#ProTops: Talking Mike White as a Cowboy with Blogging The Boys’ David Halprin
As soon as Mike White was drafted to the Cowboys, I knew who I was going to reach out to ask about what could be in store for him, and…
As soon as Mike White was drafted to the Cowboys, I knew who I was going to reach out to ask about what could be in store for him, and that’s David Halprin of Blogging The Boys, SBNation’s Cowboys site.
The Towel Rack: When it was announced Dallas first had drafted White, it was a bit of a head scratcher, but the more you look into it (Dallas’ lack of QB depth, White/Moore’s previous relationship, etc) it seemed to be a solid fit. As we’re now a couple of days away, what is your gauge on White to Dallas in the 5th round?
David Halprin: We had kind of anticipated the Cowboys might take a quarterback late in the draft, or sign a few as undrafted free agents, but the fifth round was definitely a little surprising. That’s about as high as anybody might have guessed they would go with picking a QB.
The Cowboys do have depth issues at QB, with only an undrafted free agent from last year, Cooper Rush, backing up Dak Prescott. That’s really thin depth at the QB position, so the Cowboys need competition. Once you look at White’s credentials, and how he was ranked by scouts, the pick actually seems like it’s a value pick, along with filling a need for the Cowboys. So overall, in retrospect, it makes a lot of sense.
TTR: Having said all that, do you see this as a wasted draft pick?
DH: Not at all, he could easily be in competition for the backup quarterback position. That’s a hugely important role in the NFL, just ask the Philadelphia Eagles and Nick Foles.
Cooper Rush played extremely well in the preseason last year for the Cowboys, but I don’t think anybody is locked into the idea that he is unbeatable for the backup QB position.
White stands a fair chance of making the roster, or at least the practice squad. Even if he never makes it to the starting spot for Dallas, if he’s a quality player, they could always trade him away for a draft pick in the future. QB’s are gold in the NFL, so really you can’t go wrong in acquiring them, as long as they can play.
TTR: Situations aside, football wise this seems a great fit — White is a pure pocket passer and the Cowboys have been known over the last several years for their strong O-Line. Do you see it the same way?
DH: Well, sort of. The Cowboys do have a very strong offensive line, but ever since Dak Prescott has taken over, Dallas is gearing their offense toward his skills. Prescott is a mobile QB who likes to move around, get outside the pocket sometimes, and even run the ball on occasion. The Cowboys offense is moving away from the pure pocket passer mold, so it will be interesting to see how White fits in.
Of course there are still large parts of the playbook that are more pocket passer, so it won’t be a square peg in a round hole, but they will have two different styles of quarterbacking going on.
TTR: The last prolific WKU quarterback to get drafted was Brandon Doughty and he sat on the Dolphins practice squad for three years. Is a similar fate ahead for White?
DH: It could be, but as I noted previously, Cooper Rush is no lock to be the backup QB. He’s not a battle-tested veteran that has been in the league for a while and who the Cowboys have committed a lot of money to in a contract. So there is very much a chance to enter a competition for backup QB and actually make the 53-man roster. It will be up to White and how well he performs.
TTR: What is the best case scenario for White in Dallas over the next three years?
DH: Backup QB. Unless Dak Prescott somehow completely falls apart, he’s going to be the Cowboys starter. So the best White could hope for is backup QB, or a trade to a team that wants to take a chance on him in a real competition for a starter.
I’d like to thank David to take the time to answer our questions. While you’re at it, be sure you’re checking out the work they do over at BTB, especially as rookie camp gets started and the lead up to the preseason.