Cowboys news: Dak Prescott will be the starter, but Dallas needs to find a backup

Who will back up quarterback Dak Prescott for the Dallas Cowboys? - Todd Archer, ESPN.com

Who will be the Dallas backup in 2021?

FRISCO, Texas — Rightfully so, all of the focus surrounding the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason so far has been on quarterback Dak Prescott.

There will be more clarity on his future by Tuesday, when the Cowboys will have to use the $37.7 million franchise tag on him for a second straight year if the sides do not reach an agreement on a long-term deal. There have been discussions, labeled as positive, but that means little until Prescott signs the richest deal in franchise history.

What we do know is Prescott will be the Cowboys’ starting quarterback in 2021.

What we don’t know is who will be his backup.

Andy Dalton is a free agent and would like to be a starting quarterback again. He went 4-5 as Prescott’s replacement in 2020, while dealing with a concussion and a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list in consecutive weeks. He had 14 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He had a personally satisfying victory in Week 14 against the Bengals in his return to Cincinnati, and two weeks later threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 16 win.

Dalton made $3 million last season as Prescott’s backup. With incentives, he could have made $7 million.

If Dalton does not find a spot to be a starting quarterback or at least compete for a job, then returning to the Cowboys makes a lot of sense. One of the reasons he signed with the Cowboys was Dallas is now his home, so it is convenient for his family. Provided the price is right, the Cowboys would like him to return, but understand his desire to be a starter elsewhere.

Report: “Things are positive” between Dak Prescott and Dallas Cowboys ahead of franchise tag deadline - RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys

Well this is at least something positive.

There is about half of a week between now and the next-most important day for the Dallas Cowboys. We are of course talking about March 9th.

While the Cowboys might have some plans for free agency that they want to pay attention to the first thing that they need to take care of this offseason is the most important player on their team - QB Dak Prescott.

Much has been said about Dak in a number of different directions, but the Cowboys very clearly want to have Prescott under center for the foreseeable future. We are now in the third offseason in a row in which they have been trying to lock him down long-term. It either has to happen this year or it never will since the franchise tag value for next year is one that the Cowboys cannot afford.

Things are reportedly positive between Dak Prescott and the Cowboys ahead of the tag deadline

Speaking of the franchise tag deadline, it is obviously coming up. We all know that if we reach the point of no return this coming Tuesday that the Cowboys are going to be forced to place the tag on Dak (likely in the exclusive variety) so as to buy themselves more time to negotiate. It’s not like over two years is enough time or anything.

On the Friday before the final weekend in which they will have time to think this over before the tag deadline it was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that things are “positive” between the two sides.

2021 NFL Free Agent Scouting Report: Dak Prescott - The NFL Draft Bible

What do others think of Dak Prescott?

The NFL Draft Bible pro personnel department has compiled scouting reports on the top free agent players for 2021. Our most valuable player available on the open market is quarterback Dak Prescott. While the Louisiana native was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, the Dallas Cowboys still own the right to designate him with a franchise tag for the second consecutive year, which would cost $37.7M dollars for the upcoming season. The bigger question that remains, is will the two parties be able to agree on a long-term deal.

NFL free agency is set to begin on March 17th, be sure to visit our NFL Free Agent Rankings Tracker for real-time updates! Below is the latest scouting report on free agent quarterback Dak Prescott.

Overview:

Everybody knows that quarterback is king, which is why it’d be surprising to see the Cowboys let Prescott walk without meeting his lucrative contract demands. Since taking the reins of the franchise from Tony Romo in 2016, he has made tremendous strides in patching up some of the inconsistencies that he came into the league with. Prescott demonstrates exceptional leadership, toughness and competitiveness. All traits evaluators love to see in any quarterback. He possesses a powerful lower body that enables him to drive the ball accurately into tight spaces. He also shows great pocket awareness in evading oncoming pass-rushers and finding escape routes to either take off for easy yards or find an open receiver downfield. He is an extremely hard worker who has taken considerable jumps in his progression every year. Where Prescott needs to continue to better himself is in his mechanics and footwork. His release has gotten much tighter since entering the league but he can still shorten that up when attacking deeper down the field. The footwork isn’t always perfect for Prescott, which leads him to fall off balance and make inconsistent throws to all parts of the field. When Prescott is able to set his feet, use his strong base to step up in the pocket, and fire to his receivers. Prescott is a terrific young quarterback who is just beginning to scratch the surface of what he can become in the league.

Could the Dallas Cowboys Move Reggie Robinson Back to Cornerback? - John Williams, Inside the Star

Don’t forget about Reggie Robinson.

The Dallas Cowboys have a major problem heading into the 2021 offseason. With several members of their secondary heading toward free agency in less than two weeks, the Cowboys have a lot of work to try and mitigate the losses of Xavier Woods, Chidobe Awuzie, and Jourdan Lewis.

Sure, the triumvirate of 2017 NFL Draft picks haven’t performed well enough to throw a bag of money at. However, losing all three in the same offseason leaves a lot of snaps to be replaced. Many believe that the Cowboys will use free agency and the draft to add to a defensive back group that has only three starters returning in Trevon Diggs, Donovan Wilson, and Anthony Brown. And while that might be the case, the Cowboys have one player on the roster that could be an answer to their defensive back questions.

Reggie Robinson.

Reggie Robinson, the Cowboys fourth-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft has a strange rookie season. Drafted as a cornerback, the Cowboys defensive coaches moved him to safety during training camp. That led to a rookie season that amounted to a redshirt year as Robinson learned his new position.

Athletic, with good, length, range, and coverage ability, Robinson has the potential to be a contributor at safety for the Cowboys. However, it might be best to see Robinson move back to his more natural position at cornerback.

Progress Report: Ready For Biadasz To Take Over? - Johnny Auping, DallasCowboys.com

Tyler Biadasz as the starting center? Yes, please.

The Good: Unless you’re talking about someone like Travis Frederick, the man Biadasz was drafted to replace, it’s wise to show a little patience with a rookie center. It’s an extremely difficult position to master at the NFL level, so the good news is that Biadasz was thrown into fire in the middle of the season and got his taste of reps. And while he wasn’t exactly showing flashes of a young Frederick, he didn’t look overwhelmed either. He started four games in the middle of the season before suffering a hamstring injury and looked particularly good blocking in the run game. Center is a position that usually requires development, and so Biadasz hopefully got some of his growing pains out of the way in Year One. Only one other rookie center, Denver’s Lloyd Cushenberry, started multiple games this season, and by just about any metric, Biadasz performed better.

The Bad: Being placed on Injured Reserve after injuring his hamstring in pregame warmups certainly wasn’t great. Additionally, the offensive line was a huge weak point for the Cowboys when Biadasz was inserted as a starter, but it would be unfair to put that on his shoulders. The team was without both Tyron Smith and La’el Collins at tackle. Zack Martin also missed two of the games when Biadasz was starting. And on top of everything else, Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Biadasz’s first start. Biadasz was snapping the ball to three different starting quarterbacks. All of this was a recipe for disaster and served as pretty chaotic conditions for a rookie center to contend with.

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