Former Cowboys Quarterback Gives Best Reason To Waive Brandon Weeden

In Week Nine of the Dallas Cowboys 2014 regular season, quarterback Tony Romo was forced to sit out of the team’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals due to a back injury. In his place, former first round bust Brandon Weeden got the start for Dallas.

Encouraged by a quick but promising substitution in the previous Monday night game against the Washington Redskins, the well-prepared Weeden was expected to perform admirably in Romo’s absence. Instead the 30-year old, third year quarterback had a terrible outing, throwing for 183 yards, two interceptions and one garbage-time touchdown.

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Fortunately for the Cowboys, that would be Weeden’s only start of the season as Romo returned the following week. Still, with Dallas’ starting quarterback coming off of two back procedures the previous year, retaining a quality back-up who could be called upon to win critical games for the Cowboys was and is a major cause for concern.

Although there were rumblings about the Cowboys having interest in other quarterbacks this offseason, their front office elected not to sign one in free agency or draft one last month. Therefore leaving Weeden and second-year quarterback Dustin Vaughan as the only likely candidates for that primary back-up position behind Romo in 2015.

Earlier this month, Cowboys quarterback coach Wade Wilson went on record as stating he believes Weeden is the most improved player this offseason. But should the Cowboys keep pouring resources into a now 31-year old quarterback who has failed to show he belongs in the NFL?

Former Cowboys quarterback Babe Laufenberg was asked whether it was fair to judge Weeden only on his poor performance against the Cardinals.

"“I don’t know if it is fair to judge Weeden on the Arizona game (they had a great defense) but that is the way it is,” Laufenberg responded in an article that appeared on the Dallas Morning News site on Thursday. “I will say that no QB in NFL history could have had more practice time as a backup than Weeden. Romo missed all of spring, skipped some training camp practice, then did not practice on Wednesdays last year. So Weeden was as prepared as a backup could ever hope for. I am interested to see the progress of Dustin Vaughn this year. Very interested. I think he has a chance. Would love to see him push Weeden for the backup job, and if the Cowboys give him a legitimate chance, I think he might do just that.”"

Laufenberg gives the best reason why the Cowboys should move on from Weeden and focus their time and resources on another player. Going into the Arizona game last year, he was simply the best prepared back-up in the NFL. And he played poorly when the team needed him the most.

Despite all that time and preparation, Weeden reverted back to his not so old Cleveland days. As a member of the Browns, the elderly gunslinger posted completion percentages of 57.4% and 52.8% respectively. Weeden’s completion percentage against the Cardinals in Week Nine? 54.5%.

In 2012, Pro Football Focus ranked Weeden as the worst quarterback in the NFL The following year, he posted the worst completion percentage in the entire league. For both reasons, the Browns opted to part ways with their franchise quarterback after only two seasons.

Bottom line is Weeden has not changed in three years. And last season proved that all the practice time in the world will likely not fix that.

What is even worse is the fact Weeden seems quick to blame everything else for his poor performance.

"“I didn’t play as well as I would’ve liked against Arizona, but I tell everybody that’s the best defense I’ve ever played against,” Weeden told DallasCowboys.com this week. “Their scheme was good, there are really good corners on the outside, and they have just really good players. I’d like to have that one over . . . They were tough. I just didn’t play well enough to give us a chance to win.”"

Weeden also claimed having to play under different coaches and schemes both in Cleveland and Dallas as more reasons for his poor play.

I think it’s pretty clear that the Dallas Cowboys should move on from Weeden. Unfortunately, it appears it will take another terrible outing in the regular or postseason by him to push the Cowboys over that edge.

Let’s just hope Weeden doesn’t have to play at all this year.

Next: Travis Frederick On Tony Romo: His Response Surprised Me!

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