The Cowboys have an option to trade for former Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew. After Trevor Lawrence was selected by the Jaguars as their No. 1, the signal-caller is now extinct. The Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on June 9th that the asking price for Minshew could be as low as a fifth or sixth-round selection. Current backup arrangements for the Cowboys are under scrutiny, with Dak Prescott out of training camp because of an arm injury.
“Pretty much everyone loves Minshew,” Sobleski detailed. How can you not love Minshew? His flair, facial hair, flowing locks, uncanny accuracy in short games, and his ability to make something from nothing are all reasons to love him. But he’s a limited quarterback–something the Jacksonville Jaguars discovered last season. The Cowboys lack the same level of depth at quarterback. Andy Dalton signed with Chicago Bears. As backups to Dak Prescott, Dallas has Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci. Minshew could be an upgrade in the event Prescott is hurt again (hopefully this will not happen).
The Cowboys did not address the issue of the backup quarterback in the draft or free agency this offseason. Garrett Gilbert, Ben DiNucci, and Cooper Rush are now all competing for the position of team’s backup quarterback. Prescott was left with a large void when Andy Dalton signed in free agency.
Prescott is healthy, barring the recent arm injury. However, it would be smart for the Cowboys not to have poor insurance in case Prescott has to undergo two ankle surgeries. ESPN’s Field Yates labeled the Cowboys backup quarterback position as the team’s biggest weakness heading into the season.
Yates stated that while Prescott is happy to be back, the Cowboys’ depth chart looks very thin with Garrett Gilbert, Cooper Rush and Ben DiNucci as backups. “As August rosters are thin, more experienced quarterbacks will be available. Dallas would be wise to investigate one of these options.
While defense was the Cowboys’ main focus this offseason, there are still questions heading into 2021. Sobleski’s second trade proposal saw the Cowboys grab Deadrin Senat, Falcons defensive tackle. This brings another familiar face to Dallas as Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator. Senat has only played in seven games the last two seasons after contributing in 15 contests his rookie year.
Sobleski stated that Dean Pees didn’t draft Deadrin Senat to play in his defense. Pees prefers larger and stronger defensive linemen who can hold the point of attack. Although Senat is more disruptive than his teammate Grady Jarrett, he’s still not at the same level. Senat’s usage was significantly lower after his rookie season, mostly due to injuries. However, the Falcons initially drafted Senat in the third round to fill the role of Dan Quinn (now the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator). “The Cowboys also need help with their interior defense.”