The Cowboys shouldn’t burn a pick on a quarterback

Whispers about The Star have the Cowboys targeting a quarterback in the later rounds of this year’s draft. The top players at the position are going to be gone by the middle of the first round. So what does that leave for Dallas?

The possibilities are TCU’s Max Duggan, UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson or even Houston’s Clayton Tune. At best, they would be holding a clipboard for this year. Beyond that would depend on how Dak Prescott rebounds from last year’s disappointing numbers.

The Cowboys do need a Plan B in case Prescott regresses. Like it or not, he led the NFL in interceptions and Pick-6s last year despite missing several games. He cannot have another bad season and expect to keep his job.

Finding A Quarterback AFTER The Draft

But, does Dallas need to burn a late round pick on an unproven rookie who will need time to develop? Why not use that pick instead to shore up an area of need on one of the lines, or the defensive backfield?

There is an option out there to pick up a player who is a known commodity. He’s piling up a nice record as a starter at the professional level. He’s even pretty familiar with the Cowboys’ playbook – an advantage over the rookie who’ll have to learn it.

Bringing Back A Former Starter

Ben DiNucci was a seventh-round pick of the Cowboys in 2020. He did start one game, a 23-9 loss to Philadelphia in his rookie year. DiNucci did not throw for a touchdown or an interception, but was sacked four times and fumbled twice. He was 21-for-40 for 180 yards and did take a 9-7 lead into halftime.

He was cut last year at the end of training camp but still has ties to Dallas and Mike McCarthy. More importantly, he’s spent this spring playing as a starter for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons, and he’s led them to the playoffs.

In 10 games, DiNucci has Seattle at 7-3. The three losses have been by a combined total of seven points. And his individual stats have been solid.

He’s completing 64.7% of his passes. He has 20 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. The last two would not have happened if Seattle wasn’t trying to force what turned out to be an unneeded final score for the XFL’s tiebreaker system.

He’s also doing damage with his legs. He’s averaging 30 yards a game rushing and has three rushing touchdowns to his credit. And he has Seattle two wins away from a championship.

A Starting-ready Back-up

Yes, Cooper Rush has been solid in his six starts over the last two seasons. A 5-1 record is a nice stat to have on a resume.

But, if DiNucci – who is only 26 years old — does lead Seattle to a title, why not bring him back? Not only does he push Rush, he also pushes Prescott. Dak starts throwing the ball to the wrong color jersey again? Bring in the guy who knows how to win titles at the pro level.

And the bonus: Dallas didn’t spend another 7th round pick to have him on the roster. They can use that pick to fill another more pressing hole in the roster. Win-win.