As Cowboys fans anxiously await the Cowboys’ 2016 training camp, getting underway from Oxnard, CA at the end of this month, we find ourselves in a familiar situation from the 4-win 2015 season this team just endured. The backup quarterback position behind Tony Romo is still mired in uncertainty. It’s a glaring hole to remind the coaching staff how last season went so horribly wrong.
Doing his absolute best to help stabilize the backup QB position in Dallas is second-year player Jameill Showers. Still such an unknown when it comes to his NFL ability, Showers was signed out of UTEP as an undrafted free agent last season.
Immediately becoming a fan favorite player in the preseason thanks to his versatility to play on special teams, his passing statistics through those four games were as follows:
| Wk | Opp | Comp | Att | Yds | TDs | INTs |
| 1 | @ San Diego Chargers | 5 | 11 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | @San Francisco 49ers | 8 | 17 | 80 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | vs. Minnesota Vikings | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | vs. Houston Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL: | 3 games | 15 | 32 | 125 | 1 | 1 |
Obviously, there’s room for improvement for any quarterback that completes less than 50% of his passes, but the Dallas Cowboys understood the long road that would await Showers when they brought him in. Jameill Showers was able to make himself valuable on the team’s practice squad in 2015, but only in serving as an athletic body capable of playing multiple positions for the “scout team” while developing his passing skills.
Jameill Showers’ most recent practice opportunities came during OTAs and mini-camp, where he made the most of them, focusing all of his efforts at QB. While Showers is a very long way from proving that he can keep the Cowboys’ offense efficient without Tony Romo under center, the same could be said about his competitors on the roster – Kellen Moore and rookie Dak Prescott.
With Prescott’s roster spot secure as a rookie, the true training camp QB competition is going to be between Kellen Moore and Jameill Showers. This should turn out to be a battle that will last all the way through the preseason, and be one that we revisit multiple times.
For Showers to further his career with the Dallas Cowboys and replace Kellen Moore, he is going to have to quickly grasp as much of the mental aspects in Scott Linehan’s offense as possible. This is one area that Kellen Moore has an advantage, although he struggles physically to actually execute these plays on the field.
Jameill Showers may have to face this uphill battle without the luxury of an abundance of preseason snaps, as the Cowboys could quickly determine that he is better fit to again join the practice squad. If this is the case, the Cowboys won’t want to give other teams the confidence to sign Showers off of waivers before he can be added to Dallas’ practice squad.
Where Jameill Showers has a chance to stand out is with his legs.
A quarterback that can create extra time for himself, similarly to Tony Romo, is incredibly valuable for an offense that features weapons like Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott, Cole Beasley, and Terrance Williams. Jameill Showers has a chance to be this guy for the Cowboys, rushing for 312 yards and 4 touchdowns in his final collegiate season.
Jameill Showers will continue to receive plenty of support this summer from Cowboys Nation, but the support from the coaching staff is only going to come if he continues to take significant strides as a complete quarterback. If he can do so, enough to beat out Kellen Moore, then the team will have to feel a little bit better about their plans in place in the event of another Tony Romo injury.
What do you think the future holds for QB Jameill Showers?
Let us know! Comment below to start the conversation!
With this article, my “Cowboys Sophomores” series here on Inside The Star has come to an end. If you missed any player profiles, click here to browse the archives! Share your thoughts on the overall series by emailing me at sean.martin@insidethestar.com or tweeting to @ShoreSportsNJ.
Your written article is a waste of space. Kellen Moore is there best QB on this team. Yes, including Choke Romo.
smdh …………..
Sean Martin: I almost didn't comment as it is getting old, but I can't help myself. There is no way in God's green earth that Showers is going to out perform K Moore or earn the 2nd team QB position. I am getting more confident every day in K Moore based on S Linehan's comments. He said K Moore can throw the ball well enough to play in the NFL and will make a good backup for T Romo. He said he makes up for the fact he does not have the strongest arm in the league with his accuracy, timing and uncanny anticipation. He said he does not have to change much when K Moore comes into the game for T Romo. He said he knows how to play and executes the plays the way the coaches want. He said the players have confidence in him. He said people say K Moore can't make the longer throws but in the Washington game K Moore threw more 20 yards or longer throws than had been done in the previous ten games. He said he can do things that can't be coached. S Linehan's comments are making me more optimistic than ever about K Moore. Without S Linehan saying anything I know K Moore is outstanding or a master at pocket passing from his college days, but has physical limitations that kept him from even being drafted and many questioning if he could even play in the NFL. He could of easily been the number one draft pick over A Luck if he had the prototypical body and a strong arm. The physical limitation that was going to cause him the most difficulty, his arm strength, S Linehan is saying is not much of an issue through these comments. This bodes well for K Moore and his career in the NFL. K Moore is at a point in his NFL career where he should be more than ready to be a solid backup. He has four years NFL experience, knows the Dallas offense/playbook well, has some starting experience in the Dallas offense and has improved each year in the NFL. Showers is a sophomore but has had limited reps/experience in the NFL at QB. He was undrafted. I would assume Showers will progress and may do well but he won't beat out K Moore or overcome the coaches confidence in K Moore's ability to step in for T Romo.
George, thanks as always for reading. You seem to always circle back to one guy besides Moore in these comments, and that's Scott Linehan. I'm a big fan of his offense, and respect him as one of our coaches, but is it safe to say that even Linehan can be wrong sometimes? He's seen Kellen Moore throw the football enough to know who he is, and I also think he understands that more than he'll let fans and the media know. All he wants is for a backup QB to not make his offense look beatable and "behind the times", and Moore can do that by running through his reads and making some throws. Is that going to win the Dallas Cowboys a lot of football games though? I doubt it, as does nearly every other fan.
You can use the preseason as a competition…and I understand you have to earn opportunity to hold any position….but if you've made your choice, wouldn't it be wiser to give that choice as much time under center as possible in case he does need to step forward? Given the potential for a Romo injury, I would think getting past the competition stage sooner rather than later would best serve the Cowboys' need.
Good point, but you also have to consider that Romo will probably be skipping Wednesday practices again this year, which gives the #2 QB regular practices with the first team throughout the year. By about the bye week, comes close to making up for lack of dedicated time in camp and preseason. I would think.
Great point, Bryson. This should make the Cowboys even more willing to give Showers plenty of work in the preseason, because if he loses out to Moore they can still count on Kellen to stay fresh with the reps he had last season along with the ones he'll have during camp and in regular practice weeks. Thank you for reading and responding, Ned!
Kellen moore has gotten his chance to prove himself he did not. He became backup because cassel was released and because showers was untested. With the right amount of reps he can develop into a good competitor for moore. Showers has a good arm and is mobile kind of like russel wilson but a lower level. If romo can coach him up a bit he can take over scott linehan only gave him praise because he was with the lions.