If you think quarterback questions hover over the Cowboys this season, they are not alone in the NFC East. In fact, in a slightly uncomfortable way, there's a lot to prefer about their situation over at least two of their division rivals.
And when you look at what Washington and Philadelphia are dealing with, it makes it even more obvious that the draft -- no matter how high, but preferably very high -- is the place for the Cowboys to go QB shopping this spring, not the free-agent market.
Let's start with the team that captured the division, the high-flying Washington Redskins who soared all the way to 9-7. The Cowboys can't exactly scoff at this team after finishing five games behind them.
With Kirk Cousins having set Washington records and at least one NFL mark for home completion percentage, it would seem this team is set at the game's critical position. Not so fast.
Last year was Cousins' fourth since being taken in the fourth round the same year Washington spent most of its draft on No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III. So Washington's prepared to rid itself of one salary cap problem, but is it totally sold on taking on another?
Does Cousins' hot streak against bad teams (Washington didn't beat a team with a winning record) make him a $20 million player to you? Yeah, me neither.
But that's the cost of doing business at the franchise tag level. And all of that money counts against the team's cap. If the club isn't going to tag him, then they have to work out a long-term deal -- better for the cap, but more than $20 million in guarantees and most likely quite a bit more.
What's their alternative to overpaying Cousins? There isn't one.
The free-agent market is thin and peopled with guys in their 30s named Matt (Schaub, Hasselbeck, Moore, even Cassel). Washington doesn't want to dive in there (and neither does Dallas).
But by Philadelphia's standards, Washington's problem is a good one to have. The news came out this week that the Eagles do not plan to franchise Sam Bradford, a notion so far-fetched I can't imagine they considered it for more than five minutes except for the consequences mentioned above.
Ridding themselves of Bradford, whose poor season seemed to surprise only Chip Kelly, doesn't make the Eagles better. It leaves new head coach Doug Pederson with Mark Sanchez at quarterback. Then there are all those wonderful choices in the free-agency market that I touched on. If you talk yourself into believing that Chase Daniel still has some of that Mizzou magic in his arm and legs as he turns 30 this fall, he may be the prize of the bunch.
Pederson just coached Daniel in Kansas City and he probably has the same affection for him that Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan had for Kellen Moore in bringing him from Detroit.
Unless you are a big believer that Griffin can repair his game and stay healthy at this level (I am not) and the deeper you dig on this free-agent list -- any Charlie Whitehurst takers? Chad Henne fans? Tarvaris Jackson believers? -- you run straight to the draft board, which is where Dallas should maintain its focus.
The Cowboys at least know they have Tony Romo at a (comparatively) reasonable rate. But his age and injuries tell us they need an alternative. I remain convinced that a quarterback in the first round is the way to go for three reasons.
One is that there appear to be at least two credible choices, at least early in the process, in Cal's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz. Two is Jerry Jones' stated position that the Cowboys don't intend to find themselves near the top of the board again soon. Fair enough. Opportunity is knocking.
But the third point, an important one that doesn't get as much discussion, can be found in Washington's situation. Denver's too.
If you take a quarterback in the middle rounds and don't see much of him in his early years, you find yourself with the option of possibly overpaying him considerably or simply letting him walk after four years of development. The Broncos are trying to figure out if Brock Osweiler is ready to take over a Super Bowl champion. Nothing they do in the next two months will give them that answer, but they presumably will roll the dice and sign Osweiler to a new long-term deal just as Washington is likely to do with Cousins.
It's a dangerous way of doing business at the game's key position. But it beats the hell out of shopping the free-agency market.
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