The Dallas Cowboys have the fourth pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, but according to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt they will not use that pick on a quarterback.
“Jerry told me recently that he will unequivocally not take a quarterback at No. 4, where the Cowboys draft this year. I believe him. It makes sense if you think Romo will make a full recovery from offseason surgery, will be your starter for at least three more years, and your team has a window of opportunity that will remain open by filling more glaring needs with the top pick in the draft.”
That’s the completely logical option, as using that pick on a quarterback would make virtually no sense.
Tony Romo is coming off of an injury and will be 36 in April, so it is time to start thinking about his replacement. Still, it’s not time to think about spending first-round money on his replacement, especially with so many other holes on the roster and especially if you believe, as Jerry Jones does, that he’ll be your quarterback for four or five more seasons.
Romo will be younger in the 2016 season than either of the last two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning) were when they won their most recent championships.
If the Cowboys are thinking about drafting a quarterback to eventually replace Romo, they’d be better off following the path of the Patriots and Broncos, who drafted Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Osweiler in the second rounds of the 2014 (Garoppolo) and 2012 (Osweiler) drafts, respectively.
A quarterback taken after the first round won’t be such a huge hit on the salary cap, and therefore can be brought along slower as more of a project.
While drafting a quarterback with the fourth pick is the sexier option, waiting until the latter rounds, or not drafting one at all, is the more logical one for Jones and the Cowboys.