Dallas Cowboys: 4 potential backup quarterback options
By Connor Green
3. Colt McCoy
The Dallas Cowboys could land a former Texas football star as their backup signal-caller this offseason. That player is veteran backup quarterback Colt McCoy.
McCoy, who is a free agent this offseason, finished in second and third place in the Heisman vote in 2008 and 2009 while playing for the Texas Longhorns. The former college football star was then drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2010. The young passer struggled in Cleveland and he finished his tenure there after three seasons with a 6-15 record while tossing 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
After leaving the Browns McCoy became a career backup while playing for the San Fransisco 49ers and the Washington Football Team for six seasons. During that span, the former Longhorn only started seven games.
The 34-year old quarterback agreed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the New York Giants last offseason. The veteran backup was then briefly forced into action when the teams’ starting signal-caller Daniel Jones suffered multiple leg injuries toward the end of the season.
McCoy started two games for the Giants and helped lead the team to an improbable upset victory against the Seattle Seahawks. McCoy went 1-1 in his two starts and finished the year with a serviceable 60.6 percent completion rate and a passer rating of 75.
During his decade in the league as a backup McCoy has managed to throw 30 career touchdowns to 28 interceptions while posting a completion percentage of 60.7.
The former Texas star would be a relatively cheap option for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason and his experience playing for two of the teams’ rivals in the NFC East could bolster his value. The ten-year veteran could also bring a sense of stability to the teams’ quarterback room which is relatively inexperienced.