Rumors regarding the Dallas Cowboys’ first round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft have been swirling lately, and the latest mock draft has quarterback Carson Wentz heading to Big D at No. 4. While concerns have arisen lately about Wentz attending North Dakota State and not facing any real competition, the 23-year-old has been impressing just about everybody recently.
For the Cowboys, the quarterback position is somewhat of a concern going into the 2016 season. While quarterback Tony Romo is still elite when healthy, he has had his fair share of injuries over the past few years. Owner Jerry Jones is loyal to Romo, so there is no need to worry that a young quarterback will take his job next year. Still, Romo is going to be 36 years old when the 2016 season starts, and the Cowboys have to start thinking about the future.
While quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are almost 40 and still playing at a high level, they are all going to regress at some point. With Romo’s injury history and uncertainty for next year, Wentz could be the perfect quarterback to learn from Romo for a few years. While quarterbacks are expected to start immediately after being drafted in today’s NFL, Wentz could greatly benefit from learning from Romo for a few seasons.
Jerry Jones meets Carson Wentz post North Team @seniorbowl practice. https://t.co/wWiwmSmw9z
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 27, 2016
For the 2nd day in a row at the #SeniorBowl Carson Wentz is the best player on the field…he seems to be the reason the #Cowboys are here
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) January 27, 2016
While Wentz impressed the Dallas Cowboys at the Senior Bowl, other teams also took notice. As the Star-Telegram pointed out, there is a real possibility that Wentz will go to Dallas as the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The problem is that other teams are also taking notice of Wentz.
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson is now in his first year with the team, and he needs a quarterback in order to establish himself. With Johnny Manziel not working out and no other clear options, the Browns are also interested in Wentz, according to The Plain Dealer . According to an unnamed NFL executive, Wentz would be a franchise player for the Browns.
“If the Browns draft QB Carson Wentz at No. 2, they’ll be set for 15 years.”
So what does this mean for the Dallas Cowboys? If they really want Wentz, they may have to move up in the draft. While reports of Wentz at No. 2 to the Browns are still premature, if he is Dallas’ guy, they have to contact the Tennessee Titans and trade for the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Others believe the Browns will pass on Wentz and go with Cal quarterback Jared Goff, according to NFL.com . If this happens, Wentz will fall to No. 4, where the Cowboys can draft him without making a trade, as seen in the mock draft. As previously reported by The Inquisitr , Goff has also been linked to the Cowboys. Since the Titans and San Diego Chargers are not looking to draft a quarterback in the first round this year, either Wentz or Goff will be available at No. 4.
As reported by the Star-Telegram , Jones knows that Romo’s injury last year was a big part of the Cowboys 4-12 finish. He spoke about the need to acquire depth at the most important position on the team.
“The thing we still keep going back to is, we’ve got to have a better solution and a better answer if something happens to Tony that’ll give us a chance to win football games and be more competitive than we were. You look at what’s in the playoffs and who’s in the final four and who was in the final eight, you don’t see a lot of people in there with their backup quarterbacks in there really making significant differences in the playoffs.”
While one player does not win a game in the NFL, losing your star quarterback can make things considerably tougher. Rumors will continue to come out regarding who the Dallas Cowboys will take with the fourth pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Jerry Jones usually gets his guy, so do not be surprised if Carson Wentz is drafted by the Cowboys in April.
[Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images]