Did the Dallas Cowboys improve at quarterback in 2018?

[In this series, we’ll take a look at the additions and subtractions at every position on the Dallas Cowboys roster. We’ll compare where the Cowboys were to where they currently sit and ask the ultimate question. Did the Cowboys improve or not? In other words, do you feel better about the state of the roster going into the 2018 season?]

Last season:

QB1 Dak Prescott- 16 starts, 9-7 W/L record, 65.2% comp, 3,324 yards, 22 TD’s, 13 INT’s, six rush TD’s, 86.6 passer rating (17th in NFL), 66.7 QBR (4th in NFL)

QB2 Cooper Rush- UDFA from Central Michigan, Preseason stats: 74.5% comp, 398 yards, six TD’s, 135.9 passer rating

QB3 Kellen Moore- Preseason stats: 54.2% comp, 392 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 73.6 passer rating, retired to take QB coach position

This season:

QB1 Dak Prescott

QB2 Cooper Rush

QB3 Mike White- selected 171st overall (5th round), College stats: Five seasons, two teams, 62% comp, 11,262 passing yards, 74 TD’s, 31 INT’s, 142.9 passer rating

QB4 Dalton Sturm- UDFA from UTSA, College stats: Four seasons, 59.4% comp, 5,775 passing yards, 49 TD’s, 18 INT’s, 134.8 passer rating

The Cowboys change in the quarterback room began with the organization not retaining longtime QB’s coach Wade Wilson. Kellen Moore retired from playing and took over the coaching vacancy.

Dak Prescott, now in his third year, will see an offense that remain heavily committed to the running game. At the same time, Prescott’s receiving corps will consist of very few faces that he’s used to seeing as big names such as Dez Bryant and Jason Witten were key departures. Prescott will look to spread the ball around and hopefully improve a passing offense that struggled all of last season.

Cooper Rush was able to wrestle away the backup job from Moore last season and maintain it through most of the year. His preseason performance was enough to show the Cowboys he deserved a backup role but he’ll have to earn it once again this training camp. The Cowboys drafted a young passer in Mike White to compete for the job and things could get interesting.

Rush and White are almost polar opposites in terms of what they each bring to the table. Rush has the mobility in the pocket and has decent athleticism to make plays with his feet. Rush’s ability to run a similar offense with boots and waggles impressed the coaching staff last season. Where Rush struggles with arm strength is where White thrives as he can put the ball anywhere on the field. White’s game is of a pocket passer that can really push the ball downfield.

However, White struggles with pocket awareness and footwork. He spent most of his collegiate career under duress and should have much better protection in the pros. This battle for the backup position will be one of the more interesting battles as both guys present two different styles of play. Last but not least, Dalton Sturm will get an opportunity at some point to throw his name into the ring, we’ll see if he has a little something.

Conclusion: The Cowboys have certainly found improvement in their ability to draft another young passer to bring competition in the room. Maybe you can find improvement in other moves they made around the quarterback as they try to tailor the offense around Dak Prescott. You could certainly make the argument that with the talent they currently have, the Cowboys are better off in 2018 than they started last season.