Will Jerry Have Another $10 million Back Up QB?

The Cowboys are getting dinged up already, but this time at the position that doomed them last year — back up QB. We’re not sure Kellen Moore would have been the #2 QB,but now we’ll never know. What we do know is the back up to Tony Romo may not be on this team right now.

Behind Romo, we have Dak Prescott and Jamiel Showers which makes some, if not all cringe at the possibility of handing the keys over to them. There’s plenty of legitimate concern to go around because Romo has not completed a full season in a long time.

Everyone knows it, and that is why Jerry Jones paid Kyle Orton a $10 million dollar contract back before the 2012 season. Jerry knew the importance back then, and he saw first hand how bad this team was last season without a viable option.

Back in 2013 Jerry said,

“Should we be in a situation where a game or a possible intermittent time when Tony couldn’t play, we get the very best we can, and that’s why we signed Kyle Orton for over $10 million a few years ago, just for this very occasion. Kyle has a very strong arm, he’s very experienced. If required, he’ll be able to step in and do as good under the circumstances as you could expect.” (PFT)

Jerry boasted about getting the very best he could get, so you have to wonder if Nick Foles is being courted by Jerry at this moment. Question would then become — what is Foles looking for as far as compensation goes? He’s won games in this league and has experience, he’s mobile in the pocket. Of the three main names popping up, Foles, Josh McCown, and Mike Glennon, Foles would be my option.

Foles has made “starter” money for several years, so I wonder if he would consider himself to be a backup the rest of his career, or would he have an option to take over if Romo retires in the next year or two. Romo is running out of time. To be clear, I’m not advocating Foles become the heir to Romo, but he could be a decent stop gap until we see what we have in Prescott or if we draft someone high in the next few years.

If we’re talking trades, McCown would also command a sizable contact, but his age, 37 is a bit prohibitive to me. I’d take him on a one year deal, he’ll want more though. Glennon would be the wild card of the three. He’s young, has some starter experience, and entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Bucs could send him packing for a 5th rounder I would imagine.

Let’s not forget the Cowboys do have a trade ammo in the form of Ron Leary. Leary expressed his interest in being traded, but nothing ever manifested into anything, that could change now with the Cowboys presumably in the market for a QB.

Either way, if the Cowboys add any of these guys or someone else, they could be looking at a sizable contract. David Helman  at DallasCowboys.com did some foreshadowing about this very thing back in February. He mentioned how the Jaguars re-signed Chad Henne of all people to a 2-yr deal for $8 million dollars. There’s money to be made in the backup QB arena, and the Cowboys may need to pay the piper for insurance for the 2016 season.

Should the Cowboys stand pat with Prescott or make a deal for one of the above mentioned?