News: BTB: Wrapping Up The Offseason: Did Dallas Cowboys Improve At Quarterback?

[NewsBot]

Before the dead zone is over and the Cowboys head out to Oxnard, we ask if they have improved from 2015 to 2016?

[After that disastrous 2015 season, that saw the Cowboys go 4-12 with huge thanks to the injury bug, we are going to examine the entire roster from top to bottom and ask:

Have the Dallas Cowboys improved?

That may seem like a loaded question but in terms of looking inside and out and taking every variable into the equation that question can be answered. Do you believe that the Cowboys improved from one year to the next?]

We start with the quarterback position, the most important of any position in professional football and perhaps one of the most tantalizing topics of the offseason. Did this team improve at the quarterback position?

Last Season:


QB1-Tony Romo (missed 12 games with fractured clavicle)

QB2- Brandon Weeden (Lost three straight starts, waived Nov. 17)

QB2.5 - Matt Cassel (traded for on Sept. 22, went 1-6 in 8 appearances, signed with Titans in March)

QB3- Kellen Moore (started final two games of season, went 0-2, had 435 yards 3 TDs, 2 INTs in finale)

QB4- Jameill Showers (spent season on PS, played scout team QB and safety)

This Season:


QB1- Tony Romo (clavicle surgery back in March, completed entire offseason program)

QB2- Kellen Moore ( the only quarterback with NFL starts behind Romo)

QB3- Dak Prescott (drafted in fourth round after standing out in SEC)

QB4- Jameill Showers (will get chance to compete solely at quarterback)

All through the beginning of this offseason, there was speculation all over the map of what the Cowboys should do at quarterback. Tony Romo, 36, was coming off an injury-riddled season that put doubts in the minds of his most loyal supporters. The Cowboys learned quite plainly that they go as Romo goes and many "draft experts" were calling for Dallas to strongly consider taking a quarterback for the future with their fourth-overall pick.

What they failed to realize is that the price is pretty steep for a potential franchise quarterback and there are always people in the bidding war. Both the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles made trades to get to the number one and two picks, respectively. Just like that the top two quarterback prospects in Jared Goff (Cal) and Carson Wentz (NDSU) were off the boards before the Cowboys could even think about picking them.

Dallas had to do something that would help out a team that has a quarterback (4X Pro Bowler) among other fine pieces (All-Pro O-Line, TE, & WR) so they drafted a running back in the first round to dominate on the ground in 2016.

They tried to address quarterback again in the late stages of the first round but were thwarted by another quarterback-needy team in the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. After Peyton Manning retired and Brock Osweiler spurned the organization for benching him in favor of the old man, the Broncos were looking at Mark Sanchez. Denver drafted the Cowboys targeted signal-caller Paxton Lynch after hopping up to the 26th pick.

As the fourth round began, the Cowboys had actually targeted Connor Cook, a quarterback with a potential second-round grade but wasn't everyone's best friend with their 101st pick. The Raiders jumped the Cowboys and took Cook to backup Derek Carr. Dallas then targeted a high-potential player that was raw but talented in Dak Prescott, a player they met with quite a bit through the offseason and watched him win Senior Bowl MVP honors and smash the SEC record books.

As far as insurance policies in the free agency period, the Cowboys met with former backup quarterback Matt Moore, but nothing was set and he re-signed with the Dolphins. Not impressed with the dwindling free agent market of quarterbacks, the Cowboys decided to stick with Moore, an admitted favorite of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. They also brought Jameill Showers forward and let him know that he's a quarterback and won't have to play defensive back on the practice squad this offseason.

So, Did the Dallas Cowboys improve the position?

We shall soon see in training camp but it's still quite scary to think that Kellen Moore is the best backup option at this point. The NFL is bone-dry at the quarterback position as Ryan Fitzpatrick is the best option but is playing chicken with the New York Jets. We'll take your answers in the poll and your explanations in the comment section.

Poll
Did the Dallas Cowboys improve at the quarterback position?

• Yes
• No

7 votes | Results

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