The Cowboys were extremely relieved to see quarterback Dak Prescott return for a full season last year after only playing five games in 2020. Still, the 29-year-old’s prolonged absence two years ago instilled a sense of importance in the backup quarterback job for Dallas. This year, the No. 2 passer for the Cowboys will be Cooper Rush, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Dallas made a puzzling move by only leaving one quarterback on the team’s initial 53-man roster last Tuesday. When the Cowboys’ practice squad was announced the next day, it was seen that the other quarterbacks from the roster, Rush and Will Grier, were signed to the practice squad. As of the writing of this post, Rush remains a member of the practice squad.
Head coach Mike McCarthy is the person who broke the news to the media, so the Cowboys must have some intention of using Rush from the practice squad. Due to COVID-19, a rule was established allowing teams to promote practice squad players to the active roster for gamedays. Unless McCarthy and the Cowboys plan on elevating Rush to the active roster sometime before the season starts, they may just intend on fully dedicating one of the those weekly promotion spots to Rush or Grier to serve as a gameday backup.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC East, starting with another rumor from the Lone Star state:
- We wrote recently about the recently extended timeline for the recovery of Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith. With Smith sidelined, Dallas will turn to rookie first-round pick Tyler Smith to start at left tackle. Dallas drafted the younger Smith to start alongside the older Smith on the offensive line, but owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones seems content with the current situation, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “Do I wish we had Tyron?” Jones posed to the media. “Yes. Will we get Tyron back? Likely. But, in the meantime, (Tyler is) going to come in and get a Harvard Doctor’s degree in playing left tackle between now and then. Will we pay some price with it? Yes. Can we win with him paying the price? I think so, yes.”
- While talking to the media on Friday, Giants general manager Joe Schoen revealed a tidbit about wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Golladay apparently missed most of the spring after undergoing a “procedure,” according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Golladay didn’t ever provide any specifics about a procedure and was a full participant through camp, so, whatever the procedure was, it must’ve been minor.
- New York was looking to bring back a former player in their scouting department this offseason in Chris Snee, but it appears that he will be working elsewhere this season, according to Duggan. When Snee was with New York, he served as an All-Pro guard and won a Super Bowl. Instead of joining the staff in New York, Snee accepted a role at his alma mater as an analyst for Boston College.
That’s really some sorry roster management. No backup QB on an entire 53 man roster. You only get to call up the Practice squad guys 3 times and you have a limited amount of times you can protect those guys from being poached. Then there’s COVID that can get anybody for one week…
I mean, if COVID happens it’s probably better if your QB2 is on the PS.
How does having a player listed as being on the practice squad, help with COVID?
He wouldn’t be practicing on the same field and may not be in the meetings. Less of a chance of getting or spreading Covid. Still it’s unusual.
All QBs meet in the same room with the same coaches and the other QBs. It makes no difference if COVID hits..
And that’s not the point of the original post anyway. The point is the Cowboys are stupid for only having one QB on the 53 man roster when anything can happen to your #1. Practice squad players have less protection and can be poached at any time. It’s reckless and stupid.
The Cowboys have their kicker on the practice squad also. Trust me they know what they’re doing. The trouble Mike (sorry but I couldn’t help myself) is that the author above failed to explain the PS rules. A team can promote/demote 2 players for up to three weeks and then they must put them on the 53 man roster in week 4. This process can then be done with up to two other players for up to three weeks. Each team also can protect up to 4 players from being poached, so they are at no risk of losing their QB2 or K.
Far from being reckless or stupid, it’s a smart way to keep 2 other players on the 53 man roster, effectively making it a 55 man roster.
Well, I would hope teams learned from the Broncos’ mistake a couple years ago that saw them not abiding by protocols and having all four QBs in the QB room ineligible to play against the Steelers. They were forced to start a practice squad WR with some college QB experience at QB.
As for the Cowboys, I see the method to their madness, but I thought they would sign Ben DiNucci to the practice squad as well. This year you get three free promotions per player before you have to sign him to the 53. If they did that, they could rotate their backups all the way through Week 9 (or 10, depending on when their bye is) before needing to pick one, assuming Dak stays healthy. I suppose they could sign other QBs to the practice squad during the season to kt the churn going, but I would think you would want someone on your PS roster for a while first to learn the system before sending him to be the backup on game day.
Why would anyone want Ben DiNucci on any roster after what he flashed in the long no-Dak season?
Backup QBs are next to worthless. At best they’ll take a good team to .500 level, but most of the time they are simply a means to avoid looking completely embarrassing.
Nick Foles would disagree.
Earl Morrall led the Dolphins to a perfect season. Frank Reich led Buffalo to the largest comeback in NFL history. It’s rather silly to suggest backup QBs are next to worthless.
Jeff Hostetler helped the Giants win a Super Bowl when Phil Simms was injured.
You say that like a backup would only be for a whole season, as opposed to a game or two or even just a half. A good backup can tide you over for a game against the Bears or Giants that might later determine your playoff chances.
Steve Young has entered the chat.
And who cares?
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