I followed Will Grier at West Virginia and thought he was a really good quarterback. What are his strengths and weaknesses and what do you think about his potential as the backup to Dak? – Roger Massey / Houston, TX
Nick: What I've noticed from him, all the way back to his college days, is he's got that swagger and confidence you're looking for. Then again, Ben DiNucci has it and it doesn't always translate to a great quarterback. But Grier has been pretty good so far in camp, to the point that he looks like solid competition for Cooper Rush. Of course, Rush has an edge in his experience and the fact he's won a game. But if all things are equal, Grier has a good chance to be the No. 2.
David: To be blunt with you, these last two weeks are the first I'm really seeing of him, given that he joined the team after training camp last year and we didn't get to see him practice. He seems to have a nice arm. Threw a really nice completion to Brandon Smith on Thursday afternoon. I also think he's got solid athleticism for the position. My guess is he's going to get a ton of playing time in the preseason, so we should get a nice, long look at him.
I love UDFAs, the ultimate underdogs when on a team and I usually cheer for them more than our draft picks. Who do you think is likely to be a starter from the UDFA class this year? – Kriztofer Caraang / Honolulu, HI
Nick: I felt like we tried to answer this question last week. It's hard to see a starter when I don't see many of the draft picks this year – and last year – getting starting jobs. Say what you want about the Cowboys, but they were a good team last year and should be pretty good again. So coming in and starting after not being picked at all seems unreasonable. If I have to pick a guy, I'll say safety Markquese Bell has a shot, he looks really good right now. And maybe eventually one of the centers – Empey or Lindstrom – can jump into the mix. Although both of them seem to be longshots. The only undrafted rookie who will likely make this team and contribute is kicker Jonathan Garibay.
David: Starter? That would be a tall order on a team that just went 12-5. Even with some of the personnel losses on offense, I'm just not convinced there's an undrafted rookie who can make that kind of leap. Now, what I will say is there are a few former UDFAs who have big opportunities in front of them. Sean McKeon is entering Year 3 after making the team as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan. I think he's going to have a chance to win backup reps behind Dalton Schultz. I also have my eye on Tyler Coyle, the second-year undrafted safety out of Purdue. He won a spot on the practice squad last year and played in two games as a special teamer. He might not start, but he absolutely could fight his way onto the final 53, especially if he continues to make gains on special teams.
