Romo.

Can he help the Dallas Cowboys and if so, would the Cowboys be interested?

If the Dallas Cowboys don’t address the QB position early in this month’s draft, they will be entering the regular season desperately thin at professional sports’ most important position.

QB Brian Hoyer, the former Patriot, Steeler, Cardinal, and Brown has now been released from the Houston Texans. Hoyer was replaced as the starter earlier this offseason when the Houston Texans signed Brock Osweiler to a hefty $75M contract.

Related Story: What Brock Osweiler Reaffirmed for the Cowboys

Throughout his career Hoyer has served as a valuable back-up to multiple franchises. He got his big break in 2014, starting 14 games for the Cleveland Browns and parlaying that success into a deal with the Texans. But after a disastrous playoff performance where Hoyer threw four interceptions, zero touchdowns, and amassed only 136 yards, the writing was on the wall for the 30-year-old QB from Michigan State.

It’s quite clear that Brian Hoyer is not a franchise QB by any means, but he looks like one of the very best back-ups currently available. The question is, can he help the Dallas Cowboys and if so, would the Cowboys be interested?

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Pro Football Focus rated Brian Hoyer as the 31^st ranked QB in the NFL. His 57.5 score rates him above Matt Cassel (50.6) but is still shy of Kellen Moore’s 64.1 score. Brandon Weeden scored better than both players with a 70.9 score but as we learned last season, statistics are misleading when you only throw high-percentage check-downs and refuse to throw past the sticks on 3^rd down.

Before I go off on Brandon Weeden again, I will heed my doctor’s advice and move on from this horribly frustrating, mental breakdown inducing former Cowboy.

At face value, adding a player like Brian Hoyer looks like a good move. He’s a smart, accomplished, well thought of player that would be an asset as a teammate as well as back-up. Still, many in Cowboys Nation are cold on Hoyer, even calling him, “no better than Matt Cassel.”

In all fairness, Hoyer does appear to be better QB than former Cowboy, Matt Cassel. While many cling to his playoff clunker of a performance, Hoyer was pretty darn good in the games before it. During the regular season, Hoyer threw 19 TDs and only seven INTs earning a 91.4 rating along the way. He led his team to a winning record and into the playoffs. No Dallas Cowboy QB can claim that.

We don’t know exactly what Kellen Moore is as a QB and he could develop into something pretty decent. But without much of a track record or even measureable talent, Kellen Moore is a gamble.

All things considered, Brian Hoyer is an upgrade. He’s not going to carry a team on his shoulders but he can lead a team should Romo fall.

The Dallas Cowboys brand of offense is a Jason Garrett adaptation of Don Coryell’s “Air Coryell” offense. It’s a vertical passing attack that utilizes the entire field, looking deep as option one, and moving shorter as the play develops. It’s the kind of offense that exposes QBs. It’s the kind of offense that requires timing, accuracy, and strength.

The Cowboys don’t run a dink and dunk offense. They don’t throw quick passes or operate with tricks or gimmicks. The Dallas Cowboys require a QB with skills and guts. They need the guts to try down field and they need the skills to do it successfully.

Brandon Weeden lacked guts and never attempted to run the offense the right way. Matt Cassel lacked skill and tried to run the offense the right way but just wasn’t talented enough.

Brian Hoyer isn’t perfect for this scheme but he appears to have the traits to be able to run it somewhat effectively.  The truth of the matter is, this offense is so reliant on the QB position, no one is going to seamlessly replace Romo should he miss time in 2016.

Next: Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: 3 Rounds/3 Mocks

If the Dallas Cowboys can find a QB who can run the offense as it is designed to be run and the Cowboys can rediscover the running game from 2014, they may be able to survive in 2016 what they couldn’t survive 2015. Brian Hoyer could be the guy to do it.