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By Jon Machota Apr 2, 2021
The Cowboys have continued following their plan of not spending big in free agency. They have filled some holes and added depth, but most of the notable remaining roster changes will come via this month’s NFL Draft.
This is the fifth installment of a nine-part series split up among position groups.
Part 1: Defensive line
Part 2: Linebackers
Part 3: Defensive backs
Part 4: Offensive line
We moved over to the offensive side of the ball earlier this week, beginning with the line. We now shift our focus to the quarterback position.
How the quarterbacks performed in 2020:
The Cowboys had been pretty fortunate from 2016 through 2019 as Dak Prescott started every game during those four years. But his season came to an end in only the fifth game last year. Prescott got off to a hot start in his fifth season, averaging 422.5 passing yards per game while throwing nine touchdowns to three interceptions and rushing for three touchdowns during the first four games. The Cowboys were only 1-3 through those first four, but it looked like Prescott was on track to have a career year.
Instead, he suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle in Week 5 and is currently still recovering from two surgeries on the ankle. The Cowboys showed last month how confident they are in his ability to return to the player he was before the injury as he became the highest-paid player in franchise history, signing a four-year, $160 million contract.
In Prescott’s absence, former Bengals franchise QB Andy Dalton started nine games while rookie Ben DiNucci and veteran Garrett Gilbert each started one. The three combined to go 4-7 with Dalton being responsible for all four wins. He was signed to a one-year deal last May to be Prescott’s backup.
Prescott’s absence impacted the play of the entire team. Dallas was never the same the rest of the way after its unquestioned leader was lost for the season. If there was any bright spot, it was that the offense showed its capabilities to be one of the best in the league when healthy.
The future:
It’s all about Prescott. Not just because of his massive new contract, but because the top quarterbacks are playing well into their late 30s and even 40s. Prescott turns 28 in July. He’s expected to be Dallas’ starting quarterback well beyond his current four-year deal.
The Cowboys have put some of the NFL’s best offensive weapons around him, and when healthy, one of the league’s top offensive lines. Prescott also has the continuity of having the same offensive coordinator (Kellen Moore) for the third consecutive season.
The expectations were lofty before the new contract, but they’ve only increased with Prescott becoming the second-highest paid player in the league. Only Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a higher average annual contract ($45 million), total contract value ($450 million) and larger percentage of his team’s salary cap (22.7 percent).
The Cowboys’ success or lack of it, will depend greatly on Prescott’s play. Look for Dallas to continue to look for developmental quarterback prospects in the later rounds of the draft while also seeking affordable veteran backup options along the way.
“Dak, he’s the keystone of this football team,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said last week. “That’s the way I view it. That’s the way we’re going to push forward with it, too. The quarterback touches the ball every play. But also, his presence and his natural leadership ability is something that will continue to grow. I think you’ll see that in the locker room.”
One area of Prescott’s game that will be interesting to monitor is how often he uses his legs in the running game. He injured his throwing shoulder in the final weeks of the 2019 season after being slammed to the turf on a running play against the Rams. Last year’s ankle injury happened while he was fighting for extra yards on a running play.
“I’ve got to be smarter,” Prescott said last month. “Before the injury, going back to high school I was told to be smarter on when I want to demonstrate my physicality or when I want to try to make a point in the game or change the momentum. That’s no different. I have to be smarter. With this investment, with my health being jeopardized at a certain point, it makes a whole lot more sense to me about being smarter and why people have said that.
“Back in the day as a young bull, I guess it was very hard to understand. Now, I mean on a play like that, first down, you’re going down. You’re sliding. But to say that the game’s on the line, it’s a first down or it’s the red zone, and I’m going there. That’s who I am. I don’t know if I can ever tone that down. And if I do, then y’all are changing who I am. But there are certain plays, there are certain times that I’ll be a much smarter player and decide when to not use my physicality during the run, just taking care of myself. The best ability is durability, and I have to be there for my team.”
How things could change this offseason:
If the season started today, Gilbert would likely be Prescott’s backup. But the Cowboys are far from settled there. Look for them to possibly use one of their 10 draft picks on the position. And then there are the free-agent possibilities.
Dalton didn’t become available until after the Bengals drafted Joe Burrow last year. Perhaps some other veterans could become available after this year’s draft. There are also veterans who could make sense when teams trim down their final rosters before the start of the season.
“There are definitely some veterans we’ve talked to who I’m sure would like the opportunity to be here,” McCarthy said last week, “now that Dak’s contract is done, and I think everyone has a clear understanding of what that room is potentially going to look like.”
The most notable names among the current free-agent quarterbacks include former top 10 draft picks Alex Smith, Robert Griffin III, Blake Bortles and Blaine Gabbert. One other notable name is former Packer Brett Hundley, who McCarthy drafted in the fifth round in 2015.
