Be on the lookout over the next week or so for Nick Eatman's series on each position on the Cowboys. To start it off, he looks at the QB's, which in Dallas' case isn't that exciting because Drew Bledsoe is the starter, and the only whiff of competition is between back-ups Tony Romo and Drew Henson. Even that is really not a competition as Romo is expected to be the #2 guy. Jeff Mroz rounds out the position but the UDFA will likely find himself on the practice squad, if he remains with the organization at all after training camp.
Stability at QB is never a bad thing, and with the numbers Bledsoe put up last year the Cowboys have one of the more solid QB's in the league. Bledsoe has the size and arm of a prototypical QB, but he is deficient in one area; mobility. Coma patients show more agility than Bledsoe. But, if you give him protection and time to throw, he'll carve up a defense. Last year, after Flozell got his boo-boo, the offensive line had more holes than the plot of your average teen-comedy. This year, Bill Parcells is counting on a revamped line, the return of Flozell, the 2-TE set and a beefed up WR corps to keep Bledsoe upright.
Meanwhile, Matt Mosley answered a question about Dew Henson and how he compares to Chad Hutchinson. Yikes!
When Bill Parcells retires, this may be as soon as after the season, the QB derby will be wide open. The next coach will have to decide if he wants to keep the consistent and capable Bledsoe, or bring in another veteran who has more tread left on the tire, or make a move to developing for the future. Then he has to decide if either Romo or Henson fits into that youth movement, or would he be better served by bringing in or drafting a new QB.
But for this year, it all rests on Bledsoe, and he's fully capable of delivering. As long as he gets some protection, he'll only have to battle opposing secondaries and Terrell Owens. I'm still not sure which of the two is more problematic.