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Why the Dallas Cowboys don't rank first in NFC East at QB position
By Jon Machota
Over the last month or so, I ranked the four NFC East teams at every position, beginning with arguably the most important position in sports: quarterback.
If your starting quarterback goes down you're probably not going very far, so this ranking is based largely on starting quarterback production. But having a solid backup is also a factor.
Here's how I currently rank the four teams.
1.) New York Giants. This was extremely close, but Eli Manning and the Giants get the nod because of their franchise QB's availability. Over the last six seasons, Tony Romo has missed 24 games for the Cowboys. Manning hasn't missed any. Manning has also done a great job of cutting down on his turnovers the last two seasons. At 35, it seems like there's still a decent amount of gas left in the tank. The Giants haven't needed their backup QB, so it's not much of a factor here.
2.) Dallas Cowboys. If Tony Romo is on the field for 16 games, he's the best quarterback in the NFC East. But Romo was unable to do that in 2015, missing 12 games because of left collarbone issues. Romo recently said that his injury-plagued season was an anomaly. If so, look for a bounce-back year that looks similar to 2014, when Romo posted a career-high 113.2 passer rating and was mentioned in MVP discussions. The backup QB spot is one of the Cowboys' biggest question marks heading into the upcoming season. With Romo sidelined in 2015, Dallas' backups went a combined 1-11.
3.) Washington Redskins. Kirk Cousins certainly needs more than one good season to get his name in any conversations with Romo or Manning. In his first full year as the starter, Cousins led Washington to an NFC East crown, throwing for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. If he continues to perform at that level in 2016, the Redskins will likely make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. Colt McCoy is a solid backup option, followed by sixth-round pick Nate Sudfeld.
4.) Philadelphia Eagles. Whether you're talking about Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel or Carson Wentz, none of the three currently belong in the same discussion as Romo, Manning or Cousins. Wentz is obviously the future. The Eagles paid a great deal to acquire him. He could eventually become the best quarterback in the East, but that seems unlikely as long as Romo and Manning are healthy and still playing at a high level.
By Jon Machota
Over the last month or so, I ranked the four NFC East teams at every position, beginning with arguably the most important position in sports: quarterback.
If your starting quarterback goes down you're probably not going very far, so this ranking is based largely on starting quarterback production. But having a solid backup is also a factor.
Here's how I currently rank the four teams.
1.) New York Giants. This was extremely close, but Eli Manning and the Giants get the nod because of their franchise QB's availability. Over the last six seasons, Tony Romo has missed 24 games for the Cowboys. Manning hasn't missed any. Manning has also done a great job of cutting down on his turnovers the last two seasons. At 35, it seems like there's still a decent amount of gas left in the tank. The Giants haven't needed their backup QB, so it's not much of a factor here.
2.) Dallas Cowboys. If Tony Romo is on the field for 16 games, he's the best quarterback in the NFC East. But Romo was unable to do that in 2015, missing 12 games because of left collarbone issues. Romo recently said that his injury-plagued season was an anomaly. If so, look for a bounce-back year that looks similar to 2014, when Romo posted a career-high 113.2 passer rating and was mentioned in MVP discussions. The backup QB spot is one of the Cowboys' biggest question marks heading into the upcoming season. With Romo sidelined in 2015, Dallas' backups went a combined 1-11.
3.) Washington Redskins. Kirk Cousins certainly needs more than one good season to get his name in any conversations with Romo or Manning. In his first full year as the starter, Cousins led Washington to an NFC East crown, throwing for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. If he continues to perform at that level in 2016, the Redskins will likely make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. Colt McCoy is a solid backup option, followed by sixth-round pick Nate Sudfeld.
4.) Philadelphia Eagles. Whether you're talking about Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel or Carson Wentz, none of the three currently belong in the same discussion as Romo, Manning or Cousins. Wentz is obviously the future. The Eagles paid a great deal to acquire him. He could eventually become the best quarterback in the East, but that seems unlikely as long as Romo and Manning are healthy and still playing at a high level.
