Will the Dallas Cowboys draft a quarterback early in 2020?

Without a long-term deal in place for starter Dak Prescott and a questionable backup behind him, will the Dallas Cowboys draft a quarterback early in 2020?

The quarterback position in the NFL is arguably the most scrutinized in all of professional sports. For some odd reason, the person currently occupying that position for the Dallas Cowboys is quite polarizing.

For all intents and purposes, everyone who cares about this organization should be ecstatic to have Dak Prescott as the main man in Big D. He literally checks every box you can imagine when it comes to the type of player and person you would want as the face of your franchise.

I have been extremely consistent with my position regarding Prescott and how the Dallas Cowboys should be moving forward with him. You can read this article, or this one, or even this one if you’d like to review where I stand on this topic.

If you want to focus strictly on performance within the white lines, you should be in love with Dak. Here is the entire list, courtesy of Pro Football Reference, of quarterbacks in the entire history of the NFL with 15,000+ yards passing, 95+ touchdowns, 40 or fewer interceptions with 40 or more wins by age 26.

Beyond the field, Prescott is a model citizen in the community, a true leader and an all-around good guy. The Dallas Cowboys and its fans should be ecstatic to have him.

Yet, here we are, living in a world in which Prescott is currently is set to play the 2020 season on the franchise tag instead of a long-term deal. We are also two weeks from the draft and plenty of fans as well as “experts” are kicking around the idea of drafting a quarterback in the first round or two of the 2020 NFL Draft.

So, I must perform due diligence and discuss whether or not I think this will happen. I guess we should also discuss if this is a smart move or not.

I’ll save you a ton of drama and just tell you right now. Not only would this be a ridiculously moronic play, but it also just will not happen. Here are three really good reasons as to why I believe my stance is the correct one.

For one, even without a long-term deal, Prescott will be making $33 million on the exclusive rights franchise tag. His backup, Cooper Rush, signed a one-year deal this offseason worth $2.1 million. Lastly, the 17th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft signed a four-year deal worth $13.2 million.

That means if Dallas does not make any trades to move up and they draft a quarterback in round one, they will have almost $40 million wrapped in one position for 2020. That is not economically sound, given that you can only play one quarterback at a time.

If the Dallas Cowboys do move up in the draft in order to nab a quarterback, not only will that $40 million figure go up, but it will also cost this team draft capital. More importantly, it will make improving other positions of need exponentially more difficult.

That leads us to point number two. The Dallas Cowboys, as currently constructed, have a really good team. Unfortunately, even “really good” rosters in the NFL have holes somewhere. Regarding the Cowboys, three main areas still need to be addressed.

Dallas desperately needs to address the defensive back group. They could use another talented edge rusher and the tight end spot could still use an upgrade. There is absolutely zero need for a quarterback.

Lastly, making a move to draft a quarterback would go against everything the organization has put out there regarding their feelings about Prescott. They want to sign him long-term. The two sides are working to do so, even if they seem far apart at this juncture.

Drafting a quarterback in either of the first two rounds would essentially signal to Prescott and his camp that the Cowboys are thinking about moving on from him. That would be a major blow to the negotiations and could likely alienate Prescott to the point he does not even sign the franchise tag, sits out a year and leaves for good.

If any franchise should value the extremely good fortune they have had at the game’s most important position, it’s the Dallas Cowboys. Before lucking into Dak Prescott, Dallas experienced some major serendipity by having Tony Romo man the spot for more than a decade.

Prior to those two, however, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback position was a joke. Between Troy Aikman‘s retirement and Romo’s unexpected rise to stardom, the list of guys who filled the void would scare anyone.

Randall Cunningham, Anthony Wright, Quincy Carter, Ryan Leaf, Clint Stoerner, Chad Hutchinson, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Henson, and Drew Bledsoe all started games for this franchise. Why roll the dice with an unknown product when you already have the answer in the building?

Will the Dallas Cowboys draft a quarterback early in 2020? I do not believe so. Should they? Absolutely not. If you happen to be one of those who does not think Prescott deserves to be paid like a top player at this position, you need to get over it. His replacement is not coming in 2020 or anytime soon.