The Cowboys added Sam Howell to the quarterback room this offseason, but with Joe Milton already there, why did the franchise make the move?
When the Dallas Cowboys signed quarterback Sam Howell, most of us were a little taken aback by the move.
Why? Joe Milton is the backup and is seen as a developmental player who has shown some promise but remains very raw.
Not to mention Dallas traded for him a year ago.
But Howell was brought in either to push Milton to be better and stake his claim as the No. 2 behind Dak Prescott, or to let the two duke it out after Dallas wanted a different player at quarterback.
However, if we delve a little deeper into the move for Howell, it doesn't exactly bode too well for Milton.
Now, he's not getting cut (I don't think), but Dallas' reasoning for Howell's signing is reportedly due to "competition for spots" which has been the theme all offseason.
But our own Mike Fisher, in speaking on the Fish Report, offers up a thought on why the Cowboys signed Howell...and it isn't a good look for Joe.
"Why'd they sign Sam Howell?" Fish said. "You traded for a backup quarterback, you let him be the backup quarterback, he didn't do anything wrong. Why did you sign Sam Howell? Now it's a piddling deal, $2.5 million dollars, but it's guaranteed. Why?
"And the reason is because they don't have faith in 'Bazooka Joe' being the No. 2 quarterback. This tells us that move tells us that they were biting their nails last year at the thought of having to put Joe Milton into the game to be a bus driver because Sam Howell can bus drive you through a game if Dak Prescott ever got hurt."
If a game were played today and Dak were injured, who would you have more faith in to "bus drive" you to a win? Milton or Howell? I think most people's answer would be the same.
Milton is a raw prospect, and while Howell doesn't have the physical skills of Joe, you can argue he plays the position far better. Oh, and he has 18 NFL starts as well, so he has skins on the wall.
Now, Milton might outduel Howell in Oxnard, and that's fine. In fact, that is what Dallas likely wants to happen, as it would ease its fears over Joe having to step in for a game or two if Dak is injured.
But if Howell proves to be the better player and wins the backup role, it would likely only confirm the Cowboys' fears from last year that Milton isn't the player they hoped he would be.
