Cowboys: Quarterback Position Just Got Very Thin

The Dallas Cowboys have released quarterbacks Dustin Vaughan and Jameill Showers in trimming the roster down the 53 players.

If you thought that any chances of success for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 fell on the shoulders of starting quarterback Tony Romo, you were right.

At this point, that idea is more true than ever before.

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Not that there’s anybody on the depth chart that comes anywhere close to the talent level and experience that Romo possesses, but as of now there’s nobody active that’s even being developed to possibly replace Romo in the next few years.

Yes, tomorrow comes.

The Cowboys are completely unprepared for tomorrow, so to speak.

Undrafted free agent quarterbacks Dustin Vaughan (2014) of West Texas A&M and Jameill Showers of UTEP were both released on Saturday as the Cowboys trimmed their roster down to the league-mandated limit of 53.

This is not a total shocker, especially given the acquisition status of both passers.

In other words, owner and general manager Jerry Jones doesn’t believe in drafting quarterbacks with a pedigree, period. Beyond Troy Aikman back in 1989, this franchise has invested nothing better than a second-round selection on any quarterback. Beyond that, we’re talking about only fourth-round picks – and just two of those at that.

Quincy Carter was a major reach for the Cowboys back in 2001, the year following the ‘Aikman-era’ as the future Hall of Fame passer was abruptly released following the first of three consecutive 5-11 seasons to begin the millennium. I don’t think I need to elaborate much on that selection, but I will say that it wasn’t well thought out at all.

The fourth round choices include Oregon quarterback Bill Musgrave back in 1991 and Texas A&M signal caller Stephen McGee in 2009. Neither ended up making any impact on the position for the Cowboys.

And here we are once again, a familiar place if you’re a fan of America’s Team. There’s an aging quarterback on the roster who’s still performing at a high level, but the writing on the wall isn’t exactly written with invisible ink. In fact, it’s quite clear in bright red, bold font.

Romo has four seasons left in the NFL, at best.

At worst, this season could be his last.

One never knows in the NFL, and that’s just the nature of the beast.

Raise your hand if you saw Aikman’s last season coming in August of 2000. It sure didn’t seem that way considering that mega-deal that sent wide receiver Joey Galloway to Dallas from the Seattle Seahawks, did it?

Not at all.

Now, I can’t really blame the Cowboys for the release of Vaughan, a player who appears to have the physical tools to play quarterback in the NFL, but also one who doesn’t appear to be developing at the rate you’d like. His preseason performances left much to be desired and it’s anybody’s guess as to whether or not he’ll ever be a solid backup in the pros, let alone a starting quarterback.

Showers could be a little different, and for a few reasons.

To start with, Showers is a little younger than Vaughan both in terms of age and experience. This was just Showers’ first year playing beyond the college level and there’s more for him to learn wherever he ends up – hopefully on the Dallas practice squad.

Showers also brings mobility to the table, a quality embraced more and more by football teams all over the NFL and on down to the high school level.

When it comes to pedigree, it’s important to remember that Showers might have been the starting quarterback at Texas A&M if not for a guy named Johnny Manziel. There’s a bit of a difference between the Aggies and the Miners program at UTEP.

Finally, showers can also play special teams, something that Vaughan, or any other quarterback prospect, probably shouldn’t be doing anyway. But this might be the ticket for Showers to stick around for a year or two.

Otherwise, the Cowboys are headed for yet another offseason that should be dedicated to finding the quarterback of the future in Dallas. Many have been thinking this for a few years now.

As I said before, tomorrow does come, and it’s time that the Cowboys got prepared for that.

Behind Romo sits soon-to-be 32 year-old backup Brandon Weeden.

Enough said?

Next: Cowboys: S.I. Divided On NFC East Prediction

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