If one thing has become abundantly clear during the preseason thus far, it’s that if Dak Prescott goes down, the Dallas Cowboys are in big trouble at the quarterback position.
Of course, this is true of virtually every team in the league, as the game’s most important position is also the most barren in talent. But for the Cowboys, they have looked a special kind of dreadful on offense when Prescott exits the game.
Yes, Ezekiel Elliott and much of the offensive line have also been out, causing the team’s running game to be weaker than usual. But the fact of the matter is if the Cowboys have to give Cooper Rush or Mike White any real playing time, they’ll be out of contention rather quickly.
So now the question becomes, should the Cowboys address the backup quarterback position via trade?
Well before looking for trade options around the league we first have to evaluate the Cowboys QB room internally. Obviously there is a lack of reliability behind Dak Prescott, but some fans and writers would argue that the lack of reliability actually begins with Dak Prescott.
While I certainly see him as their quarterback for the long haul, this is a prove-it-year for Prescott. And if he is unable to prove it, and looks more like the November 2017 version of himself than the 2016 version, having a reliable backup quarterback would be a necessary luxury.
Still, Prescott is the unquestioned leader in the locker room. The players seem to really respect him, and the coaches all sing his praises constantly. Prescott is the “guy” in Dallas for however long as his play dictates, and bringing in an outsider wouldn’t change that. Even if that outsider is a veteran quarterback type.
The problem with trading, though, is that you don’t want to give away assets which could aid Prescott in a championship chase. These assets should be used to build around Prescott, giving him any and all the firepower he needs to win games, and trading them away for a backup quarterback probably doesn’t help accomplish that goal.
With all that being said it’s still fun to shop around the league, right?
The obvious quarterback everyone seems to be looking for in a trade is current Jets QB Teddy Bridgewater. Coming off what looked to be a career ending injury, Bridgewater has played some of his best football during this year’s preseason. There’s an argument to be made that he’s best quarterback the Jets have, but they have placed their future on the shoulders of rookie Sam Darnold. Darnold is the guy for the Jets moving forward, meaning that Bridgewater could be on his way out via trade.
A second, and potentially cheaper, option for the Cowboys is Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin. Though plagued by injuries throughout his career, Griffin can now serve as an above average backup, giving the Cowboys some more depth behind Prescott.
Like the Jets, the Ravens could be looking to deal Griffin because of a first round rookie quarterback. Lamar Jackson has been relatively impressive during the preseason, though he does need some work before taking over the QB1 role. Still, Jackson is a solid backup option for 2018, meaning that Griffin could be available via trade.
All in all it’s hard for me to imagine the Cowboys making any trades for a quarterback. I think the most realistic option is that they bring in someone after final cuts, like they did in 2016 when they signed Mark Sanchez prior to the start of the regular season.
