Cowboys News & Notes: RG3 vs. Kellen Moore; Who Will Be Cowboys #2 QB?

Podcast: Scott Linehan wants Kellen Moore to be Cowboys #2 QB - Todd Archer, ESPN
In this podcast, Todd Archer chats with Ian Fitzsimmons in part about the Cowboys' backup situation. Here's a partial transcript of that discussion.

Fitzsimmons: As Peyton Manning said at the Super Bowl, "without Brock Osweiler, the Broncos are not in the Super Bowl." So what do the Cowboys do with the backup QB position when they have a very fragile Tony Romo as the starting QB?

Archer: […] I don’t know if the Cowboys are going to be going QB at No. 4. I look at the free agent market and I don’t see anybody where you would say, "Oh, that guy would be as good as Orton was when Kyle Orton was here, or as when they got Jon Kitna from Detroit. "

Maybe Colt McCoy would be in the mix for some people, maybe a Chase Daniel. But the more I hear Scott Linehan talk, the more he wants Kellen Moore to be this team’s No. 2.

Fitzsimmons: WHAAAT???

Archer: We talk about "pull" in the NFL. We’ll see how much pull Linehan is going to have if Kellen Moore is going to be this team’s No. 2 and the Cowboys draft a QB, if not at No.4 then in the top three rounds.

Cowboys may not have better free-agent QB options than Kellen Moore - Jon Machota, SportsDay
Machota argues that Moore may be the default choice as the "veteran" guy for the Cowboys.

I don't know if they would be a better choice but Ryan Fitzpatrick and Colt McCoy interest me. However, I think Fitzpatrick will re-sign with the Jets because he has a better shot at starting there. When you look at the list of unrestricted free agent QBs, there aren't many I can say are definitely/without a doubt a better option than Kellen Moore.

Is there a veteran besides Kellen Moore who could fit in Dallas? - Todd Archer, ESPN
In his Twitter mailbag, Archer runs down a handful of names that could be options for the Cowboys; options other than Kellen Moore.

The more I hear Scott Linehan talk about Kellen Moore, the more I think he will not press the issue for a veteran backup. That would steer the Cowboys into a must-have in the draft for a quarterback. As for the veterans that will be available, remember, opportunity will matter to them. Tony Romo is the starter without question.

So now you're talking about guys such as Case Keenum, Drew Stanton, Colt McCoy, Chase Daniel and Matt Moore. I'm on record saying McCoy would be an interesting option. His agent is David Dunn, who also represents Linehan and Jason Garrett. Dunn also represents Matt Cassel, whom the Cowboys acquired in a trade.

One name that I need to investigate more is Daniel. He has been a backup in New Orleans and Kansas City. Would the Southlake Caroll High School product like to come home?

Cowboys are second-best landing spots for Robert Griffin III - Mike Sando, ESPN
Sando takes stock of which teams around the NFL could be interested in Griffin's services once he hits the open market, and among the five teams Sando ranks as potential destinations, the Cowboys rank No. 2 behind the Buffalo Bills.

The assumption here is that Dallas will not want to use the fourth overall choice in the 2016 draft on a quarterback. Griffin could come cheap and without risk. The Cowboys would be adding a young insurance policy for Tony Romo without undermining him. Griffin would have a reasonable chance to play in 2016, given Romo's combination of age and recent injuries, but he would come to Dallas without starting expectations. If all went well, Griffin could get both time to assimilate and opportunities to play in an offense featuring talented linemen and receiving weapons.

Griffin passes exit physical, paving way for release - Marc Sessler, NFL.com
Albert Breer reported earlier that Robert Griffin III passed his exit physical with the Redskins, paving the way for his seemingly imminent release. Sessler wonders where Griffin could land, and - you guessed it - Dallas is one of those spots.

It's been an awkward and depressing tumble from grace for Griffin, who didn't take a snap in 2015. By all accounts, though, he handled his demotion with poise and still possesses enough unusual athleticism and potential to draw interest on the open market. While Dallas has been whispered about as a landing spot, the Cowboys might not be the only club willing to take a shot on repairing Griffin's career.

RGIII a longshot to end up with Cowboys - Matt Mosley, SportsDay
In a recent chat, Mosley was less optimistic about the chances of Griffin ending up in Dallas.

As the president of the local chapter of the RG3 fan club, I don't think it's an awful idea. This year was a humbling experience for Robert and I think he'll have a completely different attitude. Any sense of entitlement is gone. Jason Garrett would need to have Art Briles stop by every now and then.

But the Cowboys are going to be looking for a QB in the draft. I think it's a longshot that Griffin ends up here.

Mock Draft 1.0: With the No. 4 pick, the Dallas Cowboys select ... - Charean Williams, The Star-Telegram
Williams knows the Cowboys better than most, and in her first mock of the seasons, she has the Cowboys picking Myles Jack over Jalen Ramsey and Carson Wentz.

4. Dallas – Myles Jack, LB, UCLA: He and Sean Lee would give the Cowboys a linebacker tandem to match Carolina’s Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly.

Should Cowboys draft Witten's understudy in the draft? - Bob Sturm, SportsDay
In his mailbag, Sturm wonders whether the Cowboys should spend yet another pick on Witten's potential successor after they have done this in 2006, 2008, and again in 2013.

I don't think it is really high on their list of ideas, but we should remember that the top TE in the draft is Hunter Henry from Arkansas. The Cowboys have a few ties with that school, so I suppose we should not rule it out. And if they aren't extending Terrance Williams on a deal, we should also believe that Escobar hasn't done much to encourage them, either.

It will be interesting to see what - if any - plans are being made to help cover themselves for the end of the road for the great #82.

Seahawks [Cowboys] could find cheaper, younger options in talent-rich draft - Rob Rang, Scout
This strength of this year's draft lies at defensive tackle, Rang writes, and what's good for the Seahawks might be even better for the Cowboys.

There are no less than eight defensive tackles I currently project as reasonable options for Seattle's first round pick [26th] alone, with Baylor's Andrew Billings, Florida's Jonathan Bullard, Louisiana Tech's Vernon Butler and UCLA's Kenny Clark all particularly intriguing.

Because of the talent up top, a so-called "second tier" of defensive tackles could slip a little later than they should. Schneider and his staff have won big on Day Two of the draft and could find Nebraska's Maliek Collins, Notre Dame's Sheldon Day or Texas' Hassan Ridgeway available later than they should.

Byron Jones on his rookie season being 'a good wake-up call' - SportsDay Staff
In an interview on the Ben and Skin Show on KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan, Byron Jones talked about his first NFL season.

I think you may be pushing it putting me in the MVP pile. I think it was a good wake-up call for me. Just to be out there and understand that athleticism is not gonna carry you. You gotta be good at football.

You gotta have football skill. The best thing about this year for me was I saw myself getting better and understanding more as the season went on.

Definitely optimistic going forward, but a lot of things to be worked on to move forward in becoming a great football player, not just a good football player.

Examining potential landing spots for Matt Forte - Field Yates, ESPN
Forte is done in Chicago after eight productive seasons, and is certain to generate interest on the open market. Are the Cowboys among the teams that could have interest in the 30-year-old running back?

For the right price, Forte could be of interest to the Cowboys, but he is on the wrong side of 30 and has had a lot of carries and catches. The Cowboys were reluctant to sink big money into DeMarco Murray last season and signed Darren McFadden. After a slow start, McFadden had 1,089 yards in 2015. The Cowboys need running back help and Forte would provide it, but they also need to get younger at the running back position. Ultimately it will come down to price. If it's reasonable, then the Cowboys would look at him. -- Todd Archer

The dirty little secret behind why players are signing these early deals - Jason La Canfora, CBSSports.com
Why are players in such a rush to sign deals right now instead of standing their ground and using the NFL calendar to their advantage? The answer might surprise you.

I'll let you in on a dirty little secret. Agents don't want to be fired. I'd venture to say for many [agents], the incentives to take some deal right now are very significant. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush, especially if you never make it to the bush.

The fear of training and cultivating a top player only to have him fire you before he hits the free agent market is very real and that's why this time of the calendar year can be so fertile for many NFL teams. Trust me, they realize this in front offices and they use it to their advantage.

Very early 2016 fantasy football rankings - Matthew Berry, ESPN
Berry presents his way-too-early 2016 fantasy football rankings, for those who give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys about fantasy football.

QB: Tony Romo (10th)
RB: Darren McFadden (24th)
WR: Dez Bryant (4th)
TE: Jason Witten (15th)