Will Dallas Cowboys strike draft gold again in Boise State?
Players from Boise State University have found a comfortable home with the Dallas Cowboys. Might they leave the 2019 NFL draft with this Idahoan star?
I impatiently watched the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft waiting to see if the Dallas Cowboys were going to make a major move and find a way to get a first round pick. The first round finished without the Cowboys being involved. I believe it’s a positive sign that the Cowboys’ front office is comfortable with a team that has reached the NFL playoffs in three of the last five years.
Without a first round draft pick, the Cowboys have six draft picks with the overall positions being: 58th, 90th, 128th, 136th, 165th and 241st. In February, I wrote a highly controversial article – How the Dallas Cowboys Can Copy the New England Patriots – which presented multiple reasons why the Cowboys should draft a quarterback with their second round, 58th overall pick. I would like to add one more reason why the Cowboys should draft a quarterback in the second round – Leverage.
The Cowboys haven’t agreed to a contract extension with current quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott was a 4th round draft pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The fact that this extension hasn’t been reached is a clear indicator that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is allowing his son and Director of Player Personnel, John Stephen Jones to make more roster and contract decisions.
Jerry Jones was very player friendly during contract negotiations which led to generous contracts. Even if players were injured or had personal issues, they received contracts. Under Jerry Jones, a lot of players received questionably large salaries that didn’t match their production like wide receiver Miles Austin and safety Matt Johnson. Players have been given multiple opportunities like defensive ends Randy Gregory and Greg Hardy. Tackle La’el Collins was awarded a fully guaranteed contract after going undrafted.
As Stephen Jones gained more control over the purse strings, the team seeks value. The Cowboys are making a dollar out of fifteen cents and balling on a budget. In my imagination, Jerry Jones would hand me a $100 bill laying on the sidewalk while Stephen Jones would stab me for a tarnished penny.
A quick search for available quarterbacks remaining in the 2019 NFL Draft points me to Brett Rypien. Rypien is the nephew of former Washington Redskins Super Bowl XXVI MVP quarterback Mark Rypien. In high school, Brett set passing records for career passing yards (13,044), single season passing yards (4,552) and touchdowns (50) all records previously owned by former Cowboys quarterback and current offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
In college, Rypien set a record for most passing yards in a game (506) by a freshman. That record was also held by Kellen Moore because Rypien played football at Boise State University. Rypien also broke Moore’s record for most 300 yard passing games (17) in school history.
It’s something in the water connecting the Dallas Cowboys and Boise State University. A long list of Boise State players have found their way onto the Cowboys’ roster: linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, quarterback Kellen Moore, former safety Orlando Scandrick, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, safeties George Iloka and Darian Thompson, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. and defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford.
Behind Prescott on the depth chart, the Cowboys roster has undrafted quarterback Cooper Rush and Mike White, a fifth round selection from the 2018 NFL Draft. The lack of competition puts Prescott in a position of contract leverage. Quoting Kanye West’s Mercy lyric, Prescott could simply sing, “Gimme $50 million or I’ma quit.”
Next. Top 10 Undrafted Free Agents in Dallas Cowboys History. dark
Having Brett Rypien on the roster as a second round draft pick gives Stephen Jones and the Cowboys some leverage in Prescott’s contract extension negotiations – even if it’s just a bluff. For that reason alone, I would be willing to bet this shiny quarter that… never mind. Stephen Jones just snatched the quarter out of my hand and ran down the street – allegedly.
Enjoy the 2019 NFL Draft & Go Cowboys!