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Cowboys Sign Former Boise St. Quarterback Kellen Moore

ByChristian Blood|

The Dallas Cowboys shore up a dangerously thin quarterback situation by bringing in former Boise State phenom Kellen Moore.

With the release of two-year veteran quarterback Dustin Vaughan over the Labor Day weekend, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves staring down the barrel of an offense that might have to be fired by backup quarterback Brandon Weeden.

It must not have taken long for the fear of that idea to really sink in.

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According to Chad Crippe of the Idaho Statesman, The Cowboys have added former Boise State passer Kellen Moore – yes, that Kellen Moore who had everybody campaigning for some kind of college football playoff system just a few year ago as his Broncos went undefeated in 2009 (14-0) while garnering zero consideration as a national champion. Moore never lost more than just a single game in any season while leading the Broncos.

Moore helped elevate Boise State to its highest ranking in school history as the Broncos reached No.2 during the 2010 campaign. He holds a list of awards and accomplishments at the college level that makes virtually all other quarterbacks blush, including his career record of 50-3.

I could go on and on about Moore’s college resume, but that doesn’t serve us well in a discussion about his prospects with the Cowboys. Undrafted during the 2012 offseason, Moore’s heroics on the blue football field in Idaho just don’t mean anything.

Further, his NFL stats mean far less, main reason being that he hasn’t set foot on a football field for an NFL regular-season game yet.

Moore was released by the Detroit Lions, his original NFL team, over the weekend after three seasons as the No. 3 quarterback in the ‘Motor City.’

So, on paper it looks like a move that doesn’t mean much, aside from the fact that Dallas now has a somewhat credible passer that can step in if starter Tony Romo and Weeden end up injured for some reason.

While this is extremely unlikely, it is possible.

Then again, is there a deeper angle here?

Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has more knowledge of Moore than anybody in the NFL, this fact proven by his tenure as Lions offensive coordinator from 2009-2013. Linehan had a couple of seasons to get an up-close look at the former star from Boise State, even if it was rather limited from a player perspective.

I have my doubts that Moore has much future as an NFL starting quarterback. Depite all those accomplishments with the Broncos years ago, it’s not completely lost that the level of competition he faced wasn’t exactly the same as it would have been had a he played in a conference like the SEC or Big 12 – and I’m aware of his wins in some big bowl games.

Further, his measurements and skill set place him at the outer limits of NFL-caliber talent, hence the reason he’s never been so much as a primary backup quarterback in the NFL. The video below shows good presence on the field in a preseason game two years ago, but the arm strength is a concern for sure.

With the Cowboys, this might not be a far-fetched idea.

Weeden doesn’t look like a long-term solution for the Cowboys in any way, likely not even as a backup. I think the Moore acquisition could have as much to do with that as anything else.

I’ve never really liked the idea of paying an experienced backup to hold a clipboard. By that I mean that I’d rather have a quarterback who’s got some experience, but also a guy who’s on the way up as opposed to drifting slowly towards retirement.

Moore seems to be the type of player that might fit this description as early as next year.

Both Cowboys backup quarterbacks are essentially on one-year contracts that expire following this season. While it’s hard to imagine Dallas extending Weeden for any reason, perhaps Moore shows enough to garner a longer look in the future.

Moore is scheduled to make just $112,000 this season compared to the $660,000 that Weeden will bring in.

So, it’s not about the money, but rather the ability, at least where the Cowboys are concerned.

At 32-years old come October, I think it’s safe bet that Weeden has hit his ceiling in the NFL, thus limiting him to mere backup status for the remainder of his career.

In contrast, Moore just turned 26 in July and would seem to be the type of backup quarterback that can not just hold the clipboard, but possibly end up a future possibility at quarterback – this might be stretch, but the Cowboys have nobody else who’s even close to being an heir to Romo’s throne.

It’s also intriguing to remember the fact that Romo was – wait for it – 26-years old when he took his first snaps as starting quarterback for the Cowboys in 2006.

Did you expect a one-time third-string quarterback in Dallas to be charged with leading America’s Team to the Super Bowl some nine years after taking the starting job from Drew Bledsoe?

Could Moore end up grabbing the starting job for himself in the near future?

Doubtful – but as we’ve seen with these Cowboys, just about anything is possible.

Next: Cowboys Poised For Next Level

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