The Dallas Cowboys are set at quarterback with Tony Romo, but with his contract being what it is and the team missing the playoffs yet again, many have wondered why the Cowboys did not draft Johnny Manziel this year and now in 2015 there will be some major names coming out and while a trade with Romo is close to impossible, Jerry Jones could be in the mix for names like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Brett Hundley and Bryce Petty next year,
Don't kill the messenger, but the names were first brought up by Todd Archer at ESPN.com, who looked at some of the names coming out potentially next season and the team could look to draft and develop a QB for the future. A trade with Romo is going to be difficult and the team doesn't want to do that, but if he can't lead the team to the playoffs again this season, it could mean it's time for a change. The article mentions Mariota and Hundley as players to watch along with Winston, who has had his legal troubles off the field and great success on it.
Petty is another name to keep an eye on, as he is a Texas QB at Baylor and showed last season he can put up fantastic numbers against good teams. The Cowboys have their position set for now with Brandon Weeden coming in and with Kyle Orton's status up in the air, the team has to think about the future, as he will be a free agent in 2015. Weeden will be coming into the final year of his deal and it could be perfect time to draft a QB for the franchise in the future. Last season the Cowboys went 8-8 and while they went 5-1 against the division, they ended up out of the playoffs after losing in the final game of the year to the Eagles.
Winston has his issues, but he has been great on the field and now he could be a top pick in 2015, as he passed for 4,057 passing yards, 40 touchdown passes and not too many turnovers last season while leading his team to the national championship. Winston could be a top pick like Blake Bortles and this year saw Bortles go at number three before Johnny Manziel at number 22 and then it was Teddy Bridgewater at the end of the first round.
Mariota will likely be one of the most scouted players next season, as he has size and speed and is a mobile QB in the mold of Johnny Manziel but with a big arm and a bigger frame and more height. Mariota has played in a specialized offense in Oregon, but the stats don't lie and he has 63 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions during his two seasons and he also has rushed for over 1,400 yards in that time. Hundley has also been very productive, as he has put up 7,921 total yards and 74 combined touchdowns at UCLA and he fits the mold of QB that the NFL is looking for now as well. The Cowboys may not go QB next year, but they have some options to look at.