News: BTB: Are There Any Interesting QB Prospects Left On NFL Practice Squads?

[NewsBot]

Would you be willing to use a 53-man roster spot to take a flyer on a QB from another team's practice squad?

The Cowboys will likely send both Tony Romo and Gavin Escobar to IR, which means they have two roster spots to fiil. Which makes me wonder whether the Cowboys should try to "poach" a player from another team's practice squad.

And I'm not alone in thinking that. Friend-of-the-blog Dan Turner had the same idea and even came up with a few names he would look at:

If Cowboys IR Romo and Escobar, I'm PS poaching. Give me 2 of Ced Thompson (FS), Jarvis Harrison (OG), B. Koyack (TE), S. Jean-Baptiste (CB)

— Dan Turner (@dtsturner) December 22, 2015​

The Cowboys are not averse to signing players off of other practice squads. This year, they signed RB Trey Williams off Washington's practice squad in November and DT David Irving (KC) in September. Last year they signed OT Tony Hills (MIA), the year before it was Frank Kearse (TEN), Orie Lemon (ARI), and Everett Dawkins (MIN), and in 2012 it was Darrion Weems (DEN) and Sterling Moore (NE).

The Cowboys obviously have players on their own practice squad they could call up including QB Jameill Showers, LB Keith Smith, and the previously mentioned Darrion Weems. But with just two weeks to go, they might as well try to get a head start in building their roster for 2016.

Dan made some suggestions about positions the Cowboys could look at, but why not get a head start in looking for that elusive backup QB?

The only problem is, it's slim pickings on NFL practice squads if you're looking for a QB. There are just 10 QBs on practice squads around the league, and unfortunately, it's not just the quantity that's lacking. Here's an overview of the 10 QBs left on NFL rosters this week:

Team Name Age NFL Exp. College Comment​

IND Alex Tanney

28 3​

Monmouth Tanney spent some time with the Cowboys in 2013, and has since been signed by the Browns, Buccaneers, Titans, Bills, Colts, and most recently the Titans.
OAK Garrett Gilbert

24 2​

SMU Gilbert worked out for the Cowboys during Dallas Day in 2014, but there doesn't appear to have been much interest. Gilbert was picked by the Rams in the 6th round of the draft and has since spent time with the Patriots, Lions, and Raiders
NYG G.J. Kinne

27 4​

Tulsa Kinne attended Dallas Day in 2012, but did not try out in Dallas beyond that, perhaps because the Jets offered him a contract. But the Jets released him before training camp and he then played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL and San Antonio Talons of the AFL. He spent the 2013 training camp with the Eagles, was released during final cuts and re-signed to the Philly PS. He hung on in Philly until end of camp this year and was then picked up by the Giants.
TEN Mike Kafka

28 6​

Northwestern The Eagles drafted Kafka in the fourth round in 2010, and as is their habit, promptly proclaimed him the next big thing, but eventually released him. The Patriots signed him early in 2013, and when they waived him mid-year, the Cowboys put in a waiver claim, but the Jaguars were awarded his contract. From there he eventually moved on to the Bucs, Vikings and now the Titans.
SD Brad Sorensen

27 3​

Southern Utah Sorensen was a 7th-round pick for the Chargers in 2013, but was released at the end of camp a year later. He spent some time in Tennessee before returning to San Diego in December last year and has since been moving between up and down between the 53-man roster and the practice squad.
PHI Stephen Morris

23 2​

Miami Morris was signed as a UDFA by the Jaguars last year and picked up by the Eagles this year. Probably knows how to make a mean smoothie by now.
CHI Matt Blanchard

26 4​

Wis.-Whitewater Division III player who's been with the Bears, Panthers, Packers, Browns, Colts, and the Bears again.
DET Ricky Stanzi

28 5​

Iowa Former 5th-round pick from 2011 is now on his fifth team after stints in Kansas City, Jacksonville, Houston, and the New York Giants.
ATL Matt Simms

27 4​

Tennessee The son of Phil Simms spent three years with the Jets before moving on to Buffalo this year, where he lost out to Matt Cassel among others and was released during final roster cuts.
SFO McLeod Bethel-Thompson

27 5​

Sacramento State Bethel-Thompson, a UDFA in 2011, has spent time with the San Jose Sabercats, the 49ers, the Sacramento Mountain Lions, the Dolphins, the Vikings, the 49ers again, the Patriots, the Vikings again, the Dolphins again, the Los Angeles Kiss, and the 49ers again.​

The Cowboys already know Tanney, Gilbert, and Kinne, so their chances of landing on the Cowboys roster as developmental QBs is probably approaching zero. I don't know much about the rest of the guys on this list, but you could probably pick up every one of them sometime this offseason if you wanted to. Besides, the Cowboys already have Jameill Showers and I'm not clear any of the guys above would be much of an upgrade.

When I ran this list by my good friend rabblerousr, he was much less diplomatic than I was in answering the question in the title of this article:

If by "interesting" you mean that they can dance the NeNe or were their frat's beer pong champion, then yes. If you mean "can play NFL football," then the answer must be an unequivocal 'No."
​

If not at the QB spot, would you be willing to use a 53-man roster spot to take a flyer on another position, and if so, which position would that be?

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