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FRISCO, TX — It is indeed again that time, ladies and gentleman, as the latest wave of NFL free agency prepares to descend upon the Dallas Cowboys and the other 31 teams in the league. That means it's time to begin answering some of the toughest roster questions around, having now secured and finalized the entirety of Brian Schottenheimer's coaching staff.
With a total of 22 unrestricted free agents inside the building (27 in all), an increased NFL salary cap, a vocal request by Micah Parsons to be “aggressive” in free agency and an admission by the front office that lessons were learned from last year, there's a very real chance for the Cowboys to make waves this spring.
This year's anthology of the "Open Market" series will, as always, assess every position on the roster and who might fit the need from outside of the building, beginning with the role of backup quarterback.
It was one of the most debated in Dallas in 2024, but where do they go from here?
[FYI: *Be sure to check out the entire ‘What’s Next?*' series as a primer to "Open Market".]
What's Here
Cooper Rush: The term "security blanket" gets thrown around a lot in the NFL, but Rush definitely fits that description in Dallas. A longtime backup to Prescott, the lone instance in which he was sent away by the club — signing briefly with the New York Giants at the behest of Jason Garrett, who was their offensive coordinator following his departure from the Cowboys — Rush found himself ultimately right back in North Texas.
Schottenheimer knows what he'll get from the steady hand of Rush, namely a QB that is never too low or too high, and one who will often not cost you a game while also giving you enough oomph to win some in a pinch. This feels like the most logical
Trey Lance: Lance entered the mix as a former top-3 NFL draft pick, but one that couldn't earn a spot on the 49ers' active roster over Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold or undrafted rookie quarterback Brandon Allen; and having been relegated to QB2 duties behind Jimmy Garoppolo in Year 1 — his two-season stint with the Cowboys not yielding much more from him.
Mike McCarthy awarded Lance only one regular season start after the club traded a fourth-round pick to acquire him in 2023, and that was hardly enough to truly know what might've been. It was a mixed bag for Lance in that start to end the 2024 season, but I saw enough good to wonder what he'd look like at QB2 with Schottenheimer driving but, and let's be honest here, Lance could very well look for an opportunity elsewhere that doesn't potentially involve being handcuffed to a radiator behind Rush, should the latter return.
Will Grier: There was a firm chance that Grier would dethrone Rush before Lance arrived, and was on track to do so in 2022, prior to suffering a groin injury in training camp that completely derailed that train. Grier was given another shot in 2023, but things didn't go his way and the decision to acquire Lance was made, Grier then going out in a blaze of glory in his final preseason outing against the Seahawks.
He'd return to the mix in November 2024 as a member of the practice squad, but not see any playing time. Signed to a futures deal in January, he is currently the only backup quarterback on the roster in Dallas, and there's a chance that counts for something down the road — maybe.
What's Out There
Note: These players will be unrestricted on March 13, barring a newly-signed deal with their incumbent team prior to that date.
Jameis Winston: I admittedly was all-out on Winston going into 2024 but, after seeing how he, at times, electrified the fanbase and offense in Cleveland, I'd at least consider him as a possible addition for the Cowboys. Granted, you're walking into a situation wherein you'll get the entire "Jameis Winston Experience" in games — e.g., 100 touchdowns in the first half to 100 interceptions in the second half of the same contest — but there are definitely worse options.
That said, are there better ones? Eh, not entirely.
Jacoby Brissett: I could and would argue Brissett is a more stable piece to look into than is Winston, and it wouldn't be a difficult point to stand on, either. I don't much care about the whole "QB record" argument seeing as it takes more than the QB to win games, and Brissett is an example of that when you notice he's thrown only seven interceptions to 17 touchdowns in his last 16 NFL starts to go along with three game-winning drives and comebacks; yet his record is 5-11 in that stretch. I'd gladly take that kind of veteran ability as QB2 behind Prescott, knowing he can also take off and run in a pinch.
Ryan Tannehill: Now we're back to the options that probably aren't much better than Winston, as Tannehill is at least worth a discussion and mention here but the thought of adding a soon-to-be 37-year-old who sat out the entirety of the 2024 season, and who threw seven interceptions to only four touchdowns in the eight games preceding that hiatus, doesn't exactly make my boat float. A Texas native who has seen it all in the league, however, makes me believe he'd be a thought here, even if only a fleeting one.
Justin Fields: What is Fields, exactly? Is he the version of himself that makes head coaches in the NFL give up on him or the one that, for a time, convinces them to tie their franchise to him? For all intents and purposes, he had Russell Wilson boxed out in Pittsburgh until he didn't, and couldn't get back onto the field when Wilson began struggling. Still, this is a 26-year-old who is exceptionally mobile and reminds me of Lance, so maybe Schottenheimer can turn Fields into what Lance maybe could've been in Dallas, but without coughing up a fourth-round pick to try it.
