(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
Were you surprised that Dallas let Cooper Rush get out of the building? Could the Cowboys have afforded the two-year, $12 million contract that Baltimore gave him? That doesn't sound like a whole lot of money for a proven and reliable QB2. With Cooper gone, what do you think the Cowboys will do about their backup quarterback position? Is it Will Grier's to win or lose, or do they draft and develop a quarterback from the later rounds?– Mark Somma/ Winchester, VA**
Mickey: Very good question, since in my mind, having a backup quarterback who can go .500 (4-4) like Coop did this past season under adverse injury situations is pretty strong. His deal with the Ravens by the way, is two years, "up to" $12 million. It's really two years, $6.25 million, with $4.2 million guaranteed. Just remember, every million dollars counts against the salary cap. So, for now, today, Will Grier would be the backup and the Cowboys plan is to draft one at least around the fourth (if they can trade back into that round) or the fifth. But that guy would not be likely to be the immediate backup.
Also, they need quarterbacks in here for the offseason workouts since can't expect Dak to be ready for much. To me, interesting name out there now is Desmond Ridder, who started 13 of 15 games for Atlanta in 2023. Think we can label this as a "fluid" situation.
Tommy: I strongly believe they're going to draft a quarterback in the later rounds come April. Stephen Jones essentially told the media at the combine that having a younger quarterback on the roster was a preference, and with the way the Trey Lance experience went I think they'll look to the draft this time around to find their guy. That said, I think it would also benefit them to add a free agent at the position too, just so you've got some experience there with more than likely a lower price tag than what Rush earned in Baltimore.
Mailbag
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