Dallas Cowboys: Examining the quarterback picture in the NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys and the NFC East saw a quarterback leave the division on Thursday. Carson Wentz is off to Indianapolis after the Eagles traded their former franchise quarterback for a pair of draft picks. It wasn't all that long ago when Wentz was seen as the golden boy in town. He had a terrific […]
The Dallas Cowboys and the NFC East saw a quarterback leave the division on Thursday. Carson Wentz is off to Indianapolis after the Eagles traded their former franchise quarterback for a pair of draft picks.
It wasn't all that long ago when Wentz was seen as the golden boy in town. He had a terrific 12-game stretch in the 2017 season, but the 2016 second overall draft pick has not been the same player since. Now, he has been sent out of town, and the Eagles are planning to start over in the post-Wentz era.
Philadelphia currently holds the sixth-overall draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They could theoretically use that pick on one of the draft's top four quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence will be off the board, but there is a decent chance that at least one of Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance are still available.
As good as this year's quarterback crop appears to be, it is probably more likely that the Eagles roll with Jalen Hurts. That would give the team the ability to build around Hurts by taking a top offensive weapon or to rebuild the defense.
As a whole, the NFC East quarterback picture is pretty ugly. We break down where the division sits right now in late February 2021.
BEST SITUATION
The Dallas Cowboys currently sit in the best spot at the quarterback position, but that could change between now and March 9th — the franchise tag deadline. The expectation is that the Cowboys tag Dak Prescott after failing to reach a long-term extension for the second consecutive offseason.
Prescott is by far and away the division's top signal caller. He had a career season in 2019 — 4,902 yards and a 30-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio — and was off to a ridiculously good start in 2020. An injury against the Giants cut his season start, but it is clear that Prescott is improving in every area and is trending upwards.
Dallas has an opportunity to establish themselves as the team to beat in the NFC East moving forward, thanks to having the clear top quarterback in the division. Pay Prescott and prepare to make the postseason next year.
The Cowboys would be wasting the one big advantage that they have if Prescott isn’t inked this offseason.
ROCKY SITUATION
It is hard to take the New York Giants serious as a threat in the division. Daniel Jones has been a subpar quarterback for the majority of his career.
New York lacks offensive firepower, especially with Saquon Barkely sidelined, but Jones lacks the overall talent to be a top quarterback in this league. He lacks the accuracy, processing, and pocket presence as he prepares for his third season in the league.
The former Duke signal caller posted a 11-to-10 TD-to-INT ratio in 2020, completing 62 percent of his passes. He has yet to prove that he can elevate the talent around him and does not inspire much confidence thus far.
Jones does possesses intriguing athletic ability and has flashed at different times in his early career. Still, the Giants do not strike much fear with Jones behind center.
QUESTION MARKS GALLORE
The Eagles — which we touched on earlier in this article — and the Washington Football Team have some big question marks at the most important position in all of football.
Jalen Hurts showed some promise as a rookie — torching the New Orleans Saints on the ground and going score-for-score with Kyler Murray. That said, he also had some real struggles. He threw four interceptions over his four starts, and he was benched in the season finale.
Hurts gives the Eagles a dynamic rushing threat — something that is beneficial when the offensive line is as banged up as it was last season. But, he has ways to go throwing the football. He has some potential to work with if the Eagles are willing to be patient, but there has been some talk that quarterback could be in play for Philadelphia in this year's draft.
As for Washington, it was musical chairs at the position in 2020. Kyle Allen, Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, and Taylor Heinicke all made starts for Ron Rivera's squad. Haskins was cut during the season, but the other three have their own case to be the guy next year.
Allen has the trust of Rivera and Smith is the established veteran. It was Heinicke, though, that showed the most promise last year — though in limited action. He went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady in the playoffs against a talented Buccaneers defense. Washington rewarded him with a two-year, $8.75 million extension.
Washington has a loaded defense that is led by Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Offensive talent Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson are solid building blocks. If Washington can figure out their quarterback situation, they present the biggest threat to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
Featured image via Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
