Dallas Cowboys likely will wait to acquire a veteran backup QB

OXNARD, Calif. -- The Dallas Cowboys will continue to search for a veteran backup quarterback and that will likely come after the cutdown to 53 players via the waiver wire or a trade.

The Cowboys have no interest in giving up a fourth- or fifth-round pick for a quarterback on a one-year hire. It will most likely be a sixth or seventh they are willing to part with. So stay tuned.

But as of now they will continue to remain patient and give rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott and second-year player Jameill Showers a lot of reps.

Owner Jerry Jones is particularly excited about what he has seen so far from Prescott and Showers. Both looked good in an intrasquad scrimmage over the weekend.

Jones said if they continue to develop and impress he might be inclined to stand pat rather than add a veteran quarterback.

"I'm more encouraged after this about holding our pat hand on a veteran than before this," Jones said. "As we go along and if we continue to see this kind of improvement and this kind of instinctive play, I can really get comfortable back there.

"Both of those guys played well. It was what you wanted to see. They looked comfortable and they reacted well when you got a little pressure. It was a good outing. It was good for everyone to see. To me, that was one of the pluses."

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett isn't ready to go that far. But he also liked what he saw in the scrimmage.

"I thought they handled the situations well," Garrett said. "They were in different situations, some red zone and two-minute stuff that I thought, again, they handled it really well. Not perfect, but they played with a good demeanor. There was a poise and a calm to their presence that I really thought was pretty good, and they will certainly grow from it."

Prescott remains the focus for the Cowboys over Showers because he was a draft pick and someone they targeted all along to develop for the future. That plan has just been advanced by a year or so.

Still, the Cowboys want a veteran in the quarterback room behind Tony Romo which is why they will resume their search later.

Neither Showers or Prescott have ever thrown a pass in an NFL game. Until then, they will get a lot of valuable reps.