The Cowboys apparently don't believe in the saying, "those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it" — at least in terms of their quarterback position.
In their current depth chart, oft-injured Tony Romo of course is the starter, and he's a top 10 QB when available. Kellen Moore, with his two career starts (0-2 record) and 104 passing attempts is listed as the No. 2 quarterback. Dak Prescott, the rookie fourth-rounder, is in the fourth spot now behind Jameill Showers (who?) but presumably will move up to second or third string as training camp unfolds.
If Dallas fans are nervous about this group behind Romo, they're entitled. The Cowboys seem to have forgotten how the defense of their 2014 NFC East title team became derailed last season when Romo was out with a broken left collarbone.
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The quarterbacks who replaced him last season were a disaster. First Brandon Weeden lost three straight games. Then Matt Cassel took over and went 1-6 as the starter. Moore started the final two games after Romo's ill-fated return and came up a loser in both. Final tally — Romo: 3-1 as the starter; replacements: 1-11.
Dallas has built a solid team, especially with the support pieces on offense. The Cowboys have an outstanding offensive line, an All-Pro receiver in Dez Bryant and the most talented running back in this year's draft, No. 4 overall pick Ezekiel Elliott, who the Cowboys hope can do what DeMarco Murray did for them two years ago when he led the NFL with 1,845 rushing yards.
As an NFL exec, I always believed that the No. 2 quarterback was one of the most critical positions on the team. I saw veteran Bob Lee come in for an injured Fran Tarkenton in 1977 and lead our Vikings to the NFC title game. In 1999 with Titans, we had Neil O'Donnell as our backup, and he was a former Super Bowl quarterback (when he was the Steelers' starter). While Steve McNair was out with a back injury, O’Donnell went 4-1 as the starter and kept us in contention during a Super Bowl season.
Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones says Romo can play four or five more years, and the 36-year-old QB is signed through 2019 with his six-year, $106 million extension from 2013. But at his age and with his injury history, it’s a stretch to think he'll play until he's 40 and beyond. In addition to last year's collarbone injuries, Romo had two back surgeries in 2013, has missed time due to broken ribs and has not played a full season since 2012.
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Jones and the Cowboys’ player personnel department tried to address their quarterbacking future by attempting to trade back into the first round to take Paxton Lynch. The Broncos were the team to pull off that move, and the Cowboys eventually selected Prescott. Jones reportedly was hot to draft Johnny Manziel two years ago but was wisely talked out of it by the personnel staff, led by his son, Stephen.
I like Prescott, except for his bone-headed move in allowing himself to get jammed up with a DUI during the critical pre-draft period. He was the best quarterback in college football's best conference (the SEC) during his final season at Mississippi State. But he needs time to adjust from running the spread offense in college to Jason Garrett's pro-style offense in Dallas.
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With Romo's recent track record, and especially after last season's nightmare, I don't understand the Cowboys not signing a quality veteran backup; a Matt Hasselbeck/Neil O'Donnell-type player who can be counted on to keep the ship at least relatively afloat if — or should we say when — Romo misses a game or two … or 12, as he did last year.
I'm not talking retreads like Weeden and Cassel, although Cassel at least had some success in starting roles in New England and Kansas City but had not done well in Minnesota. Weeden was a washout in Cleveland. It was hard to see either of those players being adequate replacements for Romo. And, really, there had to be better options out there than Kellen Moore for this season.
The best strategy for an NFL team is to always have a quality veteran backup, then keep drafting quarterbacks year after year, especially if the starter is in his mid-30s. Always be developing the next starter. The Packers did it when they picked Aaron Rodgers in the first round even though Brett Favre was still playing great football.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots have Tom Brady, who has only had one major injury in his career but turns 39 in August. So they have drafted young quarterbacks in the last two drafts — Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round (2014) and this year's rookie third-rounder Jacoby Brissett. They'll battle it out to see who is Brady's heir apparent.
I still would prefer to have a backup with significant quality playing experience compared to the Patriots’ plan, but at least they've made the position more of a priority than the Cowboys have.
I understand it's more costly against the salary cap to have a veteran backup QB as opposed to a young recent draftee. However, I'd argue that quarterback — the starter and the backups — is the last position to try and get by with cheaper players.
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The bottom line for Dallas is that it still is staring at another season in the abyss if Romo can't stay on the field.
This is a franchise with an outstanding quarterback history that includes Hall of Famers Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman along with Romo, who is a four-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL in passer rating two years ago.
Jones is one of the top marketing minds among NFL owners, so he knows very well that a top quarterback provides sizzle to a franchise and is the key to winning big. One would think, with that in mind, he would have a better quarterback plan than the Moore-Prescott-Showers trio that currently sits behind the fragile Romo.
Jeff Diamond is the former president of the Titans and the former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
