Could the Dallas Cowboys swap the No. 2 pick of the 2011 draft for the No. 2 pick of the 2017 draft?
Bleacher Report formulated a list of the best landing spots for impending free-agent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, and the digital media giant believes the Cowboys may replace likely outgoing backup Andy Dalton with the soon-to-be-ex-Chicago Bears starter.
Schematically, Trubisky makes sense for the Cowboys.
He played well alongside an effective ground attack at the end of this season. Between 2014 and 2019, Dallas fielded a top-10 rushing offense each term. In 2020, the unit fell below that mark partially because of injuries to top offensive linemen Tyron Smith, La’el Collins and Zack Martin.
If the Cowboys come back healthy in the trenches, Trubisky would have a complementary run game in the event he has to start in place of Prescott.
The Cowboys have talked about a long-term deal for Prescott since 2018. If the two sides continue to stalemate on a new contract agreement, Trubisky could have a shot at the lead position.
Trubisky could also open the season as a starter if Prescott isn’t ready to play Week 1 after undergoing ankle surgery in October.
At times, Trubisky struggles with his accuracy, but he would have a talented wide receiver group that features Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb to help his efficiency. The 26-year-old also has comparable mobility to Prescott (1,314 rushing yards in five seasons), logging 1,057 yards on the ground in four seasons.
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Trubisky’s Resume
The North Carolina product has started 50 games since entering the NFL in 2017, throwing for 10,609 yards, 64 touchdowns and 37 interceptions on 1,010-of-1,577 passing (64.1%). He’s added an additional 1,057 yards and eight TDs on the ground.
Trubisky’s best season to-date came in 2018, when, under the guidance of offensive-minded head coach/play-caller Matt Nagy, he accounted for 3,644 total yards and 27 scores en route to a division title and Pro Bowl berth.
It’s been downhill from that point, however, as Trubisky’s since vacillated between QB1 and QB2 — the bloom off the rose. In 2020, he temporarily lost his starting job to former Super Bowl hero Nick Foles before regaining the controls for the Bears’ playoff push.
Trubisky failed to generate much offense in last week’s Wild Card round loss to New Orleans. He completed 19 of 29 balls for 199 yards, one TD and no interceptions amid the 21-9 defeat.
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Longshot Marriage
While the Cowboys will need to replace Dalton, also an impending free agent, they would be better served looking elsewhere in the scrap heap, perhaps for a more affordable option.
According to Spotrac.com, Trubisky is projected to net $8.3 million annually on the open market entering his age-28 campaign, similar to the two-year, $17.6 million deal that Marcus Mariota signed with the Raiders last March.
That’s a lot of coin for someone who, in a best-case scenario, will spend the entire 2021 campaign holding a clipboard for a healthy Dak Prescott. And besides, Dallas probably should pinch its pennies to pay Prescott rather than allocate significant resources to his understudy.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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Cowboys Rumored as Top Landing Spot for Former Pro Bowl QB