Dallas Cowboys may seek QB with 'Wildcat' skills

BasX · Mar 26, 2009

DANA POINT, Calif. – The Cowboys have drafted only one quarterback since 1991 (Quincy Carter, 2001), but owner and general manager Jerry Jones said that could change this year.

It might not be a traditional quarterback, though. With the Wildcat offense becoming more popular in the NFL, the Cowboys could dip their toe into that pool in 2009.

"We may want to do some things in our offense this year with a third quarterback," Jones said. "That's something other than be there as a backup to the second quarterback and be there in case you lose all the quarterbacks. ... We could hopefully find a quarterback with a set of skills that we could put some packages in for."

Jones said he would not rule out that kind of move with Isaiah Stanback, who played quarterback at Washington before he was drafted as a receiver in 2007.

"But I want to be careful about taking away time from Stanback on his potential development as a receiver," Jones said

Coaching boost expected: Coach Wade Phillips said he was disappointed the Cowboys were not able to add Dan Reeves to the payroll this off-season, but he is happy to have Reeves' son in-law, Joe DeCamillis, as special teams coach.

"He'll add a lot to us, not just coaching but enthusiasm," Phillips said. "They'll flock to him. He's a real leader as far as that's concerned. He's real boisterous."

Linebacker decisions ahead: Phillips said Keith Brooking could play in the substitute defensive packages following the loss of Kevin Burnett to free agency. Jones mentioned Bobby Carpenter as a possibility, too.

Brooking, 33, is entering his 13th year, and Carpenter has limited experience in those roles.

"We'll look at our linebacking [in the draft] and see if there's a young player that can run and will give us some help in there," Jones said. "And then of course I think Carpenter might have a chance there. He can run, cover good, and he might be able to do some of those things for us."

A chance for young cornerbacks: The Cowboys have cut Adam Jones and traded Anthony Henry in the off-season, leaving both Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick a chance to take over at right cornerback.

"Jenkins really played better and better in the last part of [2008]," Phillips said. "I thought Jenkins was playing really well. Scandrick played better and better all year. Both are really talented, and I think that's going to be a really good thing for us."

Spencer cleared: Public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges have been dropped against linebacker Anthony Spencer. The charges were related to a January incident outside an Indianapolis nightclub.

It is unlikely Spencer would face any sanction from the league regarding the personal conduct policy but Phillips said the team could still punish him.

A road opener? The Cowboys – shut out of the prime-time mix on the opening weekend of the regular season – will probably play at Denver on Sept. 13 in front of a national audience on Fox, according to a source.

The Cowboys opened last year at Cleveland with Fox's national game. The Cowboys have opened on the road against AFC teams in three of the last four seasons.

Briefly: With the draft about a month away, Jones does not foresee the Cowboys being active in the free-agent market over the next few weeks. ... Phillips said he would be comfortable with free-agent pickups Junior Siavii and Tim Anderson as backup nose tackles, but the Cowboys could look in the draft for help, too. ... The Cowboys will not practice against a team in training camp this summer now that they will be back in San Antonio.
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Dallas Cowboys may seek QB with 'Wildcat' skills

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