Dallas Cowboys: Revamped QB room after claiming Will Grier

The Dallas Cowboys shook up their quarterback room a bit, claiming former Panthers QB Will Grier to be a backup to the starter, Dak Prescott.

Anytime a team is forced to turn to its backup quarterback, it’s a sign of trouble unless that team has a young star in the making.

And if a team has to turn to QB3 on the roster, it’s probably pretty dire.

Nevertheless, 2020 revealed just how important a backup quarterback can be. And while the Dallas Cowboys no longer employ now-Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton, fully hoping Dak Prescott can stay fully healthy and engineer what looks to be a prolific offense, the shakeups that took place during the offseason behind Prescott won’t matter too much.

Still, safeguarding the position after Prescott will always be of interest, and it made sense to shake things up a bit in the wake of second-year pro Ben DiNucci’s struggles during the preseason that saw him go 35-of-66 for 348 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions, ultimately resulting in him being waived and landing on the practice squad.

The veteran, Garrett Gilbert, was also let go.

Dallas Cowboys claim Will Grier off waivers from Carolina Panthers

With DiNucci and Gilbert no longer a part of Dallas’ 53-man roster heading into the regular season, the Cowboys elected to use the No. 10 waiver claim on cut-down day to add former Carolina Panthers quarterback Will Grier, Carolina’s third-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, into the fray.

Grier, 26 years old, started two games his rookie season but didn’t exactly show much of any excitement:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com
Generated 9/2/2021.

Granted, there’s always the thinking a change in scenery and scheme could do Grier some good, particularly playing under head coach Mike McCarthy.

Still, it’s hard to get overly hyped about this particular transaction, although the same argument about a third-string backup being the sign of dire times still applies here.

Dallas Cowboys still likely to back up Dak Prescott with Cooper Rush

Prescott’s recent injury concerns and ever-looming COVID-19 worries almost make it necessary for Dallas to carry three quarterbacks on the active roster this season, although that could certainly change as the year moves along.

Grier might have been added, but it’s probably best to assume he’ll be the No. 3 option on the depth chart.

The immediate go-to option, in case Prescott misses any length of time, will still be fifth-year pro Cooper Rush, who has yet to start a game over his pro career but at least has the familiarity within McCarthy’s offense at such late notice.

Still, the lack of thump behind Prescott has prompted some to wonder if the Cowboys should go after now free-agent quarterback Cam Newton to back Prescott up.

Related Story: Is Cam Newton the backup QB Dallas Cowboys should target?

Provocative. With Grier now in the fray, though, it’s likely Dallas allows things to play out for at least a few weeks in practice to see how things are going on the depth chart behind Prescott. If either Rush or Grier are showing some modest competence, the need to go after Newton should be considered minimal.

Even though his name recognition is there.

Either way, the Cowboys merely have to hope neither Rush nor Grier are ever needed in a meaningful situation this season.

If they are, things could get ugly awfully quickly.