Archer: Should Cowboys look into Nick Foles?

Cotton

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Should Cowboys look into Nick Foles?
12:20 PM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

OXNARD, Calif. -- Nick Foles skipped the offseason workouts at the River Ridge practice fields with the Los Angeles Rams in the spring. Could he be on those fields this summer with the Dallas Cowboys?

The Rams released Foles on Wednesday, creating an opportunity for the Cowboys to potentially upgrade their backup quarterback spot behind Tony Romo.

Will they? Foles was on the Cowboys' list of potential candidates earlier in the offseason, knowing the potential of his release. The Cowboys did not go after the higher-priced backups, such as Chase Daniel or Colt McCoy, when free agency began. They met with Matt Moore, but he opted to remain with the Miami Dolphins.

They worked out all of the top quarterbacks entering the draft, and the Cowboys nearly traded back into the first round to take Paxton Lynch but opted against it. They ended up taking Dak Prescott in the fourth round, but he is not a candidate to be the backup just yet.

As the Cowboys get on the plane for Oxnard, California, on Thursday, they do so with Kellen Moore as Romo's backup. He played in three games last year, starting two, and had four touchdown passes and six interceptions.

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has been Moore's biggest backer. They worked together with the Detroit Lions. Linehan was a big reason why Moore ended up joining the Cowboys' practice squad after the final cuts last September.

The Cowboys love his smarts and intangibles, but he's just 5-foot-10, 200 pounds and does not possess a big arm.

Foles is 6-5, 244. He was a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. He has a 19-16 career record with 53 touchdown passes and 27 interceptions. The trade to the Rams in 2015 did not work out, even though he received a two-year extension worth $24.5 million. He had a 4-7 record with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions and lost his job. When the Rams moved up to the No. 1 spot in the draft, his time with the Rams was through. The Rams took Jared Goff No. 1 overall to be their quarterback.

In 2013, Foles had 27 touchdown passes and two interceptions and made the Pro Bowl. He beat the Cowboys in a Week 17 winner-take-all meeting with Romo out because of back surgery.

The Cowboys went 1-11 without Romo last year. Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Moore were not part of the solution.

While they said the backup quarterback position was a priority for them in the offseason, they did nothing to truly address it.

After current head coach Jason Garrett became offensive coordinator in 2007, the Cowboys stocked their backup position mostly with veterans -- Brad Johnson, Jon Kitna and Kyle Orton. The last two years, however, they went the relatively inexperienced route with Weeden, who was eventually released last season.

So far they are going with inexperience again in Moore, which many view as odd considering Romo's recent injury history.

The Rams' release of Foles, who would offer up more experience at a good age (he's just 27) gives the Cowboys another opportunity to address the backup position.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I just don't really see the point. Our backups suck but so does Foles. Just feels like we are exchanging one turd for a turd who doesn't know the offense.
 

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Can someone refresh my memory why we are saying Foles is as bad as our current backups? I recall him having a pretty good year in Philly a few years back. Not saying he's starter good but he's not better than Kellen Moore, or it's not even close enough to let them fight it out? I can't believe that.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Can someone refresh my memory why we are saying Foles is as bad as our current backups? I recall him having a pretty good year in Philly a few years back. Not saying he's starter good but he's not better than Kellen Moore, or it's not even close enough to let them fight it out? I can't believe that.
He put up numbers in Chip Kelly's offense but every QB that plays in that offense does. He posted a 69 QB rating last year. Kellen Moore by comparisons posted a 71 QB rating last year. I'm not saying that Kellen Moore is any better. I just think they are about the same, which is bad. Either one is just going to crash the sinking ship if they play.
 

Smitty

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I dunno, QBs have seemed to wither with the Rams in general.

I'd certainly let him compete with Moore. At the very least Foles has experience whereas Moore has none.
 

p1_

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I dunno, QBs have seemed to wither with the Rams in general.

I'd certainly let him compete with Moore. At the very least Foles has experience whereas Moore has none.
I think he's an instant upgrade over Moore. If we took a flyer on Weeden, this is certainly no worse.
 

Genghis Khan

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He put up numbers in Chip Kelly's offense but every QB that plays in that offense does. He posted a 69 QB rating last year. Kellen Moore by comparisons posted a 71 QB rating last year. I'm not saying that Kellen Moore is any better. I just think they are about the same, which is bad. Either one is just going to crash the sinking ship if they play.
Correct. Foles had the one fake year when teams hadn't figured Chip Kelly out yet. Foles is not any good. He was passed on the rams depth chart by Case Keenum. Case Freakin Keenum.
 

Rev

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He put up numbers in Chip Kelly's offense but every QB that plays in that offense does. He posted a 69 QB rating last year. Kellen Moore by comparisons posted a 71 QB rating last year. I'm not saying that Kellen Moore is any better. I just think they are about the same, which is bad. Either one is just going to crash the sinking ship if they play.
While I dont really like Foles I dont think you can compare his year stats with Moore. Moore only had 3 games and even though his rating was a little higher than Foles I would wager that it would likely fall if he had the same amount of games played as Foles. Neither of them are ideal but pending the cost I dont see where it hurts to bring him in given what we have.
 

Cowboysrock55

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While I dont really like Foles I dont think you can compare his year stats with Moore. Moore only had 3 games and even though his rating was a little higher than Foles I would wager that it would likely fall if he had the same amount of games played as Foles. Neither of them are ideal but pending the cost I dont see where it hurts to bring him in given what we have.
It's not really a comparison. Any QB who has a rating below 70 is a turd. Especially if they aren't a rookie doing so. I mean Brandon Weeden looked all pro last year compared to Foles. And by the way, Foles looked like trash the year prior with the Eagles as well. It was only in Chip Kellys first year when he took the league by surprise that Foles looked anything close to decent.

If we want to bring Foles in to compete as a fourth QB I don't have a problem but I don't think he will add any value to our roster.
 

L.T. Fan

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Foles would just be a redundant move. If a move Is made, make it matter.
 

lostxn

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I'd rather develop Prescott
That is an irrelevant point. You need a backup who can come in and play. The question is only whether Foles is better than Moore. Physically he certainly is. He's certainly has some really good experience under his belt. I would definitely bring him in for a look-see. He's only 27. Moore's ceiling is to be Jason Garrett as a player.
 

Cowboysrock55

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That is an irrelevant point. You need a backup who can come in and play. The question is only whether Foles is better than Moore. Physically he certainly is. He's certainly has some really good experience under his belt. I would definitely bring him in for a look-see. He's only 27. Moore's ceiling is to be Jason Garrett as a player.
No but you can't really go through training camp with Foles competing with Moore and still have the reps to develop Prescott. So if you bring Foles in I think it has to be part of cutting Moore at the same time.
 

lostxn

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No but you can't really go through training camp with Foles competing with Moore and still have the reps to develop Prescott. So if you bring Foles in I think it has to be part of cutting Moore at the same time.
Hmmm...probably true. Foles will need to learn the system and that takes time. I guess I would at least bring him in to see if he looks good physically.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Hmmm...probably true. Foles will need to learn the system and that takes time. I guess I would at least bring him in to see if he looks good physically.
Foles is sort of like Brandon Weeden to me. Big, strong armed QB who can throw a beautiful 60 yard bomb one play and overthrow a 10 yard pass by 10 yards on the next. Just no accuracy or touch on his throws. I also don't think he has the mental capabilities to go through a progression and find the open receivers. It's why he initially thrived under Kelly's simplistic offense but basically got worse and worse from there.
 

Genghis Khan

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If we are looking at the possibility of Prescott being a developmental quarterback and learning as quickly and thoroughly as possible then we probably want a more cerebral quarterback at second string that can help him along. That would be Moore.
 
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