Predictions for Cowboys top six free agents this offseason

Andy Dalton, QB

When the Dallas Cowboys signed Andy Dalton on a one-year deal last season, it was not only viewed as the team securing the top backup quarterback in the NFL, but also potential competition to Dak Prescott for the starting role.

After all, Dalton was a three-time Pro Bowl passer and Prescott was set to play on the exclusive franchise tag, essentially a one-year deal. The Cowboys were certainly proven right to make the move after Dak was lost for the season in Week Five due to a devastating ankle injury.

Yet, Dalton’s play did little to make a case for replacing Prescott in Dallas. If anything, it only strengthened Dak’s stranglehold on the position and made his case for deserving a long-term deal in Dallas.

Dalton would still have some high points as a Cowboy, recording 2,170 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and eight interceptions with a completion percentage of 64.9, the second-highest of his 10-year career. And that’s likely enough to earn him some serious consideration around the league to at least compete for a starting role elsewhere.

Prediction: Andy Dalton will find a more lucrative opportunity in free agency and the Dallas Cowboys will enter the 2021 regular season with Garrett Gilbert as their primary backup quarterback to Dak Prescott.