Dallas Cowboys franchise quarterback Tony Romo announced Thursday morning that he will be ready for a full offseason and that his surgery has "healed up nicely." Cowboys fans watched their team crumble during the 2015 season, as their star quarterback broke his collarbone twice.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes that Romo will still be the Cowboys franchise quarterback for the next four to five seasons, but that doesn't mean that he won't look to target a quarterback in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft. Jones has said that the Cowboys won't take a quarterback with the fourth overall pick, but that hasn't ruled out the possibility of taking a quarterback in the second round with the 34th pick.
One prospect to keep an eye out for is Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, who had a private workout with the Dallas franchise last week. "They had me do some three-step drop stuff, but it was mostly deeper drops and deeper throws. They had me throwing some long out routes, and some deeper comeback routes across the field," Lynch said. "They had me push the ball vertically on some seam routes and deep corner routes. Then they put me on the run for some of it, to see my athleticism and see me outside the pocket. I definitely enjoy pushing the ball down the field, and that's what they were most impressed about, how strong my arm was."
The Cowboys are leaving no stone unturned and have also reportedly worked out Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, and they are likely focusing on quarterbacks that could be available from the second round on. Lynch's potential landing spot in the upcoming draft is a big question mark, as most draft analysts project him as the third best prospect at the position behind California's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz.
It's unknown if Lynch will slide to the second round, but "he'd love for the club to find a way to make him a Cowboy." In his junior season, Lynch completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 3,776 yards with 28 touchdowns to four interceptions, and he was a dual threat behind center rushing for 239 yards.
"I like the coaching staff - that team is the face of the NFL almost - they're so renowned with the success of that franchise," Lynch said.
The 6-foot-7, 244-pound quarterback has drawn comparisons with Titans franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota, but he will need to work on his ball placement at the next level. Lynch checks multiple boxes that NFL teams look for in a franchise quarterback, but he will need the right system, as he will likely need time to develop at the next level.
The Cowboys could provide a strong fit for the Memphis quarterback learning behind Romo, but it's unknown if he will even make it the second round of the draft, as multiple teams are taking interest in the young athletic quarterback.
