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.
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Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jared Goff – University of California (Jr. 6’4” 215)
As far as the future of the Dallas Cowboys quarterback position, there’s probably no better place to look than the very program that launched the career of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The question has already been asked all over Cowboys Nation as to whether or not Dallas should simply tank the rest of the ’15 campaign in order to land a future franchise quarterback. If it meant getting their hands on California junior quarterback Jared Goff, I’d have to say that tanking would be a great idea.
Fortunately, the Cowboys won’t have to lose too many games on purpose seeing as how they haven’t won a game all year with backup quarterbacks Brandon Weeden, who’s now with he Houston Texans following his recent release, and Matt Cassel.
Goff is believed to be the first quarterback in line to be drafted should he decide to forgo his final season at Berkely. If that ends up true, Goff is a certain top-3 selection in next April’s NFL Draft and this could put the Cowboys in perfect position to pounce.
Goff has some special skills as a pocket passer and actually has shattered all records at Cal – even those posted by Rodgers from 2002-04.
The numbers are there, the touch is there and the arm strength is there. Practically everything about Goff points to his being somebody’s franchise quarterback in the very near future. Goff has the build and seems to have the character necessary to lead an NFL franchise.
Perhaps best of all, Goff could follow in the footsteps of Romo for a couple of seasons the same way Rodgers learned under soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.
Draft Position: Top-3 Pick
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Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Paxton Lynch – University of Memphis (Jr. 6’7” 245)
If you happen to be a fan of the SMU Mustangs, you’re not only a die-hard college football fan with very thick skin, but you’re also likely familiar with Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. The 6’7” pocket passer lit up an overmatched Mustangs secondary with seven touchdown passes in a single half over the Thanksgiving weekend.
No, SMU was not able to enter the offseason with any momentum following just their second win of the season over Tulane on November 21.
Lynch was the primary reason why.
Lynch led the Tigers to an 8-0 record to begin this season, a mark that had Memphis in the middle of discussions regarding the College Football Playoff throughout October.
A loss to Navy to begin November may have dashed Memphis’ hopes of shocking the world, but the Tigers may still have the first quarterback selected in the coming draft.
Lynch has superior height to play quarterback in the NFL, an advantage that 6’2” Romo has never had. Lynch has totaled 3,670 yards passing in 12 games thus far in ’15. His 28 touchdown passes to just three interceptions is something to behold. All told, Lynch sports a quarterback rating of 166.2.
For a player who weighs 245 pounds, Lynch can actually run the ball a bit and doesn’t seem to have problems buying time in the pocket – remember that Lynch weighs about the same as most linebackers who might blitz. In other words, this is not one of the easier quarterbacks to bring down in the backfield.
If the Cowboys have serious interest in a franchise passer for the future, then they could do a whole lot worse than Lynch in the first round – for an arm like this one and the vision that goes with it, I feel pretty sure that the former Rivals.com three-star recruit is an early first-day selection – unless he decides to stay in school another year.
Draft Position: Top-15 pick
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Oct 3, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) has his throw hurried by Purdue Boilermakers cornerback Da
Connor Cook – Michigan State University (Sr. 6’4” 218)
No other quarterback on this list has his team in better position to compete for a national championship that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook.
Sporting perhaps the perfect build for the NFL, Cook has ideal height to see the field and enough weight to handle the pounding that’s waiting for him at the next level. Cook is a good quarterback to study given that he’s playing out his final season in the college ranks and also because he’s got his Spartans on the outer edge of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Cook’s story is yet complete as he still has a big game left coming December 5 against undefeated Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
If we compared Cook to previous Cowboys quarterbacks, he’d probably be linked with Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe. He’s a big, strong-armed pocket passer with lots of experience in a pro-style system and will need the support of a strong running game because he’s not going anywhere with the football in his hands.
His 24 touchdown passes to just four interceptions will remind some of Aikman’s typical stat lines back in the mid-1990s as the Hall of Fame quarterback generally relied on the legs and power of NFL All-Time Leading Rusher Emmitt Smith to move the chains and cross the goal line.
Connor will never be confused with Romo or Roger Staubach, two passers that used mobility and buying time in the pocket as a major part of their game during their respective primes.
Connor might be referred to as a ‘bus driver’ when describing his style play under center, but in the right system – or bus – that can absolutely be a winning formula.
A victory over Ohio State, then No.3 in the CFP rankings, has placed Cook under the microscope. With more football to played, that lens isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The predraft process this winter will go a long ways in determing exactly where Cook falls in the coming NFL draft, but for right now he certainly looks like a future first-round selection that’s been groomed and also successful at a major college football program.
Draft Position: Round 1
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Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Carson Wentz – North Dakota State (Sr. 6’5” 222)
While the previous three quarterbacks profiled here would all be intriguing prospects for the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft, history suggests that even if the Cowboys hold a pick high enough for any of them, they’ll likely pass in favor of another player. As I mentioned at the beginning, Jones simply doesn’t draft quarterbacks.
Having said that, a player like Carson Wentz of North Dakota State could be just what the doctor ordered for the Cowboys.
Wentz suffered a broken right wrist during a game against South Dakota back on October 17, which ended up being the first home loss of the season for the Bisons. While a full recovery is expected, Wentz might see his draft stock fall some due to the fact that he didn’t get a complete senior season of work in.
On the other hand, Wentz has led North Dakota State to an FCS National Championship and has all the intangibles of a starting quarterback. He stands 6’5” and weighs 220 pounds. The combination of height and visibility will keep Wentz on the radar of numerous NFL franchises and with a strong performance in either the East-West Shrine Game or maybe the Senior Bowl, Wentz could pull up that draft stock.
In case you’re wondering if Wentz has played tough enough competition to warrant a starting job in the NFL, it’s a fair question to ask. Winning at the FCS level isn’t exactly the same as doing so in the FBS.
Then again, Romo played his college football at Eastern Illinois, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. I’d say that becoming the all-time leading passer in Dallas Cowboys history is quite an accomplishment.
In Wentz’s case, the plan wouldn’t be to toss him into the fire in 2016 – remember that there’s a much better chance than not that Romo hangs around with the Cowboys for at least another year or two. During that time frame, Wentz could get acclimated to the Cowboys offensive philosophy and get himself ready for the NFL.
Of course, there’s always the chance that Romo goes down with injury again next season and Wentz might have to play, but the Cowboys could certainly protect themselves by simply keeping a decent backup quarterback like Cassel around to stay in that QB2 slot.
Wentz is a very interesting prospect that could be selected after the first round, which would also allow the Cowboys to fill other needs, like defensive line, with a premium player who could take a starting job right out of the gate.
Draft Position: Round 2-4
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Jacoby Brissett – North Carolina State (Sr. 6’4” 235)
Each year there seems to be a quarterback prospect heading into the draft that surges late and ends up being chosen much sooner than previously thought. In 2016 that player could very well be Jacoby Brissett of North Carolina State.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Brissett began his college career at University of Florida and found himself in a struggle for playing time with the Gators. As opposed to riding out that storm, Brissett bet on himself and transferred to North Carolina State following his sophomore year at Tallahassee in 2012.
Sitting out the 2013 season due to NCAA regulations, Brissett took the starting job with the Wolf Pack in 2014 and has not disappointed.
As a junior, Brissett completed 60-percent of his passes for 2,344 yards and 22 touchdown passes. He threw just five interceptions on the season in which NC State would finish with a record of 8-5 (3-5 in ACC Atlantic Division) and a victory in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
This season, the Wolf Pack finished the schedule at 7-5 (3-5 in ACC Atlantic Division) and may or may not be headed to a bowl game following a disappointing loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels last Saturday.
But it’s hard to pin that on Brissett.
This quarterback has vision and some wheels, despite his size, that might remind some of a bigger Romo. Brissett has a live arm and also some scrambling ability that will serve him pretty well at the next level. A true pocket passer, Brissett will need some time to prepare for life in the NFL, but his projected draft position should fall where the Cowboys seem pretty comfortable.
I am not saying that Brissett is the most likely to land with the Cowboys because he’s the best quarterback – although he could be. I’m simply stating that Brissett has the physical tools to play the position at the next level and will probably be available in that part of the draft that allows Jones to have his cake and eat it too.
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In other words, Jones won’t spend a premium pick on a complete experiment, much like he did in selecting Quincy Carter out of Georgia in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. However, if Brissett is still available in the third round next April and Dallas has had the opportunity to upgrade another position with a likely starter, Brissett could be the steal that Jones loves to pounce on in the draft.