The Dallas Cowboys are quickly approaching a crossroads at the quarterback position and it would be wise to address it sooner rather than later.
There are few teams in the NFL that are able to choose when they want to move on from their franchise quarterback and begin the next “era” for the team. Most teams find their hands forced, hoping that the quarterback they get in the next draft is the right player to replace an injured/lackluster/traded/retiring starter (take your pick, all of those options are valid).
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It is rare for teams to do the opposite and choose when they will pick a player they love to replace someone who has loyally provided service at the position for many years. The Indianapolis Colts were wise to go with Andrew Luck instead of waiting on Peyton Manning’s twilight years and the Green Bay Packers shrewdly took the falling Aaron Rodgers to play behind Brett Favre.
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In contrast, the 2011 draft class was a great example of team after team in need of a QB hoping that someone with a “first round grade” could do the job.
The Dallas Cowboys cannot afford to wait it out and hope that whatever QB is available when Tony Romo’s time ends is the best quarterback they will see in years. They cannot afford to possibly have another injury-riddle position sink their ship as the playoff window remains open.
Drafting a first round quarterback should not be viewed as something that only non-contenders do. It’s a movement for the organization to set the tone for the coming years. It’s a decision that has been mired in the stigma of struggling franchises but actually reflects control and moving the team toward a specific direction. The Cowboys, who are a much better team than their 2015 record, find themselves in a unique position to draft a franchise quarterback at the top of the draft, allowing them to choose which direction to go.
Romo’s time is almost done. His smiling, boyish face and love for the game makes it easy to overlook that he’ll be 36 in April and has 12 seasons under his belt. It’s time to look to the future.
Todd Archer at ESPN quotes Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as saying that drafting a quarterback is no “have to” and he’s right. The Cowboys don’t have to draft a quarterback this offseason. They can find bandaids in free agency, they can hope to ride Romo’s arm for a few more seasons before addressing the position. They can hope that 2015 was nothing more than a fluke. They can gamble on those things, but it does not seem to be the prudent move.
Jones isn’t feeling the pressure to replace Romo immediately, but as the age and surgeries build up on their franchise quarterback, the search for a QB will only continue to nag the Cowyboys’ owner.
Jones’ head coach, Jason Garrett, has already agreed that it is time to find Romo’s replacement. Garrett has been with the team since 2007 and has been a quarterbacks coach and quarterback in the NFL. He recognizes the signs that a QB is slowing down and his time under center may be coming to a close. He knows that Romo’s time is nearly up. NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread quotes Garrett as the team having “gotten into trouble when you overdo the need thing.”
And that’s the big concern: drafting a quarterback for need.
Right now, there is no need. Tony Romo is the current answer at quarterback and, when healthy, he is among the best in the NFL. The Cowboys are not in a position where they are being forced to draft a quarterback, and that makes selecting one in the first round in the 2016 NFL Draft all the more appealing. Taking the pick of the litter, so to speak, allows the Cowboys to get someone they are comfortable with to groom behind Romo.
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Carson Wentz and Jared Goff top the list at quarterback in this year’s draft and either one of them could be the next franchise quarterback for Dallas. Wentz seems to be the more complete option who just needs some time to grow. Whether Jones and Garrett feel comfortable enough with either of them will likely dictate if they want to draft their quarterback of the future this year or gamble with Romo for some more time.
The bigger question may be, when will the Cowboys have a chance to draft a quarterback this early again? I say it’s time to pull the trigger.