Conflicting reports on the Cowboys upcoming first round selection via Jerry Jones have came up over the past weeks, as he was first reported as saying that the team will definitively not use the fourth overall pick on a quarterback.
Later, with smoke screen season in full force, he went on to say that no one – including him – knew what the team was going to do with that very pick.
While Cowboys fans will continue to debate what SHOULD be done with this pick, there is one unified thing that fans will agree with when it comes to this draft in it’s entirety.
Whether it’s in the first round or fifth, the Cowboys must walk away from the 2016 draft with a QB at some point. I personally have written numerous times about my desire for Jared Goff, but have also shown respect to the likes of Jeff Driskel and Dak Prescott.
No matter which signal caller Dallas ends up with, they will have an distinct advantage over other rookies that are asked to start right away, while also receiving a “Harvard degree in how to play quarterback” – according to Jones.
This “degree” would not only come from the experience Tony Romo can help a young quarterback gain, but also be aided by the likes of Scott Linehan, Jason Garrett and QB Coach Wade Wilson.
Collectively, these coaches bring over 30 years of NFL quarterback experience, with Romo of course also owning most of the Cowboys records for major passing statistics – earned over his 10 years as a starter.
Bringing in a quarterback through the NFL draft should only be done after a team, from top to bottom, feels that it’s organization is stable. Asking a gifted passer to correct everything from lack of offensive help to lack of defense, coaching, management, or any other factor has been done numerous times with the same failed results.
Jason Garrett has certainly worked to build great stability in his time here as the Head Coach, and certainly had to consider the team’s need for a QB when deciding not to make any major changes to the coaching staff after a 4 win season.
The Cowboys, now with this stability, have a chance to very quickly turn around an ugly 2015 season while looking into the future past just 2016. While a 2016 season with a healthy Tony Romo will immediately give this team an immeasurable boost, it should also be the “freshmen year” for Romo’s heir, as he begins work on his Harvard degree of Quarterbacking following his selection in the 2016 NFL draft.
I was chatting with @Jess Haynie about this earlier this morning.
I am a HUGE proponent of grooming. I would go as far as to say that if you pick a top college talent, the "success rate" of that player being groomed into a quality quarterback is 75% or more as long as they're not asked to start for at least two full seasons. I honestly have that much confidence in the rare opportunity teams get to groom top college talents. They already have the skill set, so you get to spend a couple seasons helping them get their heads right, which is honestly half the battle.
At the same time, look at the crappy situation the Broncos are in today. They drafted a guy four years ago in the 2nd round (Brock Osweiler) and they got to see him start for just a handful of games. He played "well enough" that you want to keep him, but now it's already time for his 2nd contract. They have offered him a contract worth about $15 million per season and that STILL might not be enough. All for a guy who has started 7 games in his entire career.
This is the worst-case scenario when it comes to grooming a quarterback, which is basically that your incumbent starter ends up staying around for the duration of the backup's rookie contract. What will Brock Osweiler ultimately be? We don't yet know, but it's going to cost the Broncos $15-20 million per season to find out.
Ultimately, I still want a quarterback. I've even softened my stance a bit and have decided I'd be comfortable if they could get someone like Dak Prescott in the 2nd or 3rd. But the Osweiler situation does at least give me some pause. The good news is that if they drafted a guy in the 1st round, I have ultimate confidence he will have at least 2 years left on his rookie deal when Romo retires. One at minimum.
I hate that we've only given this one real try during the Romo Era with Stephen McGee. Should've drafted a new mid-round guy immediately when we knew McGee wasn't going to work out. Keep the pipeline moving.
Completely agree, Jess. I forget where I saw it but I saw a list of all the QBs teams like the Packers have drafted during the time Rodgers has been a starter, Brady in New England, etc. All way more than 1 – and all with more untapped potential than Stephen McGee.