Cam to Cowboys? Coach McCarthy Reveals Truth

"Cam,'' McCarthy says, "has a ton of football left, but ...''

FRISCO - On Monday, the New England Patriots released former MVP QB Cam Newton, and almost immediately - because this is the way NFL media works - the Dallas Cowboys were mentioned as a potential landing spot.

Did the Cowboys, arguably in need of an upgrade behind Dak Prescott, examine the idea? Surely, as the the personnel department must do with every idea.

And?

"I had a chance to compete against Cam, and chance to watch some of his tape in New England,'' Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday. "So I still think he has a ton of football left ...

And?

"But,'' McCarthy concluded, "we’re very excited about the group that we have.''

The Cowboys "group'' is really about the healthy Pro Bowl QB Prescott. But behind him now are Cooper Rush and newcomer Will Grier (along with practice-squadder Ben DiNucci).

None of them are the equal of the Cowboys' franchise quarterback, who missed most of the 2020 season after ankle surgery and then dealt with a shoulder strain during preseason camp.

Is Newton "the equal'' of Dak? In a sense, he may be too close to that status, meaning that he might not be ready to concede to being a No. 2 QB (otherwise, why didn't Pats coach Bill Belichick simply keep him behind rookie starter Mac Jones?) - and the Cowboys don't need "competition'' for Prescott.

They need everything to be as "Dak-friendly'' as possible.

READ MORE: Dak - 'I Ain't Scared'

None of this makes Cam Newton a bad guy, or a bad quarterback. Indeed, it's almost impossible to support the notion that Dallas, in the event of an emergency, would be better off inserting Rush or Grier into a game rather than Newton.

But that is not Dallas' circumstances at the moment. So McCarthy is allowed to be "very excited'' about the QB group he has.

READ MORE: Cam Would Be The Cowboys' Best No. 2, Right?