Andy Dalton Signs With The Cowboys

Well, this is my first blogpost, and I’m starting off with a post about a backup quarterback. That’s what happens when there are no active sports.

The Cowboys just signed Andy Dalton to a 1 year, $7 million contract with $3 million guaranteed. He’s most likely signed to back up Dak Prescott, but he really could prove to be one of the better signings of free agency.

I think that having a good backup quarterback might be one of the more important things to a team’s success. If we look at the backup QBs of the past 10 Super Bowl winners, we see:

• Super Bowl LIV- Chiefs: Matt Moore

• Super Bowl LIII- Patriots: Brian Hoyer

• Super Bowl LII- Eagles: Nick Foles

• Super Bowl LI- Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo

• Super Bowl 50- Broncos: Brock Osweiler

• Super Bowl XLIX- Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo

• Super Bowl XLVIII- Seahawks: Tarvaris Jackson

• Super Bowl XLVII- Ravens: Tyrod Taylor

• Super Bowl XLVI- Giants: David Carr

• Super Bowl XLV- Packers: Matt Flynn

This is a list of top-tier backup QBs. There are multiple Pro Bowlers, and all but one of them was a full-time starter at some point. In fact, the only reason that Matt Flynn wasn’t a full-time starter was because of his injury and the emergence of Russell Wilson. These guys are all either up-and-coming starters or veteran QBs. This shows the true importance of the backup QB.

Now, what does this mean for the Cowboys? Well, the Cowboys should be having Super Bowl aspirations. They are most likely the best team in their division, and with the aging Drew Brees and the horrible drafting by the Packers, they are probably a top 3 NFC team. Whether they win the Super Bowl or not really depends on one person: Dak Prescott. Dak Prescott needs to play like a top 5 NFC QB (which I think he is).

By signing Andy Dalton, the Cowboys are doing two things. They are signing a backup QB that can reasonably step in and win games, and they are signing a veteran that can help Dak Prescott develop. The first part is incredibly important for the 2020 season. Several of the QBs listed above had to step in and win a game during the season, and Dalton’s ability to do that provides insurance in the case of any struggle. The second part is incredibly important for the long-term future of the Cowboys. Obviously, Dalton isn’t the long term answer in Dallas; Dak is. Therefore, it’s important that Dak continues to develop into the top-tier QB he can be. Dalton will definitely help him with that. He’s a 3-time Pro Bowler who’s led the Bengals to multiple playoff berths, and he’s a high-character guy. He was willing to stay in Cincinnati to mentor Joe Burrow. He’s a great mentor for Dak, and he could be the key to the continued success of the Cowboys.

If the Cowboys make any kind of playoff run, the signing has to be looked at as one of the best moves of the year.