Dallas Cowboys: Would Colin Kaepernick be a good fit at backup quarterback?

With the NFL holding a workout for quarterback Colin Kaepernick, would the Dallas Cowboys be wise to sign the talented, yet polarizing player?

By now you’ve probably heard that the NFL is holding an official workout for quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Saturday. And guess what, the Dallas Cowboys will not be attending.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson initially reported that the Cowboys were one of a handful of teams that expressed interest in attending Kaepernick’s workout.

However, according to Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com, team owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan that the Cowboys will not have a representative at Kaepernick’s workout; although, they could still be interested in looking at his workout tape.

"“We’re not gonna have anybody there. We’ll look at the tape if we need any information there. We really like our quarterbacks.”"

Um, what? Is Jerry Jones aware of the lack of depth behind starting quarterback Dak Prescott right now? Is he familiar with how similar Kaepernick’s game actually is to the Cowboys’ current starter?

There’s no denying Kaepernick is a polarizing player. But it’s also clear he can play at an NFL level — at least he did at one point. For many teams, it’s a matter of whether or not his upside outweighs any potential negative ramifications — the media circus, negative fan reaction, etc — that come with signing him.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback hasn’t played in the league since 2016. Many of his supporters believe that’s due to him being blackballed by owners for his controversial activism; he knelled for the National Anthem as a way to bring attention to injustices facing African Americans.

His detractors claim that he doesn’t have the skill to compete at such a high level. His Super Bowl appearance and impressive career stat line seem to debunk that theory.

Should the Dallas Cowboys take that risk? This is a question we’ve debated numerous times in the past. That was before the hiatus, though. Two years have passed since we last asked ourselves if Kaepernick would make a good addition to the Cowboys; a lot has changed since then.

For starters, quarterback Dak Prescott has emerged as the starter. A fourth-round pick in the 2016 Draft, Dak has made the most of his opportunity and has become a leader on this team. He’s continually shown improvement with each season and has established himself as a top-tier quarterback in the league.

That said, this is the NFL and anything is possible. Contract negotiations aside, Dak is only one bad hit away from being sidelined with an injury. Then what?

Does Jerry Jones honestly believe third-year quarterback Cooper Rush, who has just three career passing attempts (all coming in 2017), could lead this team to the playoffs? Come on, they are hardly a .500 team with Dak Prescott. Without him, there is no chance at the playoffs.

Colin Kaepernick is a quarterback who has appeared in a Super Bowl. He has thrown for over 12,000 yards and 72 touchdowns. He has rushed for over 2,300 yards, adding another 13 touchdowns on the ground. He was, and maybe still is, a variation of the type of quarterback that Dak Prescott is.

They are roughly the same in size, and actually play a similar game. Both are capable passers with an ability to run the ball. Kaepernick is slightly less accurate than Prescott, but he was also a better runner (at least stats wise). Their career passing touchdown to interception ratio is also pretty similar.

We’re not debating who would be the better starter, though. The position belongs to Dak already, no question. What I’m saying is Kaepernick offers the Cowboys a nice safety net should something unpredictable happen, like an injury.

Colin Kaepernick is close enough in his play style to Dak where he could probably step in and the offense wouldn’t miss much of a beat. He’s the perfect insurance policy.

Of course, this is all assuming that Kaepernick, at 32-years-old, is still the same quarterback he was back in 2016. Two years away from the game is a long time, but apparently he has stayed in shape. We’ll get a better idea of where he is on Saturday, but if he comes out and impresses scouts, there’s no question that the Cowboys should consider signing him.