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Cowboys position preview: QB Dak Prescott’s contract issues will be resolved. Who will be his backup?

Prescott is Dallas’ QB. The only questions are for how much and how long?

Editor’s note: 10th in a 10-part series assessing each position group.

It’s hard to understate the disconnect that took place for Dak Prescott.

The quarterback enjoyed the most prolific statistical season of his brief NFL career in 2019, showing tremendous strides in phases of his game that critics once pinpointed as significant flaws. Yet, for the first time in his Cowboys career, he did not lead his team to a winning record.

The book on Prescott was turned upside down. A quarterback who once struggled to show he could carry a team offensively and challenge defenses deep on a consistent basis did that game in and game out.

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But the quarterback who made plays late in games to lead his team to victory in his first three seasons rarely did.

The result: Prescott threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns, both career highs. He threw for 400 or more yards in a game three times and presided over an offense that broke the 400-yard barrier in total offense a franchise-record 12 times. The deep pass? The quarterback completed 35-of-76 passes of more than 20 yards, the third best percentage in the league.

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The Cowboys, meanwhile, went 8-8.

Another quality that stands out about Prescott is his toughness. He’s now started 64 consecutive games in his four seasons as the Cowboys quarterback. He had 596 of the team’s 597 pass attempts last season.

Receiver Randall Cobb had the other.

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Cooper Rush, the team’s backup quarterback, hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular season game since November 2017.

Position strength

7 out of 10

Free agency

Prescott is a free agent.

New England’s Tom Brady is a free agent.

If the Cowboys can’t reach a long-term agreement with Prescott in the coming days and weeks, it makes perfect sense to move on and pursue Brady, doesn’t it?

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No.

No, it doesn’t.

Exchanging Brady for Prescott has been one of the more nonsensical narratives to emerge since the end of the season. But hey, we’ve got to write and talk about something.

Prescott will be the team’s starting quarterback. The better question: Will the club pursue a veteran backup?

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Three names to watch

  • Teddy Bridgewater: He showed enough in five games as a starter for New Orleans last season to boost his stock. Unlikely to accept backup role with no hope of advancement.
  • Marcus Mariota: Lost starting job in Tennessee, but has strong value as a backup if that’s a role he’ll accept at his age (26).
  • Case Keenum: Gunslinger for hire. Four teams in four years.

The draft

Prescott wasn’t the team’s first choice at quarterback in the ’16 draft. But the Cowboys have no complaints. When a fourth-round pick turns out to be this productive, it puts a team ahead of the curve. Again, the question here focuses more on Rush. Does the new coaching staff believe it’s in their best interest to continue developing him, or do they want to start over with their own project?

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Three names to watch

  • Tua Tagovailoa: He named his dogs Dallas and Star growing up. What more do the Cowboys need? Well, a top 10 pick for starters. This isn’t happening.
  • Nate Stanley: The Iowa quarterback didn’t have a strong finish to his college career, but he should draw interest if he’s still there on Day Three.
  • Anthony Gordon: Played behind Gardner Minshew II before getting his chance as a redshirt senior for Washington State.

Bottom line

Prescott took a step forward in his career last season.

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The Cowboys took a step back.

That doesn’t mean the two won’t be in sync going forward.

The focus at the moment is whether or not the two sides will reach an agreement before the club has to apply the franchise tag. Even if that tag is applied, it’s only to give the two sides more time to negotiate.

The Cowboys have seen enough to know that Prescott is their quarterback of the present and the future. He’s led 14-game winning drives in the fourth quarter during his first four seasons. That ties what Seattle’s Russell Wilson did in his first four seasons.

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Prescott will return to open his fifth season as the team’s starting quarterback. The only questions involve the size and length of his contract.

Catch David Moore on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) periodically throughout the offseason to discuss the latest Cowboys news.

On the roster

PlayerAgeYears
Dak Prescott26UFA
Cooper Rush26RFA
Clayton Thorson242
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Cowboys position previews

Feb. 17: Specialists

Feb. 18: Cornerback

Feb. 19: Safety

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Feb. 20: Linebacker

Feb. 21: Defensive line

Feb. 22: Offensive line

Feb. 23: Running back

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Feb. 24: Tight end

Feb. 25: Wide receiver

Feb. 26: Quarterback

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