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Jason Garrett must get Cowboys' backup QB situation right in 2016
2:04 PM ET
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- Jason Garrett spent his entire 12-year NFL playing career as a backup or third-string quarterback.
You would think that would make him qualified to find and develop a backup quarterback for Tony Romo sometime during the nine seasons he's been with the Dallas Cowboys as offensive coordinator or head coach.
Apparently not.
Garrett has tried to do it through the draft (Stephen McGee) and with undrafted free agents (Dustin Vaughan) and former first-round busts (Brandon Weeden), but he's failed.
The failure to secure and develop an adequate backup to Romo this year destroyed the Cowboys' season. Their backup quarterbacks went 1-11 as starters with 11 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Now, Garrett would dispute this, arguing that Weeden, Matt Cassel and Kellen Moore put the Cowboys in position to win games in the fourth quarter at various times this season.
Whatever.
Even the best games those players had were marked by turnovers or missed throws in key situations that played a role in the team's loss. Kyle Orton was the last quality backup quarterback the Cowboys had, and they paid handsomely for his services for the two years he was with the team in 2012 and 2013.
"We have to sit back and evaluate what happened this year," Garrett said, "and we'll spend the next couple of weeks doing that with each of the players who had an opportunity to play with us."
In a perfect world, Garrett said he'd like to pair a veteran backup with a young player being groomed as an eventual replacement or starter as the No.3 quarterback.
Kellen Moore, who passed for 435 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions Sunday in the Cowboys' 34-23 loss to Washington, seems like a perfect candidate to be the No. 3 quarterback.
He certainly has flaws, but the game doesn't seem too big for him. In the right situation, there's a role for him.
There will be a lot of older veterans and failed starters such as Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III available for the Cowboys to select as their backup. Or they can grab a quarterback in the first three rounds of the draft and make that player their backup if they choose.
Either way, Garrett, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson can't screw it up again. Not after Romo, who had two back surgeries in 2014, missed 12 games this season. The Cowboys can hope the 36-year-old quarterback starts 16 games, but they can't expect it.
"We have done a good job at different times with the backup quarterback position," Garrett said. "Who are the guys that we had and how did they do for us? I disagree with the assessment that we never did a good job with (the backup quarterbacks).
"It's not an easy position in the salary-cap era to have one of the best quarterbacks in the league as your starter and have a guy who can come in and keep your team going without missing beat if that starter goes down."
================
I love how Garrett got a little defensive.
Fuck you, Red Pube.
You loved Brad Johnson. I think one win against TB. FAIL
Kitna got you your job. WIN
Orton. One game. Loss. FAIL
Weeden. All losses. FAIL
Cassel. One D-Jax fuck up win. FAIL
Better be smart what you whisper into Jerry's ear, that's all I got to say.
2:04 PM ET
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- Jason Garrett spent his entire 12-year NFL playing career as a backup or third-string quarterback.
You would think that would make him qualified to find and develop a backup quarterback for Tony Romo sometime during the nine seasons he's been with the Dallas Cowboys as offensive coordinator or head coach.
Apparently not.
Garrett has tried to do it through the draft (Stephen McGee) and with undrafted free agents (Dustin Vaughan) and former first-round busts (Brandon Weeden), but he's failed.
The failure to secure and develop an adequate backup to Romo this year destroyed the Cowboys' season. Their backup quarterbacks went 1-11 as starters with 11 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Now, Garrett would dispute this, arguing that Weeden, Matt Cassel and Kellen Moore put the Cowboys in position to win games in the fourth quarter at various times this season.
Whatever.
Even the best games those players had were marked by turnovers or missed throws in key situations that played a role in the team's loss. Kyle Orton was the last quality backup quarterback the Cowboys had, and they paid handsomely for his services for the two years he was with the team in 2012 and 2013.
"We have to sit back and evaluate what happened this year," Garrett said, "and we'll spend the next couple of weeks doing that with each of the players who had an opportunity to play with us."
In a perfect world, Garrett said he'd like to pair a veteran backup with a young player being groomed as an eventual replacement or starter as the No.3 quarterback.
Kellen Moore, who passed for 435 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions Sunday in the Cowboys' 34-23 loss to Washington, seems like a perfect candidate to be the No. 3 quarterback.
He certainly has flaws, but the game doesn't seem too big for him. In the right situation, there's a role for him.
There will be a lot of older veterans and failed starters such as Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III available for the Cowboys to select as their backup. Or they can grab a quarterback in the first three rounds of the draft and make that player their backup if they choose.
Either way, Garrett, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson can't screw it up again. Not after Romo, who had two back surgeries in 2014, missed 12 games this season. The Cowboys can hope the 36-year-old quarterback starts 16 games, but they can't expect it.
"We have done a good job at different times with the backup quarterback position," Garrett said. "Who are the guys that we had and how did they do for us? I disagree with the assessment that we never did a good job with (the backup quarterbacks).
"It's not an easy position in the salary-cap era to have one of the best quarterbacks in the league as your starter and have a guy who can come in and keep your team going without missing beat if that starter goes down."
================
I love how Garrett got a little defensive.
Fuck you, Red Pube.
You loved Brad Johnson. I think one win against TB. FAIL
Kitna got you your job. WIN
Orton. One game. Loss. FAIL
Weeden. All losses. FAIL
Cassel. One D-Jax fuck up win. FAIL
Better be smart what you whisper into Jerry's ear, that's all I got to say.