There have been several mock drafts that have the Dallas Cowboys taking a quarterback with the 4th overall pick- the reasoning behind it being that Tony Romo will be 36 years old, and the Cowboys had no clue what to do once he was lost to injury.
The time is now to start grooming an eventual replacement for No. 9, however it won’t be with the 4th pick, it just doesn’t make sense.
Take a look at what New England and New Orleans did in the last two NFL Drafts. In 2014, the Patriots selected Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2nd round and in 2015, the Saints picked up Garrett Grayson in the 3rd round. Both are being groomed to eventually replace Tom Brady and Drew Brees, respectively.
That’s the route Dallas could take, unless they land a nice free agent pickup, in which 2016 offers plenty. I don’t think RG3 to the Cowboys will happen because he was basically a healthy scratch all last season and will want to sign with a team that will allow him to play, or at least compete for the starting job.
On the other hand, drafting a quarterback at No. 4 overall essentially means two things:
1- The Tony Romo era is all but over
2- Whoever is the 4th pick, will start in 2017
And that’s something I don’t believe that Dallas is ready for yet. Romo isn’t done, or even close to it, but they do need to start preparing for his eventual departure and/or retirement.
So while some mocks have them picking up Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, or Jared Goff at No. 4, I don’t see it happening. They have far too many needs, like linebacker and cornerback.
Dallas can fill an immediate need at four, and still pickup Connor Cook (Michigan State), Christian Hackenberg (Penn State), Cody Kessler (USC), or Jake Coker (Alabama) later in the draft. This seems to be the more feasible route for the Cowboys to take.
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