Spring Retrospective: Spring Provided More Questions Than Answers about Young QBs

There wasn’t a ton to learn about the Cowboys’ quarterback situation during spring practice. The starter is set barring a … I won’t even finish that sentence. But there was plenty for Mike Gundy and his staff to learn about the backups on the depth chart.

Summary

Mason Rudolph is poised for an historic season. The pieces are all there for a potential offensive machine and he is the operator. His offensive line appears to be on the right trajectory. We all know about the gaggle of studs at wide out and if Justice Hill can at least replicate some of last year’s mojo, that will make finding his backup one of the Mike Yurcich’s few concerns.

But what about Mason Rudolph’s backup?

Since taking the reins at the end of his would be redshirt year, Mason Rudolph has started all but one game. That type of consistency at the position is something Mike Gundy hasn’t had in five-plus years.

We don’t want to talk about it but it quarterbacks get hurt sometimes and if that happens, someone else has to go in. Hopefully, you’ve got someone who can keep the ship afloat.

Biggest News

According to Gundy, he’s not just looking for a No. 2.

“We would like to come up with a package like we had with J.W. (Walsh) for one of them,” said Gundy prior to the start of camp. “I would like to do that forever if we had the option, but we didn’t have that person last year. I think we have a couple of guys that meet that criteria and that could be successful in that style of play.

“What that will do is give them some added reps in practice and games and potentially help us solidify who will be the No. 2 guy.”

Whether this is something we will see full time, al a 2015, or just a situational package, is yet to be seen. We may not see it at all. But he seems to think either Keondre Wudtee or John Kolar are the most likely candidates to revive the “Walsh-dozer” package.

Regardless of who is out there, it appears that the Cowboys may be looking to recapture some of that short-yardage magic the Walsh was so proficient at. Thomas Fleming noticed as much during the spring game.

Camp Star

If you were looking for a star of the spring game not named Mason Rudolph, there’s only one choice.

“I thought Taylor (Cornelius) played well,” Gundy said of the Oil Baron. “The defense was a little loaded on the orange. The two ends on the orange team were a lot more mature, put a lot of pressure on the black team. We had a hard time, black had a hard time controlling those guys, but I thought Taylor did a good job.”

Cornelius is your preferred replacement should Rudolph need to come out. He knows the playbook. He has an arm and he’s your best bet to avoid that deer-in-the-pocket look should things go south.

“The other guys that were inexperienced looked inexperienced to me. I thought number 14 did well.”

That is probably a nice way to put it. Between Keondre Wudtee, Jelani Woods, John Kolar and Josh Green we saw three completed passes on 12 attempts. No scores. Two interceptions. The group rushed for -1 yard.

Of course, it’s just a spring game. If we start trying to glean too much from it, we’re wasting energy. Suffice it to say that their practice jerseys aren’t the only things that are green.

Projected depth

With any luck, Rudolph will cap off his career with a Heisman worthy season and an invite to New York. If not, there may be a concerned-looking owner of a mullet patrolling the sidelines.