Do the Dallas Cowboys prefer QB Paxton Lynch?

If the Dallas Cowboys covet Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, they’ll likely have to make a trade in order to draft him.

There’s a prevailing theory making the rounds around the blogosphere involving the Dallas Cowboys; after the team’s private workout with quarterback Paxton Lynch last week, the Cowboys were so impressed that they will try to draft the gunslinger out of Memphis in the first round.

There are two ways the team will go about acquiring Lynch; the first scenario has Dallas using their fourth overall selection to fill another need in the 2016 NFL Draft and then them trying to trade back into the first round to grab Lynch.

The second option has the Cowboys trading down from the #4 spot in the first round, to say the Los Angeles Rams at #15, grabbing a couple extra picks in the early rounds of the draft and then picking Lynch with one of those selections.

Either way, if Lynch is the Cowboys chosen future franchise quarterback, a trade might be the only way they’ll be able to draft him.

Here’s the problem with any of these trade scenarios; they involve risks the Cowboys cannot afford to take. Yes, the team needs a quarterback of the future. But not at the expense of exposing Lynch to other organizations or giving up premium picks to acquire the gunslinger from Memphis.

First things first, though. Remember that this is draft season. Fans need to take everything they hear and read with a grain of salt because most of the information is bogus. Teams do not give away their strategies or tell the world who they are drafting a month before its showtime.

However, if the rumors do turn out to be true, the Cowboys need to think long and hard about how they approach drafting Lynch. There are the consequences to either course of action.

Scenario one has the Cowboys drafting the best player in the draft at pick four. Throw out a name and Dallas takes them; Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott or even UCLA linebacker Myles Jack could be the choice.

Then towards the end of round one, let’s say somewhere around #20 (because that’s where the New York Jets sit currently without a starting quarterback), the Cowboys jump in and trade to get back into the first round to select Lynch.

The problem with this set-up is that Dallas likely has to give away high picks in this year’s draft, probably their second and third round choices at a minimum, and very likely next year’s first as well. That is an awful lot to give up when your team has numerous holes to fill.

The Cowboys need help at defensive end, defensive line, linebacker, cornerback, safety, wide receiver and running back. Even with their first two picks helping out major areas of need, Dallas will leave other positions neglected again in 2016.

Scenario two has the Cowboys trading back to the middle teens of the first round and picking up an extra second, third and another high pick for next year. But they’ll also slide deeper out of play for one of the truly elite players in the draft.

By trading back, the Cowboys also risk missing out on Lynch altogether if another team drafts him before they get a chance to select the talented quarterback. The trade doesn’t make sense if another franchise drafts the player you covet.

Both moves come with big risks. However, if the Cowboys can get their future quarterback, is that worth paying the price for him? That’s what the team must decide over the next month.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

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