News broke yesterday that the Los Angeles Rams released disgruntled quarterback Nick Foles just a day before the veteran players were supposed to report for training camp.
Mike Garafolo took to Twitter and was the first announce that the Rams were expecting to release Foles.
Rams expecting to release QB Nick Foles, sources say. Trade never materialized. Release will make him a free agent. Not subject to waivers.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 27, 2016
Then, in true Ian Rapoport fashion, he provided the follow up and made the announcement via Twitter when the move was actually made official.
And now it’s happened. Foles is a free agent. Experienced QB available. https://t.co/qDkB1RA3Ix
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2016
This isn’t particularly surprising news, especially after the Rams drafted Jared Goff in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the first overall pick. The Rams organization had tried to find a trade partner in order to receive some kind of compensation, but nothing ever materialized.
Now that Nick Foles is a free agent, what NFL team will be interested in adding them to the roster?
The New York Jets were mentioned as a favorite landing spot due to their ongoing struggle to reach a contract agreement with Ryan Fitzpatrick and their own uncertainty of who will start the season at QB. It was definitely an understandable destination for a QB that was looking to resurrect his career, but it looks like Fitzpatrick is back on a one-year contract.
Maybe the Denver Broncos, who just won the Super Bowl and had their QB Peyton Manning retire. Also, Brock Osweiler decided to head down to Houston to take over the playcalling duties, leaving Denver in search of a QB to start the 2016 season.
I however think that the Dallas Cowboys should take a long hard look and determine if Nick Foles is a better option to backup Tony Romo in 2016 then what they currently have on the roster. It’s just too bad that he’s not subject to the waiver wire, because the Cowboys are currently one of the top teams in the pecking order.
In case you have forgotten, Nick Foles was a Pro Bowl player in 2013 after he threw 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 10 starts for the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, his magical 2013 season didn’t last long and he was traded to the St. Louis Rams.
Last season, Foles was eventually replaced by journeymen quarterback Case Keenum after he completed just 56.4% of his throws and threw 10 interceptions. He seemed to have trouble reading defenses and made mind numbingly stupid mistakes in 2015.
So, why would the Dallas Cowboys be interested?
Well, Nick Foles is still an interesting prospect for a QB in the NFL. He has the desired size and arm strength to make all the throws, plus he has won games in the league.
That alone is something that could pique the Cowboys interest, especially considering that Tony Romo has struggled with injuries recently and that the current backup QB situation is largely untested/unproven.
Of course, this all depends on what end of the spectrum you are on in regards to Kellen Moore, who is currently slated to backup Romo in 2016.
Trust me, I have heard all of the arguments for and against Kellen Moore and to tell you the truth, I am somewhere in the middle when it comes to whether or not he could be a good backup QB for the Cowboys.
In all honesty, I think I would feel a lot more comfortable with Nick Foles as the #2 QB than I would Kellen Moore.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Moore. I just think that Foles is a better player and is more in line with what the Dallas Cowboys like to have their backup QB.
The Cowboys have shown in the past that they prefer that the backup QB has NFL experience. Not only does Foles have experience in the league, but he has it in the NFC East division. That is just an added bonus.
The Cowboys should be well aware of Nick Foles’ strengths and weaknesses since they had to face him twice a year when he was a member of the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
The only question that remains is whether or not the coaching staff is comfortable with their current backup quarterback situation or if they believe that Nick Foles is a better option.
If the organization decides to go after Nick Foles, owner/general manager Jerry Jones will have to put on his salesman’s cap and convince him why becoming the Cowboys backup QB is the right and only decision to make.
Do you think the Dallas Cowboys should go after Nick Foles?
Please feel free to use the comment section below to provide your thoughts and opinions on this topic. I really look forward to hearing from all of you so that we can discuss this further.
Nick Foles is a good back up option.
Thanks for commenting Alvin. I'm really intrigued by the possibility of adding Nick Foles, but of course it's going to come down to money and the type of contract he's looking to receive.
Dear Nick, Please come to Dallas. Sincerely, Not-A-Fan-Of-Kellen-Moore
Thanks for commenting Steve. I'm somewhere in the middle in regards to Kellen Moore. Part of me thinks he could be a serviceable backup QB, while the other part of the thinks it's a mistake to keep him around to back up Tony Romo. I guess we will all have to wait and see what will happen.
I think Nick Foles would do well as back-up but honestly don't care who we have as backup as long as romo stays healthy we could have Quincy carter as backup
I completely agree with you Aaron. As long as Romo can stay healthy all of this talk about backup QB means next to nothing.
I think he would be a decent back up but I dont see him coming to Dallas for 2 reasons, 1 I think Garrett feels comfortable with Moore because he knows the offense already and 2 I think Foles wants a chance to start long term not just being a back up which is why he wanted out of the Rams
Thanks for commenting Jeff. I think you make valid points, but Foles isn't going to receive a chance at a starting job this season. He could sign a short-term contract to be a backup QB in 2016 and then look for a chance to start next season. I do think it's unlikely that he comes to Dallas, but I'm not going to rule anything out until he signed somewhere else.
I still like kmoore. Move along, nothing else to see.
Thanks for Ignacio. You're certainly not alone when it comes to being in favor for Kellen Moore being the backup QB in 2016. Right now, I'm on the fence and need more evidence before I feel comfortable with him backing up Romo.
Brian: I think you will look back and say you were wrong about putting K Moore in the middle and thinking Foles would be a better choice for backup. Let me give you a few facts/information to compare K Moore to N Foles: K Moore was a college star and one of the best all time pocket passers in college history. What was N Foles accomplishments in college? K Moore was an All-American and Heisman finalist. 2) K Moore has extensive experience even if not in the NFL. He started developing from the time he could walk as his dad was a coach and he was evidently obsessed with football. He was a high school super star. What was N Foles doing in jr high and high school? Was he obsessed with developing his QB skills/abilities like K Moore? S Linehan has said K Moore's extensive reps before even coming into the NFL are invaluable now and why he is so good. 3) N Foles struggled with reading defenses last year after being in the NFL for several years. One of K Moore's strengths is reading defenses and he will only get better with more experience/reps. 4) K Moore has improved each year in the NFL. N Foles had one good year and then has gone backwards for some reason. Maybe defense starting exploiting his weaknesses. 5) K Moore knows the Dallas offense/playbook well and has worked with versions of it for two plus years and has some starting experience in the offense. N Foles will be starting from scratch in learning the Dallas offense/playbook. 6) K Moore has S Linehan's confidence and the Dallas players confidence. N Foles will have to earn this confidence. 7) N Foles has struggled with accuracy. One of K Moore's greatest strengths is accuracy. I don't have any problem with Dallas bringing in N Foles to give K Moore some veteran competition. I don't think Showers/Prescott can give K Moore much competition. I doubt N Foles will be able to beat out K Moore. I fully expect K Moore to play well in 2016 preseason games and better than he did in 2015. He should be ready, experience, poised, have enough reps, have the chemistry down with the receivers, etc. to improve on his play.
George, for some reason I knew you would comment on this article. Like I mentioned in the article, I have nothing against Kellen Moore. I am however on the fence as to whether he can be a good backup QB for the Cowboys. I would like to see more evidence of him succeeding on the field before anointing him. Honestly, I could care less what he did in college. He has yet to prove himself in the NFL, but has a chance to do so this season. Nick Foles has been voted into the Pro Bowl and although he has seemed to regress a little he still has all of the tools that made him a pro bowler in the first place. I personally think Foles is a better player, but I would love to be proven wrong if and when Kellen Moore takes the field.
Kellen Moore will just simply win games. He's smart, doesn't get rattled, makes quick decisions, and simply wins.
That's what he did in college, but he has yet to prove himself in the NFL. I'm really anxious to see what he does in training camp and preseason, but as of right now I'm not very comfortable with him backing up Romo.
I am very much a Kellen Moore fan. I would love to see him succeed. At the same time I understand his skills and abilities need to be strongly evident come preseason. The position is his to win or lose. I'm grateful Dallas has given him this opportunity. After seeing the QB "look" fail twice last year…an insider and an outsider… I am hopeful that Moore's time with Dallas will now allow his strongest suits -accuracy, intelligence, system knowledge…to manifest. And to quote Linehan, Moore made the most 20 yard completions in 2016. Foles on the other hand seems like Outsider V.2… not getting better with time (no offense). With Moore already on board, my view is to stay the course with him. If the coaches weren't confident with his potential/ ability then he'd already be gone.
Thanks for commenting Ned. I'm actually rooting for Kellen Moore, but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with him backing up Tony Romo just yet. I would personally like to see more evidence that he can succeed at the NFL level. Everybody seems to refer back to his college statistics when stating why they believe he can be a good QB in the NFL, but I want to see him doing at the next level before I feel comfortable.
This may seem hasty, but I say put Foles as backup, but put Kellen Moore in the #1 spot. Can't wait for that day and year in the NFL.
Sharon, I don't see any scenario where Kellen Moore is a starting QB unless Tony Romo once again goes down with an injury. Even then, there are a lot of other quarterbacks I would prefer as the starter. Moore might be a good backup QB, but he has yet to prove himself in the NFL. We will see what kind of QB he can be once training camp starts tomorrow.
Brian I think Jeff Cook nails it in an earlier post. I'm not a Moore fan either and hope this is Tony's year to stay healthy and that alone allows Prescott to have a chance to grow in the system. Foles wants a starting gig and I don't see him coming here to ride the pine.
Don, Foles may want a starting job, but there simply isn't one out there. He will likely have to sign a one or two year contract as a backup QB and then hope to find a starting gig later. The Cowboys offer a perhaps he best situation for him to play because of Tony Romo's injury history over the last couple of years, which would allow him to play if Romo goes down again. It's going to be really interesting to see how this all plays out.