Cowboys: 3 backup plans if Dallas moves on from Dak Prescott
By John Buhler
QB. New Orleans Saints. Jameis Winston. 1. player. 15. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
A former No. 1 overall pick on a mission is a powerful thing
At his very core, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is an oil man. He made his money betting on himself and taking on more risk than most people would be willing to stomach. There is a former No. 1 overall pick out there who is ready for his next opportunity to lead a franchise. Not only will signing Jameis Winston win the press conference, but he could get the Cowboys back into the playoffs.
After spending his first five years in the league out of Florida State with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston served as a backup or third-string quarterback on the New Orleans Saints. He filled in for Drew Brees on occasion, but mostly watched Sean Payton have a little bit too much fun with his favorite player, Taysom Hill. The Saints failed to win a single playoff game yet again.
While the Saints’ brass could promise Winston an opportunity to compete for the starting job, assuming Brees has retired to the NBC Sports booth, why would he want to risk the chance of getting paid pennies on the dollar to lose out to a former BYU option quarterback? Winston would be better served seeing what else the free agent market has in store for him this offseason.
If given the green light to play for the Cowboys, Winston could be one of the most prolific passers to ever play in Dallas. He threw for a ton of yards, a ton of touchdowns and a ton of picks in his five years in Tampa Bay. With supposedly corrected vision by way of LASIK, Winston could become his generation’s version of Jim Plunkett, or what Ryan Tannehill has been for the Tennessee Titans.
Deshaun Watson's preferred trade destinations revealed. dark. Next
Ultimately, the Cowboys would make themselves incredibly vulnerable by not bringing Prescott back on a new deal. His leadership, coachability and precision as a playmaker is the Cowboys’ best chance at success at this juncture. However, weirder things have happened in Dallas with Jones as the decision maker with final say. If he is done with Prescott, the Cowboys do have some options.
If the Cowboys do move off Prescott, where should they to fill their quarterbacking needs in 2021?