Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gives a thumbs up to fans before an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys are in a tough position at the quarterback position, but a trade for a Jacksonville Jaguars passer could mitigate the damage.
Dallas will be without starting QB Dak Prescott for at least four weeks and potentially longer after the 29-year-old quarterback suffered a fractured thumb against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.
Heavy has explored various solutions for Dallas as they move forward with Cooper Rush and Will Grier as their options, but one that hasn’t been considered is Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback CJ Beathard.
Beathard is currently backing up Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, but the former Iowa Hawkeyes star has a great deal of starting experience in the NFL thanks to his time with the San Francisco 49ers.
A trade for Beathard would be a cheap, proven option and the Cowboys would be upgrading their quarterback depth should Rush struggle in his Week 2 start against the Cincinnati Bengals. Further, Dallas has depth at an important position the Jaguars could use an additional hand: defensive tackle.
Beathard Joins Jacksonville After 49ers Stint
The 49ers brought Beathard to the NFL as a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, after the quarterback totaled 4738 passing yards and 34 touchdowns in his last two years at Iowa, according to Sports Reference.
In his time in San Francisco and Jacksonville, Beathard has never gotten the chance to enter a season as a team’s starter, but he has made 12 NFL starts, all as a 49ers player. However, his record is a meager 2-10 as the Niners struggled in 2017 and 2018.
Over his NFL career, Beathard has completed 58.7% of his passes, totaling 3502 passing yards and throwing 18 touchdowns to 13 interceptions per PFR. Those numbers aren’t spectacular, but the teams Beathard was playing on in San Francisco are important context.
It’s also worth noting that he has shown improvement: in his final season with the 49ers (along with his two registered passing attempts with the Jaguars,) Beathard has completed 68 of 106 passes for 820 passing yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Cowboys Could Send DT Off in Trade
In terms of making a deal with Jacksonville, there are a few different directions Dallas could go. Obviously, offering draft picks is one way to make a deal happen, but the Cowboys could also utilize their present assets, especially defensive tackle Neville Gallimore.
Gallimore was a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and has become a space-eating presence for Dallas’ defensive line. While defensive ends like Micah Parsons earn the spotlight with sacks and tackles for loss, Gallimore’s job is to fill holes and create interior pressure.
Jacksonville currently has one nose tackle on its roster (DaVon Hamilton) and the depth at the interior positions has been suspect since 53-man roster cuts. Adding a talent like Gallimore would help the Jaguars, while getting the Cowboys a new QB in exchange for a player who hasn’t made a massive impact.
As PFR shows, Gallimore has had a few opportunities, but injury issues in preseason camp for the 2021 season forced Gallimore to the injury reserve to start the season. He still earned four starts at the end of the season and put together 1.5 sacks in the process, but his role for the 2022 campaign still feels undecided.
Gallimore played just 22 snaps in the Week 1 opener as the team is dedicated to Quinton Bohanna as its starter. If Dallas knows Gallimore isn’t in their long-term plans, he would make a great trade piece for a new QB.