Photo courtesy of Chipermc.
Cooper Rush, Will Grier, Ben DiNucci: in that order, these Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks backup Dak Prescott, per ESPN. Though maybe they shouldn’t get too comfortable. Recently, two quarterbacks have been named as potentially added competition for backup spots.
Those names are Bailey Zappe and Marcus Mariota. First, let's make a case for Zappe.
A product out of Western Kentucky, Zappe declared for this year’s NFL draft and has an interview at the NFL Scouting Combine with the Cowboys, Mike Fisher said in a Fan Nation article.
“The 2021 NCAA leader in passing yards and touchdowns, Bailey Zappe is well-equipped to be a solid backup in the league because of his intellect and passing prowess. He is held back by a weaker arm and sub-par athleticism.”
Fisher quoted this from the Sports Illustrated NFL Draft Bible.
Specifically, Fisher said Zappe “threw close to 6000 yards and over 60 touchdowns in a season.” Also, with Zappe not being as athletic but smart and loaded with stats, he resembles Kellen Moore. Here’s the Bleacherreport NFL Scouting Department’s scouting report on Zappe.
He has more positives than negatives. He’s good with ball placement, understanding plays, timing, delivery, footwork, production, and throws well when scrambling. The only knocks they list are arm strength issues, listed previously, and height.
Now, for Marcus Mariota’s case.
After doing well at Oregon and winning the Heisman Trophy, the Tennessee Titans selected Mariota second overall in a draft a couple years back. At first, he showed traits of being a promising starter at quarterback in this league. However, after injuries and current Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill performing well in Mariota’s absence, the Titans moved on with Tannehill. Now, Mariota is a backup for the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Having found some stability in Vegas, Mariota could be looking for one more shot to be a starter or at least compete for the opportunity,” said Mario Tavor in his Inside The Star article.
In Brad Weiss’s Fan Sided article, he states that there’s a high chance that Mariota doesn’t return to the Raiders for next season.
Prescott for sure is the Cowboys starting quarterback of the future. However, Tavor said bringing in Mariota would be good to keep Prescott on his toes, with Mariota being a former starter. In my opinion, he can do this better than any quarterback currently on the Cowboys roster.
Tavor also said more that makes bringing in Mariota even more interesting. Unlike Rush, Grier, and DiNucci, Mariota has the ability to run the ball, making him a dual-threat quarterback. With this ability, he can be useful in the red zone and in short yard pickups.
Mariota being a former starter also gives him more experience in that role than Rush, Grier, and DiNucci. The only advantage they’d have over Mariota is that they’d know the Cowboys playbook better. If we brought Mariota in, in time, this would no longer be true.
With Prescott now an injury prone quarterback, our backups need to be up to par if they aren’t already. Cooper Rush might be a good number two in my eyes. If he went down, I'm not that confident in the abilities of Grier and DiNucci right now. If the Cowboys think about adding a backup with NFL experience, Mariota out classes Zappe, but if they want a talented quarterback in the draft, Zappe would be a guy they may keep in mind.
So, if the Cowboys were to pursue filling up more space in their quarterback's room, Bailey Zappe or Marcus Mariota?