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Out went two Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks on Saturday, and soon in could come a certain former first-round draft bust pick.
Per the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins, the Cowboys are sniffing around “several” free agent QBs, with one name sticking out above the rest: Paxton Lynch, the Denver Broncos and, now, Seattle Seahawks castoff.
“Cowboys have interest in a QB and a source said Paxton Lynch’s name was mentioned,” Watkins tweeted Sunday morning. “Several others being considered as well.”
Dallas apparently settled on a signal-caller not named Lynch. According to Watkins’ coworker, Michael Gehlken, the team signed ex-Eagles passer Clayton Thorson to their 10-man practice squad, which is in the process of being set.
This, after the Cowboys released Mike White and Taryn Christion as part of the massive purge at final cuts.
The No. 26 pick of the 2016 draft, Broncos general manager John Elway traded up to nab the big-armed, long-bodied Lynch as a potential successor to outgoing future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. Ironically, looking back on it, Elway outmaneuvered Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who was said to be smitten by the 6-foot-6 field general.
Lynch flamed out in spectacular fashion in Denver, however, thrice losing jobs to seventh-round competition (Trevor Siemian, Chad Kelly) and making four nondescript starts. He accumulated such vitriol from the fan base that Elway admitted negative press contributed to Lynch’s release last September.
“That was a miss,” Elway told 9News’ Mike Klis at February’s Scouting Combine. “There was a miss there and I think without making excuses there were some circumstances that happened where when you have a young quarterback – you’ve got to be in the same system. You’ve got to be able to have him develop within a system. I’m not sure we were fair to Paxton. He was in three systems in three years.”
Seattle scooped Lynch off the scrap heap in January, inking him to a reserve/futures contract. He was added to compete for the backup job behind Russell Wilson, an opportunity that head coach Pete Carroll told me — borderline combatively — he was excited about.
“Have you seen him?” Carroll said rhetorically when I asked why the Seahawks signed Lynch. “He’s really tall and he can throw the ball a ton and runs around well. He was a No. 1 pick for obvious reasons. At this point, it’s about potential. But he’s got some great aspects to his background. He’s got some NFL experience; it wasn’t all great, but it was still experience and that’ll help him. We’re excited to add him to the competition to see what he brings.”
Lynch appeared in three preseason games this summer, completing 18-of-37 balls for 180 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 11 times for 43 yards and a TD.
The Seahawks waived Lynch on Saturday, opting to carry another draft bust — former Jets starter Geno Smith — as Wilson’s understudy.
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Background on Thorson
The Northwestern product was chosen in the fifth round of this year’s draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was waived at final cuts, having lost his roster spot to Josh McCown and Nate Sudfeld, the reserves behind franchise QB Carson Wentz.
Thorson, 23, started 53 games for the Wildcats from 2015-18. He logged 10,731 career passing yards, with 61 TDs, 45 interceptions, and a 36-17 overall record in his collegiate tenure.
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