A strong practice on Sunday has Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys feeling more comfortable in waiting to find a backup quarterback.
“I’m really more encouraged after this about holding our pat hand on a veteran quarterback than before,” Jones said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “If we continue to see this kind of improvement and see this kind of instinctive [play] and really look very comfortable, if we can see this that will give us some running room out there.”
With presumed backup Kellen Moore out at least 3-4 months after ankle surgery, the Cowboys have leaned on youngsters Dak Prescott and Jameill Showers at quarterback. The two showed well at Sunday’s practice, completing 16 of their 22 combined passes during team drills, according to Archer’s count.
While the Cowboys likely won’t feel comfortable going into the regular season with the current depth chart, there’s obvious value in the team’s young quarterbacks getting practice reps now. The extra experience will especially help Prescott, a fourth-round pick and the team’s future behind aging starter Tony Romo.
Not rushing into a decision will also allow the Cowboys to keep their current draft capital.
A number of veteran quarterbacks figure to be released in the coming weeks, as teams trim their rosters from 90 players to 53. If the Cowboys can get by now with the youngsters backing up Romo, an attractive option could present itself as the regular season draws near. And it wouldn’t cost Dallas a single draft pick.
Trading for a veteran, such as Cleveland’s Josh McCown or Tampa Bay’s Mike Glennon, would certainly cost the Cowboys a pick.
However, waiting also has its drawbacks, as not getting a veteran into camp now would rob the player of learning a new offense. It’s a balancing act the Cowboys will have to weigh over the next few weeks, when preseason games start kicking into gear.
As it stands now, the Cowboys no longer appear in a hurry to add a quarterback.