Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
On Friday, the Dallas Cowboys informed third string quarterback Alex Tanney that he would be released.
Tanney, who appears to be the flavor of the month in Cowboys Nation, sparked some interest early in the preseason among fans when his trick-shot YouTube video surfaced. Some even went as far as saying that Tanney was someone whom the Cowboys should hang on to because of his potential, but the truth is that Tanney doesn’t deserve a spot on the 53-man roster.
It’s true that in the preseason, he made some plays, but I truly think he was more of a flash in the pan than anything else. I understand why fans would like the Cowboys to hang on to Tanney, but the guy is 26-years-old, he is very raw and the Cowboys simply cannot afford to use a roster spot on a developmental quarterback as they did with Stephen McGee a few years back.
It’s true that the Cowboys cannot afford to continue paying Kyle Orton top-notch money as a backup quarterback in the seasons to come, but if Tony Romo goes down, I would much rather have to rely on Orton than on Tanney. If Orton is indeed too expensive to keep past 2013, the Cowboys could simply hit the free agent market for a guy who has NFL experience, but won’t cost them an arm and a leg, or they can do what most teams do and draft a backup.
I imagine that the Cowboys are going to try to squeeze Tanney through waivers in hopes that they can place him on the practice squad, but if another team signs him, I don’t think the Cowboys will be too upset over it.
Other players that were released on Friday include undrafted rookie free agent linebacker Taylor Reed and safety Jakar Hamilton, and veteran wide receiver Anthony Armstrong.
Jesus Flores is a Dallas Cowboys writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SSgtFlo1 or add him to your network on Google
