In 2023, the Dallas Cowboys took a flier on quarterback Trey Lance. They traded a 2024 fourth-round draft choose to the San Francisco 49ers (which turned security Malik Mustapha) for the previous No. 3 choose within the 2021 draft. In a third-string position, Lance primarily watched from the sidelines. He bought his first begin for the Cowboys of their closing recreation of the season, finishing 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards.
Plainly will likely be his one and solely begin for Dallas.
“We predict the world of Trey,” Stephen Jones, Cowboys chief working officer and co-owner, told The Dallas Morning News on Monday. “However us having Dak (Prescott) signed up for the long-term, I feel he is in all probability going to be in search of one thing totally different.”
Along with Lance’s departure, Cooper Rush, who’s performed seven seasons in Dallas, is ready to be an unrestricted free agent. The Cowboys might look to the free-agent market and attempt to lure a backup with beginning expertise akin to Justin Fields or Drew Lock to fill the void.
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However with restricted cap house, and an impending extension with star defender Micah Parsons, the NFL Draft is the place they’ll discover depth on the place at a comparatively cheap value.
The Cowboys will get an opportunity to see prospects up shut this week on the NFL Scouting Mix. The quarterbacks, at least the ones who have decided to participate in the drills, will work out on Saturday, and Dallas will definitely be watching.
“You understand, I feel one in all our objectives is to get a younger quarterback within the draft,” Jones stated. “I do not know the place that is going to be.
“That is why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It looks like all of the quarterbacks, even guys we’ve got within the fourth spherical, go within the first. They at all times go a lot larger than what you suppose.”
The total draft order has not been set but, however the Cowboys at the moment don’t maintain a fourth-round choose after trading for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in November. They’re projected to have 4 fifth-round picks, per Tankathon, and will commerce up into the fourth spherical if, as Jones steered, quarterbacks find yourself going off the board sooner than the mock drafts predict they may.
Among the many potential fifth-round picks who might catch the Cowboys’ eye are two former Ohio State quarterbacks. Will Howard, who led the Buckeyes to a nationwide title this previous season, helped elevate his profile through the playoff run.
“You activate the movie within the playoffs, man, and it is actually good,” Joel Klatt, FOX Sports activities’ lead faculty soccer recreation analyst, stated. “He is bought nice command of what is going on on.”
Jalen Milroe & Will Howard in Joel Klatt’s High 5 QB’s within the 2025 NFL Draft | Joel Klatt Present
Kyle McCord, who was changed by Howard after transferring to Syracuse for his senior season, led all FBS quarterbacks with 4,779 passing yards in 2024 and is a possible match for Dallas.
Sixth-round choices embody Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, each of whom led their crew to the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Louisville’s Tyler Shough is one other potential late Day 3 choose.
The Cowboys might draft a quarterback earlier, too, although there is a danger in utilizing the next draft choose on a participant who’s an anticipated backup. The No. 44 total choose is perhaps a attain for Texas product Quinn Ewers, who comes with sturdiness considerations. But he won’t be there after they’re on the clock once more at No. 76. However Dallas might commerce down and attempt to goal Ewers later within the second spherical or earlier within the third.
Then once more, the Cowboys have not chosen a quarterback in an early spherical since they used a second-round choose on Quincy Carter in 2001. Since 2016, they’ve taken Prescott (fourth spherical), Mike White (fifth) and Ben DiNucci (seventh).
Regardless of who Dallas zeroes in on through the draft course of, it is essential the crew fills the void left by Lance and Rush. Over the past three seasons, Prescott hasn’t precisely been the poster baby for sturdiness.
In that point, the Cowboys quarterback has began simply 37 of 51 whole video games, coping with a slew of thumb accidents in 2022 and a torn hamstring that saved him out for the ultimate 9 weeks of 2024. On account of Prescott’s accidents, the Cowboys have needed to flip to backups akin to Lance and Rush, the latter of whom is 9-5 in 14 profession begins.
However, with each doubtless on their method out, the Cowboys can have a giant resolution to make at quarterback.
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