Cowboys News & Notes: Time To Find The Quarterback Of The Future?

Dallas Cowboys must think quarterback in 2016 NFL Draft - Erik Lambert, NFLmocks.com
Lambert argues that the Cowboys have ridden the Tony Romo train for as long as they could, but the time may be right to start thinking about the future.

Now sitting at 3-8 with no Romo to save them, there is a strong possibility Dallas with finish with their first top 5 draft choice dating back to 2003. A number of quarterbacks might be available at that point including Paxton Lynch of Memphis or Jared Goff of Cal. Either would make an ideal understudy for Romo and give this team a chance to fully realize the potential of that strong roster.

Cowboys mystique killed Tony Romo's hero narrative - Cory Collins, Sporting News
Romo's incredible career arc - from undrafted free agent to one of the game's very best QBs - is a story that should be celebrated, not vilified. Collins explains that the star on Tony Romo's helmet has blinded football fans to what they are seeing: one of the most improbable quarterback careers we've ever seen. And it may end before it's appreciated.

But Romo's a Cowboy - and no Cowboy can be the underdog. A Cowboy gets the Skip Bayless treatment. A Cowboy gets doused in Jerry Jones residue. A Cowboy - like a president, like Pepsi and Coke - has no choice but to be hated by half the country.

Kellen Moore should be the guy the rest of the way - Ryan Ratty, Inside The Star
Ratty voices what many Cowboys fans are thinking:

With Cassel, the Cowboys know what they’re going to get. They’re going to get a guy who’s going to move the football down the field at times, but they’re also going to get a guy that is nothing more than a stopgap solution. Playing Moore makes sense because even if he fails, it doesn’t matter because the Cowboys at least can see what he’s capable of.

Taking the glass half-full approach here, if Moore shows progress, then maybe the Cowboys don’t have to spend a high draft-pick on a quarterback. Maybe they can declare Moore as the backup quarterback and the heir apparent to Romo when the latter does indeed decide to hang up the cleats. Moore is unproven. He needs a chance to show what he can do. Letting him start the next few games isn’t a bad idea by any means.

Machota: Should Cowboys focus on drafting their quarterback of the future? - Jon Machota, Dallas Morning News
Machota with the lowdown on where the Cowboys currently stand in their thinking about the QB position.

That's been on their radar since Weeden was unable to get a win in Romo's absence. It's been a popular topic of discussion with Jerry Jones. And he's recently mentioned how Steve Young learned under Montana and Rodgers under Favre. Perhaps this is the year they pull the trigger on finding their QB of the future.

Two things immediately come to mind for me. No. 1, it's not a great QB draft class. The big names include guys from Memphis and North Dakota State. No. 2, Romo is signed through the 2019 season. Do they draft a QB that might have to sit behind Romo for a few years? Sure. But that hasn't been the normal route recently in the NFL. Top 10 QB picks are usually given the keys right away.

... And then, there's Johnny. If the Browns were to release Manziel or make him available via trade, I have a hard time believing Jerry Jones wouldn't have strong interest.

The jury will disregard that last sentence and it will be removed from the record.

Time for Cowboys to find Tony Romo's successor? The top 5 quarterbacks in next year's NFL Draft - Michael Florek, Dallas Morning News
Here are five of the quarterbacks we'll likely be discussing for the next five months.

1. Paxton Lynch, Memphis
2. Jared Goff, California
3. Connor Cook, Michigan State
4. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
5. Carson Wentz, North Dakota State

Good chance Morris Claiborne returns next year - David Moore, SportsDay
In a recent chat, Moore was asked whether the Cowboys should let Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr walk at the end of the season.

The Cowboys didn't exercise their option for a fifth season on Claiborne going into this season, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't want him back at the right price. He's been solid. Now, does he make plays? No. But who in this secondary does? Under you're scenario the Cowboys would have to replace the two corners who started the majority of games for them this season. Now, you can say Orlando Scandrick's return and Bryon Jones' development allows you to do that. But here's another question. Do you like Jones better at safety or corner moving forward? If the answer is safety, I'm not sure you get rid of both Claiborne and Carr. I think there's a good chance Claiborne returns next season.

It would send an odd message if the Cowboys cut Greg Hardy now - Jon Machota, SportsDay
In a chat on Friday, Machota argued that the Cowboys will not cut Hardy.

I understand that cutting Hardy would save money, but as long as they believe he's playing hard and the guys in the locker room are fine with him, Hardy will finish out the season as a Cowboy. Jason Garrett wants this team to finish strong. If you just cut Hardy because your playoff hopes have ended, that sends an odd message. They've put up with everything to this point, I think they see what he can provide in these remaining five games.

No NFL Team can be eliminated from playoff contention this week - Reddit.com
That makes it the longest the NFL has gone without eliminating a team since 2006.

Don’t waste a time out to save a delay of game in the 2nd half! | All My Sports Teams Suck
After some lengthy analysis, this article concludes that it is almost always better to take the delay of game penalty instead of burning a timeout.

ESPN Viewer Losses Add to Angst for Disney's Big Profit Engine - Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg Business
ESPN’s declining subscriber base -- down 7 million in two years -- is bad news for stockholders, but could spell trouble for the NFL down the line.

If Disney, the world’s largest entertainment company, can’t halt or slow the decline at its flagship sports network, subscriber and advertising dollars will shrink and undermine the company’s single largest source of profit. ESPN is burdened by costly sports-rights contracts, such as for Monday Night Football, that make it crucial to increase revenue from viewers and advertisers.

If this trend continues for ESPN (and other the other networks), the NFL's money printing machine could eventually come to a screeching halt - at least as far as year-on-year growth is concerned.