Why Dak Prescott may not be the Dallas Cowboys franchise QB
Are the Dallas Cowboys doing everyone a disservice by sticking with Dak Prescott who’s praised for his leadership skills more than his passing skills?
As I enter my Dallas Cowboys mancave and light the candles on my shrine to Cowboys former quarterback Tony Romo, I realize that I can’t focus because a commercial is stuck in my head. It’s a commercial featuring Peyton Manning, the former NFL quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos advertising Sprint cell phone service.
The phrase that I keep hearing is: 6 feet 5 inch, 230 pound quarterback with a rocket laser arm. This is all because I had recently been asked, “Robert, what do you want in a Cowboys quarterback?”
That simple question had me thinking about adjectives used to describe quarterbacks. I found a forum post at Cowboyszone.com that offered a scouting report on Romo from the Draft Insiders 2003 yearbook. It featured words like: excellent accuracy, quick release, smooth compact delivery, quick decision making. All of these are reasons why I’m still #TeamRomo.
To be fair, I looked at Cowboys current quarterback Dak Prescott‘s scouting report from US Today’s Draft Wire. The positives describes Prescott as: physical, mentally tough, leadership ability and hard worker.
Am I the only person that notices the positives about Prescott aren’t praising him for quarterback skills?
Looking at Prescott’s weaknesses, I find: mechanically inconsistent, winds up with longer release, location and accuracy are generally poor, sloppy footwork, does not throw with anticipation and poor timing leads to late throws. These are the issues that I notice with Prescott, even during his third year as an NFL quarterback.
Before you jump to the comments to scream – Hey mom!! Robert H. Carroll is bashing Dak Prescott again! – I make these comparisons for a reason. I’ve never heard Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett praise Prescott for his skills and ability as an NFL quarterback. Garrett will quickly state that Dak is a leader and a hard worker. I can respect that.
My question to Cowboy Nation is: What do you want in a quarterback? Recently, I have come to the conclusion that I would like someone with excellent accuracy, pocket presence, a quick release, decision making and sound mechanics. If my quarterback were also a great leader, then that would be a bonus. Initially, I would require an above average set of quarterback skills.
I have been actively searching for a situation where leadership overrides skill. Would you follow the lead mechanic if you discovered he couldn’t change oil? Would you follow your cornerman, if you discovered he’s never been in a fight? Would you listen to chef Gordon Ramsey if he couldn’t cook bacon? These are real questions!
Maybe I should add some stats, because at this moment, I’m thinking about bacon. In 2018, Dak Prescott ranked 13th in attempts (526), 15th in passing yards (3885), 16th in touchdowns (22), the 2nd most sacks (56) and an 18th ranked QBR (quarterback rating) of 58.6. With 32 NFL teams, these numbers are firmly placed in the average area.
Are the Dallas Cowboys doing everyone, especially future Hall of Fame safety Jeff Heath, a disservice by using a quarterback that possesses more leadership skills than quarterback skills?
Even Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones once said, “You won’t see a more gifted passer than Brandon Weeden.” I can not recall or source any interview where Jerry Jones complemented Prescott on his passing abilities.
Jones did praise Prescott for a stiff arm which resulted in a weird – “He’s the daddy” – quote. Yet, there wasn’t anything about Prescott’s passing skills from Jones.
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Should the Cowboys settle with a quarterback that is charismatic and charming with leadership skills like Dak Prescott? Would the best option for the Cowboys be a quarterback with excellent accuracy, an ability to read defenses, proper mechanics, a quick release and most importantly – a rocket, laser arm?
One look at how the tears in my pillow magically form the number nine every night will give you my answer. Yet, I’m curious how the rest of Cowboy Nation feels. Let’s debate this in the comment section.
#GoCowboys