NFL Draft 2016 Rumors: Cardale Jones Heading To The Dallas Cowboys?
With the 2016 NFL draft set to begin its second day in a few hours, rumors are spiraling regarding the Dallas Cowboys and their potential selections. After drafting Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott with the No. 4 overall pick, the Cowboys still have a lot of holes to fill in their roster. While the quarterback position is not an immediate need, the latest mock draft rumors believe the Cowboys could select Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones in the third round.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Cowboys had previously been linked to California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff, North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz, and Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch. With all three of those quarterbacks off the board, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the rest of the front office are going to have to look elsewhere. While Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook and Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg are intriguing prospects, they are not prototypical Jerry Jones picks.
The Cowboys could be eyeing a QB outside of the 1st RD.
"They're looking at Cardale Jones"https://t.co/8mo5qVQO4v pic.twitter.com/DwUsWtBrPk
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 11, 2016
While Jones had denied the report that the Cowboys were interested in drafting a quarterback in the first round, Max Rapoport of the NFL Network claims that the team had serious interest in Wentz and Lynch.
Would've been curious to see teams scrambling if Carson Wentz was there at 2 prior to Eagles trade. Saints love him, Cowboys do, too. Alas.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 28, 2016
The #Cowboys tried to trade back into the first round, and I'm told it was for #Memphis QB Paxton Lynch. They couldn't do it.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2016
While current Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is still an elite player when healthy, he only has a few years left, at the most, of playing football at a high level. Since the Cowboys are not currently developing a young quarterback, this needs to be the draft where they get their potential signal caller of the future. While Goff, Wentz, and Lynch are all viewed as projects, they are still not far off from becoming NFL starters. Since Romo still has a few seasons left, it may make sense to draft a longer-term project in Jones.
Fox Sports discusses the potential of the Cowboys drafting Jones in the third round of tonight’s draft.
“Jerry Jones loves guys with star power, and there isn’t a single player left in this draft who could turn into a bigger star than Cardale Jones. He went to a glamour school (Ohio State), and led the Buckeyes to a National Championship, taking down Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon in the process. And not only did he win big games, but showed off a skill-set that no one else in this draft can match. Cardale likely has the strongest arm of any QB left on the board, and at 6’5 250 lbs., he isn’t afraid to put his head down and pick up a first down with his feet as well. Of course there are questions with Cardale, and most of them revolve around his play this season. After earning the starting quarterback job at Ohio State, he never was able to duplicate his success from two seasons ago, and eventually lost the gig to J.T. Barrett.”
If any owner is going to take a shot on Cardale Jones, it is Jerry Jones. While running back was not an immediate need for the Cowboys, they still went ahead and drafted Elliott. Instead of taking the safer player in Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey, they went with a player that is going to create excitement in the Cowboys’ fan base. Hackenberg and Cook may be the safer players to develop behind Romo, but neither of them has the potential that Jones has. On the other hand, neither of them have the complete bust potential that Jones has.
Today’s Pigskin agrees with the notion that Jones makes sense in Dallas. Since Jones is not ready to lead an NFL team, the Cowboys would still have to put a competent backup in place for the 2016 season. With Romo’s injury history, it is likely that he is going to miss a few games this season. After last year’s disaster of a season, the Cowboys have to find a player that can step in for Romo and play adequate football. Jones is not that player in 2016, but he could be so much more in the future.
While Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones has a higher than average chance to be a bust, he also has the chance to become a true star as an NFL quarterback. Whether or not Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys take a chance on him remains to be seen, but they are absolutely considering the possibility.
[Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images]
