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.
