Cam Newton, Justin Herbert to the Dallas Cowboys legitimate option?

Could the Dallas Cowboys really move on from Dak Prescott and use Cam Newton and rookie Justin Herbert as their new quarterbacks

The Dallas Cowboys technically don’t have their starting quarterback under contract right now. Dak Prescott was scheduled to hit the open market this offseason but then the team hit him with the franchise tag.

This came after being unable to come to terms with Prescott on a multi-year deal and the two sides don’t appear to be any closer to striking up a contract. This has led to plenty of speculation on what the team should do, and according to Dan Orlovsky, they could look to Cam Newton as the short-term replacement while grooming Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.

While speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Orlovsky said the team could draft Herbert, assuming he falls to No. 17, and then save a lot of money by signing Cam Newton to a one- or two-year deal. That saved money, Orlovsky said, could help Dallas build a dominant defense by paying Jadeveon Clowney.

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

Clearly, there’s a lot to unpack here. The first portion of what Orlovsky says seems to be incredibly unlikely. Herbert, who was expected to be a top-five pick last season before returning for his senior season, would be highly unlikely to last beyond the first 10 picks.

From there, he goes on to discuss Cam Newton, a former MVP who still needs to find a home after being released by the Carolina Panthers. While Newton has had his share of success in the NFL, he’s struggled to stay healthy which makes it hard to depend on him. This is the exact opposite of Prescott, who hasn’t missed a game in his four-year career.

The one area where Orlovsky does make sense is when he says the quickest way to find success in the NFL is with young quarterbacks around a talented team. That worked with Dallas and Dak to a degree. It’s also worked for teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks who won Super Bowls while their quarterbacks were on rookie deals.

Landing Herbert, Clowney, and the two first-round picks Orlovsky suggests they could get for Prescott could very well lead to a successful team. However, there’s also a huge risk in moving on from a proven commodity and turning things over to a rookie.

In the end, this is still all just talk. Dallas has expressed no desire to move on from Dak and there’s little doubt the two sides will come to terms on an agreement before the next football season is played.