Dallas Cowboys Rumors: Missing Out On Paxton Lynch Means The Cowboys Still Need A Young Quarterback
With the 2016 NFL draft complete, rumors are heating up regarding the Dallas Cowboys and their plans for the future. Even though the Cowboys got the guy they wanted in the first round in Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott, the organization is apparently unhappy that they were unable to land a certain player with their next pick. After trading up with the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos were able to draft Memphis Tigers Quarterback Paxton Lynch with the No. 26 overall pick. While the Cowboys attempted to trade up in order to draft Lynch, they were unable to put together a compelling package, and the latest reports are saying that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is extremely upset.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Cowboys have been rumored to be in the market for a young quarterback for the past few months. In addition to Lynch, the Cowboys were also linked to California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff, North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz, and even Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones. While Goff and Wentz were off the board before the Cowboys had their first-round pick, Jones was there for the taking. Despite prior public interest, the Cowboys passed on Jones and opted for Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.
Jerry Jones says he lost sleep over missing out on Paxton Lynch in the first round. https://t.co/4toNW3870d pic.twitter.com/ThGJ4pYzGm
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 1, 2016
As ESPN reports, Prescott has potential, but he is a step down from Goff, Wentz, and Lynch.
“Prescott is similar in size to Tony Romo. He can make plays with his feet, like Romo, and he improved greatly from the pocket. As a senior he threw for 3,793 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 10 scores. Is he the successor to Romo? Time will tell, but he will have time to be ready. The last quarterback the Cowboys drafted came in 2009 when they took Stephen McGee in the fourth round. He started one game for Dallas.”
Since Jones has stated in the past that he believes Romo has another 5 years left of football, Prescott will have time to develop. The problem is that quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round or later rarely pan out to anything special. While there are exceptions, Tony Romo being undrafted for example, the majority of successful NFL quarterbacks are taken in the first round. And the odds of a first-round draft pick being successful at the quarterback position are not great. Prescott will get his chance to show the Cowboys that he can play, but he was not even the guy that the team wanted.
Good look from @toddarcher on Cowboys' attempt to get Paxton Lynch/shows why @johnelway so quick to make deal — https://t.co/ELS9zXTzGc
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) May 1, 2016
As reported by the Star-Telegram, Jones wishes that he did more in order to be in the position to draft Lynch.
“When I look back on my life, I overpaid for my big successes every time. And when I tried to get a bargain, get it a little cheaper or get a better deal on it, I ended up usually either getting it and not happy I got it. Or missing it. And I probably should have overpaid here. I was still mad about it. Actually thought we had it done.”
While overpaying in the draft in order to move up for a quarterback is dangerous, it is often necessary in today’s NFL. Even though teams such as the Washington Redskins regret giving up numerous draft picks in order to select their potential quarterback of the future, it is difficult to find a signal caller in today’s NFL. This year alone, the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams gave away significant draft assets in order to move up to take quarterbacks. While Wentz and Goff could both be busts, the teams really had no other options to secure quarterbacks with high upside.
Assuming Romo is able to play a few more years, the Cowboys will be able to watch Prescott closely. There is a chance that he could develop into something special, but the odds are the Cowboys are going to have to get their hands on another young quarterback in a lower round sometime in the next few years.
With Cowboys owner Jerry Jones unhappy about missing out on Memphis Tigers Quarterback Paxton Lynch, rumors will likely continue to link the team with other young quarterbacks.
[Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images]
