The Cowboy quarterback position grouping has undergone a bit of a renovation from last season, but the starting quarterback has never been in doubt. Dak Prescott is going to be the starter. The Cowboys and Prescott were not able to work out a contract agreement, so both sides will have a lot to prove this season. Meanwhile, having Prescott and an experienced NFL quarterback in the room will help give the Cowboys an edge over the rest of the NFC East.
The starting position is settled for the Cowboys. During his NFL career, Dak Prescott has not missed a start. Over the past four seasons, Prescott has been a consistent and an incredibly good quarterback for the Cowboys. Prescott has the numbers to back up a contract extension. During his career, Prescott has thrown for 15,778 yards, 97 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions. Dallas would be making a serious mistake in allowing Prescott to explore free agency at the end of the year.
Jerry Jones has seen what can occur when a quality back up quarterback is not on the roster. Dallas did not want a repeat of past struggles and, with foresight, went out and signed Andy Dalton from the Bengals in the offseason. Dalton played his college football at TCU and is a well-respected player around the league. Over Dalton’s nine-year career, he has thrown for 31,594 yards, 204 touchdowns, and 118 interceptions. After Cincinnati selected Joe Burrow as the first pick in this year’s NFL draft, the Bengals no longer had a need to keep Dalton, which allowed Dallas to sign him in May. Dalton gives the Cowboys an experienced quarterback that they can rely on should Prescott be lost to injury.
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The Cowboys wanted to strengthen and add a developmental prospect to the quarterback room in the form of Ben DiNucci. DiNucci appeared on the Cowboys’ radar while a star at James Madison University. In his senior season, DiNucci completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,441 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. DiNucci is an accurate passer who has shown that he can fit the ball into some tight areas for his wide receivers. However, where DiNucci excels is also where he can get himself into some trouble. He tends to be a bit overconfident with his arm strength and will make some throws that can lead to turnovers in the NFL. The Cowboys’ staff did a good job in evaluating DiNucci and he will be an exciting quarterback to watch develop over the next few years.
Clayton Thorson spent last season on the Cowboys’ practice squad after being released by the Philadelphia Eagles. Thorson will be battling Ben DiNucci in training camp to see which quarterback will remain on the roster for the Cowboys this season. Thorson has a year of NFL experience under his belt and now knows what to expect and has grown used to the speed of the game. DiNucci and Thorson both will have the opportunity to win the third string job, but it will be no guarantee the winner will join the main roster.
The Cowboy quarterback position is in good hands for the upcoming season. If Dallas does not get a deal completed with Prescott by July 15th, then things could turn interesting for next season. However, for now, the starting position is in good hands as is the back up position with Andy Dalton. The developmental prospects are also intriguing for the Cowboys in Thorson and DiNucci, and under Mike McCarthy, the quarterback room could make some noise this season. Dallas fans look forward to the prospects of a season, while knowing, a contract fight will loom next offseason.
