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A former Carolina Panthers quarterback — no, not Cam Newton — could be on the radar for the Dallas Cowboys.
As brought to light by NFL Network’s Bobby Belt, the Cowboys may express interest in third-year signal-caller Will Grier, whom Carolina waived Tuesday ahead of the 3 p.m. CT 53-man roster cutdown deadline.
Grier, 26, entered the league in 2019 as the Panthers’ third-round draft pick. He made two starts as a rookie, completing 28-of-52 passes for 228 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions. Admittedly, a small (if discouraging) sample size.
But the 6-foot-1, 220-pound passer was a known commodity to the scouting community. Grier finished his collegiate career with West Virginia as a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 and the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2017. He threw for more than 7,300 yards, 71 TDs, and 20 INTs across 22 games in Morgantown.
Prior to his Mountaineers stint, Grier appeared in six games for the Florida Gators as a 2015 true freshman. There, despite an eventual PED-related suspension and subsequent transfer, he connected with then-offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier — now the Cowboys’ QB coach.
Under Nussmeier’s tutelage, Grier completed 65.6% of his balls, tossed 10 TDs, and averaged 7.5 yards per attempt.
“I really like how Nussmeier is very hands-on,” Grier said in 2015, via the Orlando Sentinel. “He does a really good job when we watch film and watch practice. He knows what he’s doing. He’s done it.
“I feel really comfortable with being a sponge as much as I can with him.”
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Sign up for the Heavy on Cowboys Newsletter!Cowboys Cut Gilbert, DiNucci; Rush Locked In?
Dallas made a pair of long-awaited moves at the sport’s most important position, parting ways with Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci. The transactions leave Cooper Rush as the lone backup to franchise cornerstone Dak Prescott, who’s returning from ankle and shoulder injuries.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones was asked about Rush’s tentative QB2 status. His answer indicates the former practice-squadder is safer than many anticipated.
“I think that you got to assume with (Cooper Rush’s) knowledge of what we’re doing offensively, what we’re doing with the existing personnel that we’re going to be opening with, you got to assume you got a pretty high bar here, in terms of what’s the most effective way to play if you didn’t have Dak now,” Jones said, via The Athletic. “And all of that said, it’s a high bar when you got the background in it that Cooper’s got. So we’ll see how that goes.”
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Cowboys to Sniff Around Cam
Stunningly, the New England Patriots opted to release Cam Newton and gift its starting QB job to first-round rookie Mac Jones. Not stunningly, the Cowboys were quickly linked to Newton.
“My understanding is the Dallas #Cowboys will do their due diligence in reviewing QB Cameron Newton’s newfound availability, per sources,” NFL insider Josina Anderson reported.
“Will look at it all across the board with additional talent hitting the market, including today.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
