Solving the Backup QB Issue For the Future

It seems like every other season the Cowboys had to depend on winning games without their starter. They soon recognized this and it forced them to pay very good cap money. Then, they hoped the player never got the opportunity to earn it.

It's very rare to find a backup with the potential to be a starter in the league. When one is available, they become expensive.

The Cowboys have tried two different strategies. One is to overpay for a veteran with starting experience. The other is to rely on the drafting in the 3rd day and rookie free agents. Unfortunately, the only rookie QB's that can make it are the ones that never have to play. When it becomes necessary we soon discover why they were rookie free agents and 3rd day picks.

There are exceptions, of course, but they are just that...exceptions. It is not a "high yield" strategy for backup QB's

However, a team that will commit to drafting QB's in the 1st to 3rd rounds every three years, more or less, they will have better talent and potential to work with from a statistical probability standpoint. There are many other benefits as well.

First, there is actual competition. Most players, including quarterbacks will admit to putting in extra effort if there is a perception that the backup is catching up to his skill set.

Secondly and, just as important, is the cost. Comparatively, the team now has the potential talent without the cap hit. That is even more important if your starter is one of the highest paid.

Third, there is always the potential for trade. if your backup had an opportunity to showcase his potential and another team is interested, there may be incredible value to the team.

Fourth, he will be drafted based on the team's system and he will learn the team's system. Veterans do not offer the flexibility of choosing one that fits the system. If the veteran QB is ever needed, the system has to change to fit his abilities of lack thereof.

If a QB is drafted in the 1st to 3rd round every 3rd season then you always have a rookie at the same time your previous backup is in his contract year.

When you think of some of the 1st to 3rd picks the Cowboys have wasted in the past, would this really effect the overall talent acquisition that much?

The idea is good in theory, but when your starting quarterback plays 16 games and you're stuck with a backup who isn't playing instead of a starting corner like Trevon Diggs or maybe even a Hall of Famer like Jason Witten, the strategy doesn't look too good. It's hard to give up potential starters for a player you want just as a backup plan, even though you know you are going to sometimes draft a Taco Charlton. There are going to be misses, and based on the number of misses at the QB position, even if you draft one, there's a good possibility he's going to be John Beck, Browning Nagle, Mike Elkins or Giovanni Carmazzi (all second-round QB busts).

Something I would do (and this is an outside the box idea), but I would try to take advantage of the International Pathways Program as a way to find a backup QB that can be developed for a few seasons. There are some QBs in the Japan X-League who could be good options. The Munich Cowboys are consistently good in the German League and may have a QB worth trying to develop. This could be an outside the box way to try to develop someone.

The best thing they could do is get Dalton to come back and sign him to a 2 year deal to be the backup.

rambo2 said:

The best thing they could do is get Dalton to come back and sign him to a 2 year deal to be the backup.

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Why would he do that? He probably be starter in Chicago.

Kellen Moore can still play?

The problem is that teams are looking for first and second year starters in the first 4 rounds and using those picks on a quarterback you do not need, unless one you had much higher on your board is still available, has a higher chance of creating a deficit of starters in other positions 1-2 years from now that will force teams to have to use very high round picks on players they could have already filled in future drafts.

Remember, the draft is not just about getting great players, it's about keeping your team balanced enough financially that you can fit your post-rookie-contract, veteran and free agent signings under the salary cap while complementing them with draft picks still under their salary-cap-friendly rookie contract.

What makes non-starter drafted quarterbacks different than most other drafted players is that they are not going to get as many opportunities to play as other positions because the starter is going to take the bulk of weekly reps where other positions will rotate first and second and sometimes third string players into those reps.

Personally, my strategy would be to let other teams draft random quarterbacks in the mid to late rounds as backups and see how they perform in preseason games or regular season games if they get the opportunity.

Then if I see aspects I like about their potential I would try to trade for them even if it meant going a round or two higher than they are worth.

Let's say a team knows they will need a quarterback two years from now in 2023 so next year they draft one in the third round and then two years from now draft one in the second round.

Now they have two high round picks used (possibly wasted) on two quarterbacks hoping they get one starter out of them and one of them is coming in to the NFL for the first time in 2023 when they need a starter.

Instead of gambling like that, I think it would be smarter to find a team that has a backup quarterback that has played well in the last couple of years and then offering them one second or third round pick to get them.

That way it only costs you one high round draft pick and you know what you are getting before you spend it.

While there are no guarantees, the league is filled with high round drafted quarterbacks that never live up to their expectations, so I would focus on recently drafted quarterbacks by other teams that gambled their multiple picks to find that player because at least then you are using your draft pick (and just one of them) on a known commodity.

A trade is soon coming for a backup QB.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Draft a quarterback every single season with a late round pick, you just never know what you’re going to get. You could have a first round bust . And the last round superstar

In theory sure that works.

But, QBs have a huge bust rate. . Now with hindsight we can say in the 2019 draft we picked a disappointment in the 2nd round, so who cares if instead we took a QB there. But the way this team tries to build a roster is that they use the day 1 and 2 picks for guys they will try to count on their rookie year. The Cowboys were going into that draft needing a DT.

Very rarely do teams actually hit on a QB and then can trade him off for anywhere near the assets they used to draft him with
Off the top of my head, the last one was Jimmy G.

Pittsburgh has been drafting QB's for a bit now due to Ben R getting up there in age. They have yet to really hit on one, even can't settle on a competent backup from their draft picks.

When the draft rolls around teams always overvalue the QB spot and will take a QB in the top 10 off potential even if the QB had a 56% completion percentage in college(Josh Allen). Took him a while to develop and luckily for the Bills he did pan out.

John813 said:

In theory sure that works.

But, QBs have a huge bust rate. . Now with hindsight we can say in the 2019 draft we picked a disappointment in the 2nd round, so who cares if instead we took a QB there. But the way this team tries to build a roster is that they use the day 1 and 2 picks for guys they will try to count on their rookie year. The Cowboys were going into that draft needing a DT.

Very rarely do teams actually hit on a QB and then can trade him off for anywhere near the assets they used to draft him with
Off the top of my head, the last one was Jimmy G.

Pittsburgh has been drafting QB's for a bit now due to Ben R getting up there in age. They have yet to really hit on one, even can't settle on a competent backup from their draft picks.

When the draft rolls around teams always overvalue the QB spot and will take a QB in the top 10 off potential even if the QB had a 56% completion percentage in college(Josh Allen). Took him a while to develop and luckily for the Bills he did pan out.

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That’s what I’ve been saying for years. Draft a quarterback every season. With a late round pick

John813 said:

In theory sure that works.

But, QBs have a huge bust rate. . Now with hindsight we can say in the 2019 draft we picked a disappointment in the 2nd round, so who cares if instead we took a QB there. But the way this team tries to build a roster is that they use the day 1 and 2 picks for guys they will try to count on their rookie year. The Cowboys were going into that draft needing a DT.

Very rarely do teams actually hit on a QB and then can trade him off for anywhere near the assets they used to draft him with
Off the top of my head, the last one was Jimmy G.

Pittsburgh has been drafting QB's for a bit now due to Ben R getting up there in age. They have yet to really hit on one, even can't settle on a competent backup from their draft picks.

When the draft rolls around teams always overvalue the QB spot and will take a QB in the top 10 off potential even if the QB had a 56% completion percentage in college(Josh Allen). Took him a while to develop and luckily for the Bills he did pan out.

Click to expand...

Stick to the thread topic. We ain't talking about starting QBs, we are talking about backups.

JoeKing said:

Stick to the thread topic. We ain't talking about starting QBs, we are talking about backups.

Click to expand...

So was he

JoeKing said:

A trade is soon coming for a backup QB.

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I hope so because the clowns they have been using aren't talented enough to be anything but a 3rd string QB.

Andy Dalton may be cut by the Bears if their rookie, Justin Fields, wins the starting job.

plasticman said:

It seems like every other season the Cowboys had to depend on winning games without their starter. They soon recognized this and it forced them to pay very good cap money. Then, they hoped the player never got the opportunity to earn it.

It's very rare to find a backup with the potential to be a starter in the league. When one is available, they become expensive.

The Cowboys have tried two different strategies. One is to overpay for a veteran with starting experience. The other is to rely on the drafting in the 3rd day and rookie free agents. Unfortunately, the only rookie QB's that can make it are the ones that never have to play. When it becomes necessary we soon discover why they were rookie free agents and 3rd day picks.

There are exceptions, of course, but they are just that...exceptions. It is not a "high yield" strategy for backup QB's

However, a team that will commit to drafting QB's in the 1st to 3rd rounds every three years, more or less, they will have better talent and potential to work with from a statistical probability standpoint. There are many other benefits as well.

First, there is actual competition. Most players, including quarterbacks will admit to putting in extra effort if there is a perception that the backup is catching up to his skill set.

Secondly and, just as important, is the cost. Comparatively, the team now has the potential talent without the cap hit. That is even more important if your starter is one of the highest paid.

Third, there is always the potential for trade. if your backup had an opportunity to showcase his potential and another team is interested, there may be incredible value to the team.

Fourth, he will be drafted based on the team's system and he will learn the team's system. Veterans do not offer the flexibility of choosing one that fits the system. If the veteran QB is ever needed, the system has to change to fit his abilities of lack thereof.

If a QB is drafted in the 1st to 3rd round every 3rd season then you always have a rookie at the same time your previous backup is in his contract year.

When you think of some of the 1st to 3rd picks the Cowboys have wasted in the past, would this really effect the overall talent acquisition that much?

Click to expand...

Which strategy for QB reserve backups has been the more effective one, not just Cowboys, but around the NFL ?
1) Signing FA vet (overpay)
2) drafting late round QB projects or signing undrafted rookie QBs

Now if you look into the more notable FA backup vet QBs that were available on the street this offseason, aside from Fitzpatrick and Dalton- vet guys such as Joe Flacco, Colt McCoy
or Tyrod Taylor did not really break the bank , or overpay as you term it, you will see how fairly inexpensive it was for just a rental year, for the most critical position on the entire team.
Around 5 million and under is about the market value for years, experience for.
Unless you’re a miser, that’s’ relatively fair market deal for backup commodity.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/quarterback/all/

I often here the old same cliché that " the season is done for if our starter gets injured " ..if we're not talking about an entire remaining season, and just a few games
until our starter returns, that's what's most meaningful from our backup QB.
Can he give us a chance to compete and win close games ?

- If Dak gets a concussion, or sprain ankle and out for a couple of game, can we get a decent enough outing from our backup for those couple of games,
that could decide NFC East race or clinched home field or playoff berth.
Can that backup QB be a Jason Garrett thanksgiving comeback win over GB ?
Can that backup be a step in ala Rodney Peete, even a Andy Dalton ? (who did come in to help win that Giants- Dak hurt game)

We need to be just competitive enough in those couple of games to allow us a chance at a win or wins that could be so very critical down the key stretch.

What I don’t get with this Cowboys team is that we don’t develop a blue print and stay with it.

We go thru a yo yo, rollercoaster mentality and approach of learning, then un-learning, ..until we eventually have to hit that Brick Wall reality again.
The minute i can get excited to acquire the services of Andy Dalton as a serviceable experienced backup QB, ..then the very next year it's down to scrub backups such as
Garrett Gilbert and ... Cooper Rush ?

Whirlwin said:

That’s what I’ve been saying for years. Draft a quarterback every season. With a late round pick

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I'm not necessarily for that, but I do believe you should spend a late-round pick on them until you are sure that you've found one. Then bring in UDFAs for the next couple of years to see if you can develop the late-round pick's replacement and if not, then start drafting quarterbacks yearly again.

If you find a competent one, there's notreason to spend a draft pick on the position for his rookie and sophomore years. But since he'll likely leave in FA after his fourth year, drafting one in each of his final two years (if necessary) continues the cycle without it essentially reducing your draft possibilities by one every season for other positions.

John813 said:

In theory sure that works.

But, QBs have a huge bust rate. . Now with hindsight we can say in the 2019 draft we picked a disappointment in the 2nd round, so who cares if instead we took a QB there. But the way this team tries to build a roster is that they use the day 1 and 2 picks for guys they will try to count on their rookie year. The Cowboys were going into that draft needing a DT.

Very rarely do teams actually hit on a QB and then can trade him off for anywhere near the assets they used to draft him with
Off the top of my head, the last one was Jimmy G.

Pittsburgh has been drafting QB's for a bit now due to Ben R getting up there in age. They have yet to really hit on one, even can't settle on a competent backup from their draft picks.

When the draft rolls around teams always overvalue the QB spot and will take a QB in the top 10 off potential even if the QB had a 56% completion percentage in college(Josh Allen). Took him a while to develop and luckily for the Bills he did pan out.

Click to expand...

Steelers also have been counting on experienced vet QBs ala Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon, Byron Leftwrich to fill in for injured Big Ben as well. they've only drafted two QBs youngsters
ala Mason Rudolph (3rd round) and Landry Jones (4th round) .

..... while we've only had Andy Dalton on a one year deal as the only effort to bring on anyone reputable enough ,..otherwise it's been Cooper Rush,.. Ben DiNucci,... and who else ?

Good OP plasticman. Too bad management fails to understand this logic.

The team should use a mid-round pick, every few years, to draft and develop a quality backup QB. (for all the good reasons listed above)

Bring in a young player that actually has real potential.