McShay - Barkley to Dallas?

[Risen Star]

USC QB Matt Barkley (Grade: 89)

Barkley faces more questions than perhaps any other prospect in the entire class. I felt he would have been the fourth-best quarterback in the 2012 draft -- behind Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill -- had he chosen to declare, but Barkley did have a huge year in 2011 and entered this season tied for the highest overall grade in the 2013 class.

The biggest concern, though, was his downfield accuracy and ability to drive the ball vertically, and Barkley (6-foot-1⅞, 228) did not show improvement in that area. And with the Trojans' offensive line struggling, Barkley's inability to make things happen on pressure drops was exposed.
Those kinds of drops are far more frequent in the NFL and one of the best indicators of what a quarterback will become as a pro, and his performance in that area was not good for his draft stock.

There is reason to believe Barkley can become a solid NFL starter in the right situation and with enough time to develop, but where does he fit?
He is smart, handles the blitz well and gets the ball out on time and in rhythm. That makes him a good fit in a West Coast system, but very few teams in the league currently run pure West Coast systems. Today's NFL is as much about spreading defenses vertically as much as horizontally, and arm-strength limitations will work against Barkley.

Also consider that West Coast-heavy teams like the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns have quarterbacks in place, and other QB-needy teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets often play in adverse weather and could have concerns about Barkley's ability to drive the ball through the elements. The Chiefs also have the No. 1 overall pick as of this writing, and Barkley does not appear to be an elite prospect worthy of that selection.

So where does he land? If Barkley falls out of the first half of the first round, he could have a hard time finding a fit in the second half of the first-round order because most teams there are set at quarterback. So does a team picking earlier in the second round trade back into the first to get him?

One interesting team to keep an eye on is the Dallas Cowboys, who run a lot of West Coast principles and don't have a great backup (Kyle Orton) who would preclude them from taking a player like Barkley. The Cowboys have Tony Romo, of course, but Romo will be 33 at the beginning of next season. He still has some football left in him, but Barkley might be an interesting option as an heir apparent who can be groomed while Romo continues to chase a Super Bowl title.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/blog/...cing-questions

[joseephuss]

Pass, I don't think he will amount to much.

[Risen Star]

He also includes the Cowboys as a possibility for Tyrann Mathieu in that article.

[RastaRocket]

Orton is a solid backup. If we get him it will be a media firestorm any time Tony has one of those games he has.

[Hailmary]

Originally Posted by joseephuss

Pass, I don't think he will amount to much.

Me too. With the exception of Palmer, USC qbs haven't amounted to much in the NFL. I guess it's not too difficult to put up huge numbers when you are surrounded by some of the best talent in the nation every year.

If we decide to take a QB to groom behind Romo, I think there are much better prospects in rounds 2 and 3.

[hutch1254]

With Jerry's history of ignoring the offensive line quality we are going to need to draft a QB that displays a high level of escapeability while still looking down field during those escapes. Obviously those types of QB's don't grow on trees. I'm not sure Barkley has that.

[FiveRings]

Originally Posted by RastaRocket

Orton is a solid backup. If we get him it will be a media firestorm any time Tony has one of those games he has.

It's going to happen anyway but we may as well pick a grooming project sooner or later.

[RS12]

God no to Barkley. If they are going to take a flyer in a QB, Dysert in the 4th.

[Western]

Originally Posted by RS12

God no to Barkley. If they are going to take a flyer in a QB, Dysert in the 4th.

Good point.
Depending on All-Star game performances, the combine, and his Pro-Day workout, Dysert might rise up draft boards (also, he was voted team captain of the Miami (OH) football team three consecutive years).

Depending if Dallas trades down - let's say in the 1st round and picks up an extra 2nd or 3rd, I would not hesitate in selecting Dysert in the 2nd round or 3rd round.

[DFWJC]

I'm a bit disappointed in McShay.

1) with all of Dallas' needs, why would they use a fairly high draft pick on a very risky prospect at a position of less need?

2) if he uses Kyle Orton as an example of a bad backup, exactly how many "good" backups are out ther?. Orton must be one of the 4-5 best backups in the entire NFL.

[DBOY3141]

Originally Posted by DFWJC

I'm a bit disappointed in McShay.

1) with all of Dallas' needs, why would they use a fairly high draft pick on a very risky prospect at a position of less need?

2) if he uses Kyle Orton as an example of a bad backup, exactly how many "good" backups are out ther?. Orton must be one of the 4-5 best backups in the entire NFL.

Because McShay only knows the "sexy" picks. He is the worst.

[jcollins28]

NO!!!!!!!

[respectdatstar]

I'd rather trade for Tebow.

[jimnabby]

Originally Posted by DFWJC

I'm a bit disappointed in McShay.

1) with all of Dallas' needs, why would they use a fairly high draft pick on a very risky prospect at a position of less need?

I'm with you on the "very risky" part, but Dallas drafts BPA in the early rounds, so if the right QB is there, I have no doubt they'll either take him or work out a juicy trade.

Originally Posted by DFWJC

2) if he uses Kyle Orton as an example of a bad backup, exactly how many "good" backups are out ther?. Orton must be one of the 4-5 best backups in the entire NFL.

Yeah, that's a little weird, but I think he's saying that Orton isn't an heir apparent, which is true. Actually, I don't think he's saying that, but that's what he should have been saying if he wanted to make his point.

[IAmLegend]

No.. Just.. no.