Yesterday, former NFL star and current FOX football commentator Troy Aikman said he believes that either Robert Griffin III or Johnny Manziel will be the Dallas Cowboys' backup QB heading into 2016. Truth be told, that really isn't all that crazy of a notion.
"I believe as I sit here today that either Johnny Manziel or Robert Griffin III will be in Dallas as a backup," Aikman said via SI.com.
During the 2015 season, the Cowboys suffered big time when Tony Romo got hurt -- twice. This team went from a Super Bowl contender to a four-win squad basically because none of the backup QBs they tried -- Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassell -- could run the offense effectively enough to score any points. This campaign showed how important Romo is to the Cowboys' success, and how in dire need they are of getting a suitable backup in case their quarterback gets hurt once again.
The two biggest names at quarterback who appear to be available this offseason are undoubtedly RG III and Manziel.
Over at the Washington Redskins organization, head coach Jay Gruden basically buried any chance that Griffin had left with the team. He didn't believe his offense could work with him, or purely that he wouldn't change any of his offense to tailor to Griffin's talents. They're expected to release him this offseason, and he'll be available to anyone.
The Cleveland Browns just signed a new coach on board in Hue Jackson. During the interview process, Jackson reportedly "made it clear" that he wanted to be sure the organization was OK with moving on from Manziel. Whether that means they'll actually move on or not is another thing, but a trade definitely seems like an open possibility.
Jerry Jones has been linked to Manziel multiple times, and in a lot of ways, Manziel has a similar play style to that of Romo. He's an agile, quick quarterback who can escape the pressure and make plays on the run. But he doesn't have the height and many wonder if he'll ever become effective from the pocket. That said, Jones has taken chances on guys with red flags before, and in this case, Manziel has exhibited those warnings both on the field and off in the NFL.
Ideally, the Cowboys best situation would be to bring in Griffin if he is indeed released. Not only will he likely come cheaper -- and the Cowboys wouldn't have to trade any draft picks to get him -- but he simply has shown success at the NFL level.
RG III's struggles were purely staying healthy before. Behind the Cowboys' offensive line, that may be an extremely appealing prospect for Griffin. Romo is likely to get hurt again at some point considering his recent history, and the soon-to-be-former Redskin will eventually get a chance to show what he can do again. Perhaps, he could be the eventual replacement for Romo as the Cowboys' starter, as he's still young at almost-26, and Romo will be 36 before the season begins.
All in all, Aikman wasn't saying anything outlandish in his comments. Jones certainly made it clear that backup quarterback will be a priority in 2016, and don't forget that Aikman knows his former team's owner fairly well. Essentially, no one should be surprised if he targets and acquires one of these big-name guys this offseason.
