Dallas Cowboys Can't Force QB Issue in 2016 NFL Draft

By Jeric Griffin
Tony Romo
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As the end of the Dallas Cowboys’ season nears, we naturally turn to next year and the team’s pending top-five pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. After the disappointment that was/is 2015 for Dallas without Tony Romo, it’s easy to get caught up in the “must draft a quarterback in the first round” mindset, but that’s simply not wise.

After a season like 2015, it’s natural for impatient fans to start looking at draft boards and talking about Jared Goff with their buddies. But reaching for a player at a position of future need will never help a team win the Super Bowl.

You’ve undoubtedly heard from more than one “expert” that Goff is the top quarterback in this year’s draft class and he could be a top-10 pick. Or you may have heard that Paxton Lynch should be touted that highly despite his “small school” status. Regardless of who anyone thinks is the best signal-caller this year, that doesn’t mean Dallas should target him within the top five picks.

Tough pill to swallow: Romo is becoming more injury-prone as he ages and there’s no chance he finishes the remaining four years of his mammoth contract. This year showed the Cowboys need to be more diligent when it comes to picking and preparing backup quarterbacks, but forcing a pick for a Goff or Lynch won’t solve that problem.

Say Dallas had taken a quarterback in this past year’s draft. At the very best, the team might have reeled off six wins by this point instead of four, but that rookie dang sure wouldn’t have led Dallas to the playoffs.

Sure, he might have had a solid future under center in the post-Romo era (whenever that may be), but he wouldn’t have made a difference this year.

See the point? No matter when the Cowboys draft a QB (or who it is), that young passer isn’t going to make an immediate impact if Romo goes down again next season, especially since he won’t be groomed to be the starter right away.

Even quarterbacks drafted to start Week 1 as rookies don’t pan out 90 percent of the time; the Andrew Lucks of the NFL are few and far between.

Now, those who have been clamoring for the Cowboys to draft Romo’s successor for the past few years are justified in that heading into this offseason. At this point, it cannot be argued Dallas must prepare for life without No. 9 because next season could realistically be his last if he suffers another major injury.

But that doesn’t mean a quarterback must be taken in the top five come April.

On the contrary, the Cowboys would be foolish to waste that pick on a QB because none is worth a top-five pick this year; there is no Andrew Luck in this draft class. Sure, if there were a player of Luck’s caliber – a signal-caller that safe of a bet – available, then he’d definitely be a consideration for Dallas. But looking at the big board, the Cowboys would be much better off taking a promising passer in the middle rounds while addressing immediate needs in the early ones.

For example, the Cowboys could really set themselves up for a title run by selecting a much-needed playmaker in the secondary with that pending top-five pick (since Morris Claiborne and possibly Brandon Carr won’t be returning for 2016), then bringing in a promising pass rusher in the second round and finally looking at a guy like Carson Wentz in the third or fourth round.

That wouldn’t solve anything for 2016 if Romo goes down again (and neither would taking Goff or any other quarterback in the top five), but it would ensure Dallas is ready for 2017 if No. 9’s ride ends early, assuming the Cowboys’ coaching staff approaches that possibility the right way.

Preparing Romo’s backup before the season starts is arguably the biggest factor in ensuring the ship doesn’t sink in his potential absence; Brandon Weeden was not effectively primed for any active duty this year and it showed. He was never going to take Dallas on a long winning streak, even with solid preparation, but he could have kept the team around .500 while allowing Romo to heal for three more weeks had Jason Garrett and company truly had him ready for the task.

Then again, no quarterback is going to win in the NFL with play-calling that limits him to only check-down passes, regardless of his training camp and preseason reps. Weeden would never have performed at a Pro Bowl level no matter how well he prepared in the summer, but he could have kept the wheels from falling off the bus had Garrett and Scott Linehan not micromanaged his every move once he actually took the field during the regular season.

But remember: No rookie quarterback is going to fix that issue if (Heaven forbid) Dallas is forced to play a majority of 2016 without Romo. So while you’d be wise to root for Stephen Jones to look at Wentz come day two of the draft, don’t get unnecessarily and ignorantly bent out of shape when the Cowboys pass on Goff with their top-five pick in April.

Patience is a virtue, Cowboys fans, and the evidence is in the enchiladas: drafting a quarterback early doesn’t mean he’ll pan out right away – or ever. Dallas has no choice but to go all in with Romo again in 2016 and use this offseason to ensure the defense and running game will be at least as good again next year. And if that campaign is also spoiled by a Romo injury, the Cowboys can head into 2017 knowing a new young leader already has a year of learning under his belt and they made it happen without wasting any 2016 draft picks.

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