With Kyle Orton seemingly leaning toward retirement, the Cowboys’ depth chart at quarterback could be awfully thin this season behind Tony Romo. Brandon Weeden would likely to slide into the No. 2 role, with Caleb Hanie in the mix as well. The Cowboys could have provided themselves with another insurance policy for a Romo injury and/or Orton retirement if they’d elected to select a quarterback a signal-caller in the draft, but as Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes, the team’s draft philosophy precluded that possibility at this point. Whereas a team like the Patriots has drafted quarterbacks as potential long-term replacements for Tom Brady, Dallas has been less inclined in recent years to draft a QB only to develop that player for another team.
Here’s more on the Cowboys:
- Texas A&M running back Ben Malena received offers from more than 10 NFL teams after going undrafted, including the Texans, Bengals, Redskins, Broncos, and Raiders, but ultimately chose to sign with the Cowboys, as he explains to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I looked over their current situation,” Malena said. “They had high interest in me. I feel like I can really make this team. I feel like I can really be a contributing factor to help this team win championships.”
- In a photo gallery for the Dallas Morning News, Machota examines 10 questions the Cowboys need to answer as OTAs get underway.
- Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at why many observers – and teammates – believe defensive end Tyrone Crawford could be the Cowboys’ breakout player in 2014.
- In a piece for Sports on Earth, Mike Tanier explains his “Hope Index,” which evaluates the optimism a team’s fanbase should feel based on its recent success and how sustainable that success looks going forward. The Cowboys didn’t make out so well in Tanier’s calculations, ranking 26th, just one spot ahead of the Jaguars.