Should Dallas Cowboys cash in on Cooper Rush’s trade value when Dak returns?
Cooper Rush has done a quality job of keeping the Cowboys on track during Dak Prescott’s absence. What should Dallas do with Rush once Dak returns?
Plenty of Cowboys fans thought their season might take a precipitous downturn once they lost Dak Prescott to injury. Fortunately for everyone in Dallas, Cooper Rush stepped in and did a quality job as the team’s quarterback in Prescott’s absence. Now that Dak’s return is just a week away, it’s reasonable to consider what the higher-ups in Dallas should do with their backup quarterback.
No, there’s zero chance that Rush is going to supplant Prescott as the team’s starter no matter what he did during his multi-week cameo. Prescott may not be the perfect quarterback, but he’s the unquestioned face of the franchise in Dallas.
That doesn’t mean Rush doesn’t have what’s required to be an NFL starter. On the contrary, it’s easy to envision a scenario where another team falls in love with his film and believes Rush can give their offense an immediate upgrade. The Cowboys are going to receive trade calls on their backup signal-caller over the next coming days. How they answer those calls could have a major impact on how the rest of the Cowboys’ season progresses
The case for dealing Cooper Rush
Rush’s stock may never be higher than it is right now. He’s 2-0 as a starter heading into the team’s Week 4 matchup and could easily finish the weekend with a sterling 3-0 mark at the helm of Mike McCarthy’s offense.
He hasn’t been asked to be the man in Dallas’ offensive system over the last several weeks, but he has played highly efficient football. He’s completed just over 62% of his passes and hasn’t tossed an interception. Two touchdown passes in 75 attempts won’t put Rush on the road to Canton but he’s done his job at a high level.
From an asset perspective, the Cowboys’ front office would be wise to put a high asking price on Rush and see if another team is willing to overpay for his recent success. No one is going to come in and offer a first-round pick to pry Rush away from Dallas, but receiving a second or even third-round selection for a quarterback without star potential could turn into a shrewd personnel move for the Cowboys.
The case for keeping Cooper Rush
Cowboys fans only need to cast their eyes over to the 49ers to understand just how important a quality backup quarterback can be. Rush doesn’t have the resume that Jimmy Garoppolo does in San Francisco, but he is a proven commodity that can keep the Cowboys operating at a reasonably high level when Prescott is forced to miss time.
Unless Dallas believes that current practice squad quarterback Will Grier can be just as good as Rush they have a strong reason to keep their backup quarterback on the roster. Dealing Rush almost certainly makes the Cowboys worse this season. If they really believe the roster has Super Bowl talent they need to keep a strong investment in Dak Prescott’s backup.
So what will the Cowboys do?
Expect to hear a lot of chatter about Rush over the next several weeks, but he’s going to stay put in Dallas unless another team decides to overpay for his services. His ceiling just isn’t high enough to justify a massive investment from a team interested in tempting the Cowboys to deal him.
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The one caveat here is that things could change quickly if a legitimate Super Bowl contender suffers a major injury at the quarterback position. That could change the math quickly for the Cowboys. Absent a high-profile injury that forces another team into action Rush should remain in Dallas for the remainder of the season.