The Dallas Cowboys quarterback depth chart is under a lot of scrutiny as Dak Prescott continues to recover from a shoulder injury. Prescott has been limited in recent practices, and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy hinted that the franchise quarterback will not play in the preseason.
The Cowboys may have an opportunity to improve their backup quarterback situation as the 49ers released Josh Rosen. Garrett Gilbert is the favorite to land the Cowboys backup spot given Ben DiNucci’s inconsistent play in early preseason action.
Rosen’s career has yet to take off despite being the No. 10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after a standout college career at UCLA. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the 49ers released Rosen to allow him to get more reps elsewhere given the team’s suddenly crowded quarterback room with the addition of Trey Lance.
“The 49ers are waiving QB Josh Rosen, source says,” Garafolo tweeted. “Rosen mentioned recently he wasn’t getting enough reps in practice. A chance to latch on elsewhere for the rest of camp now.”
Rosen can be claimed by a team on waivers, so there is a chance the Cowboys could attempt to snag the quarterback prior to free agency. The other option is for Rosen to pass through waivers unclaimed, and the Cowboys could sign the quarterback to a new contract. Rosen threw for 2,278 yards, 14 interceptions and 11 touchdowns while completing 55.2% of his passes in 14 games during his rookie season in 2018.
Rosen Has Played for the Cardinals, Dolphins, Buccaneers & 49ers in His First 3 NFL Seasons
If Rosen lands with a new team, it will be the quarterback’s fifth franchise in his fourth season. The Cardinals selected Rosen with the No. 10 pick in 2018 but opted to move on from the quarterback after just 13 starts. Arizona landed the No. 1 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft and turned the team over to Kyler Murray under first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Shortly after selecting Murray, the Cardinals traded Rosen to the Dolphins. The quarterback played in six games, but the Dolphins opted to move in a different direction by drafting Tua Tagovailoa in 2019. From there, Rosen landed on the Buccaneers practice squad, where the 49ers snagged the quarterback to be part of their active roster last December. Prior to the draft, McCarthy indicated the Cowboys wanted to add a quarterback to the mix this offseason, but the team opted not to make a major move.
“You’re always looking to upgrade that position, whether it’s via the draft or free agency,” McCarthy noted in April, per WFAA.com. “I will say we definitely want to add some competition to the room.”
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Indicated the QB Regressed in Practice
THIS was a beautiful throw from Josh Rosen. His best attribute is he attacks the middle of the field well with tight ends. If you saw my review of his Arizona film (it’s in the gallery of Moments) this isn’t a surprise to you.
It was an up-and-down training camp for Rosen which is not what a player needs when they are fighting to be the third quarterback on the depth chart. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan noted Rosen had “taken a couple steps back” in recent practices. Days later, the Niners opted to release Rosen, and it will be interesting to see where he lands. For the Cowboys, it would be a low-risk move for a player not too far removed from being a top quarterback prospect.
“I think he started off real well,” Shanahan noted on August 8th, per 49ers WebZone. “I think he’s taken a couple steps back the last few practices.”
Rosen offered an honest assessment about the difficulty of earning reps as a young player in a crowded quarterback room. The quarterback’s comments came after an underwhelming performance in the team’s preseason loss to the Chiefs.
“I don’t really get many reps in practice so you just have to sort of weather the emotional roller coaster when one or two out of your three throws in live team reps aren’t very good,” Rosen noted, per 49ers WebZone. “You definitely have to mentally work on keeping sort of a calm head. The best quarterbacks in the game are so good because they’re so disciplined at making their reads, and they check the ball down when they need to take completions when it’s there. Sometimes if you’re in a competition and you only get two or three throws a day you just can’t do something to try and show off or this, that or whatever.
“You just have to stay disciplined. If your four throws of the day are going to be two to the back and two in the flats or something like that, then that’s what it’s got to be. I’m just trying to learn the offense and get used to it and take advantage of every opportunity I have.”
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Cowboys Make Sense as Possible Landing Spot for Former Top-10 Pick QB