The Dallas Cowboys have some decisions to make regarding the quarterback position. Cowboys backup quarterback Jon Kitna has likely played his last NFL game and Dallas is considering placing him on injured reserve (IR) with a sore back. Now with only two quarterbacks on the roster and Tony Romo not getting any younger, the Cowboys are suddenly looking for a quarterback for the first time in five years.
Kitna is 39 years old and men at his age with back problems don’t play in the NFL. Plus, Kitna’s contact is up at the end of this season. The Cowboys placed a waiver claim on recently released Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton, but he was awarded to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cowboys’ interest in Orton indicates the team isn’t confident in Kitna’s health going forward.
The Cowboys went 4-3 with Kitna at the helm in 2010 and several Dallas players said they preferred Kitna’s leadership skills over Romo’s. However, he was brought to Dallas as a backup and won’t be re-signed after this year regardless of his health.
The Cowboys will most likely have a late pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, so somebody like USC’s Matt Barkley is out of the question. Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones like local players, so the team has already been linked to Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, who will likely go mid-to-late first round.
Dallas could use a later pick on a quarterback and hopefully get a draft steal like 2010 third-rounder DeMarco Murray. There are also several young quarterbacks floating around NFL practice squads who will be looking for new homes in the upcoming offseason.
This doesn’t mean Cowboys reserve quarterback Stephen McGee is chopped liver. McGee very likely may be Dallas’ quarterback of the future. However, the Cowboys need at least one more quarterback on the roster going forward after Kitna is gone. That new signal-caller will be young, so Kitna’s experience and veteran leadership will have to be replaced with someone the Cowboys feel is capable of handling the load if called upon.
Regardless of where the Cowboys look for a new quarterback, the team doesn’t need to take on a project. Whoever Jones brings in needs to be a pure quarterback with NFL potential. Romo is playing well right now, but Dallas was ready to can him a month ago and he’ll likely turn in some more inconsistent performances in the future. The Cowboys don’t need a quarterback today, but tomorrow will be here sooner than Jones thinks.
Follow Jeric Griffin on Twitter @Jeric Griffin
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