Once again, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is hurt. He lasted all of three plays against the Seattle Seahawks before getting hit from behind and breaking a bone in his back. Romo will now miss 6-10 weeks, and with the Cowboys' bye coming in Week 7, a Week 8 return might make the most sense. With Romo out, the Cowboys will need to add another QB to the roster.
On the bright side, the Cowboys won't need a starter. That role belongs to fourth round rookie Dak Prescott, who has wowed in the preseason. But the backup position now needs an upgrade, because if something happens to Prescott as well, the Cowboys have nothing. Remember, Kellen Moore broke his ankle and will miss some serious time. That leaves Jameill Showers, a former undrafted free agent from UTEP as the only other QB on the roster. And while Showers is fun to watch because of his athleticism, he has barely been able to complete 50 percent of his passes. The Cowboys must find another backup, preferably a veteran. Trading for someone is an option, although the Cowboys would likely want to keep their picks. With that in mind, here are 5 QBs the Cowboys could add to help replace Tony Romo.
Johnny Manziel, FA
Nah, I'm kidding. This is a terrible idea. If Jerry Jones suggests Manziel (again), this should be the reaction from Stephen Jones, Jason Garrett and every fan:
Seriously, do NOT do this Dallas. Ever. The same goes for Tim Tebow as well.
5. T.J. Yates, FA
Leading the list with Yates is an indication of how poor the market is. A former 5th round pick, Yates has some starting experience. That includes two of the four games he played last year for the Texans. Yates threw for 3 TDs and only one pick, but completed less than 50 percent of his passes. Yates, for some reason, also has the Bengals' number and the Cowboys and Bengals play in Week 5 this season.
4. Mike Vick, FA
The free agent market for QBs is not very pretty. Outside of Vick, the other top veteran options are guys like Matt Flynn and Charlie Whitehurst. Vick wasn't that great for the Steelers last year, completing 60.6 percent of his passes for two TDs and a pick in three starts. But there aren't a lot of options and Vick has at least one more year left in him at age 36. Plus, he'd sell more jerseys than Flynn and if Prescott goes down like Romo did, the Cowboys are going to be in trouble.
3. Jimmy Clausen, FA
Clausen at least has some pedigree: he was a highly touted high school recruit who went to Notre Dame and was a second round pick. Of course, his 1-13 career record isn't ideal, but the Cowboys have more talent than the teams Clausen has played for. He's not a guy the Cowboys want starting, but he could cut it as a stop-gap if Prescott gets hurt.
2. Josh McCown, Browns
Here's a trade option for the Cowboys, although fellow Browns backup Austin Davis might be easier to get. McCown isn't going to beat out Robert Griffin III in Cleveland, which makes him expendable. The Browns don't have a viable backup if they deal McCown, but since they aren't going to compete, they'd be better off getting something for him. The Cowboys have expressed interest in McCown in the past.
1. Mark Sanchez, Broncos
I know, I know. This isn't the guy Cowboys fans want because of the butt-fumble. But Denver might end up cutting Sanchez and start Trevor Siemian. Sanchez has looked better in the preseason, but the Broncos might not want to pay Sanchez his $4.5 million salary and give up a 7th rounder to the Eagles. The Cowboys could trade for Sanchez or go out and sign him. He's not the perfect option, but of the potentially getable players, Sanchez is the best of a bad situation.
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