Jerry Jones offers thoughts on Cam Newton joining Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked to address rumors surrounding recently released quarterback Cam Newton. The former MVP lost out in the starting quarterback battle in New England and became a free agent last week, prompting plenty of rumors about his next destination. Jones backed up previous comments from head coach Mike McCarthy without directly answering whether he spoke to Bill Belichick.

“You know, most people in the NFL that are even in the personnel area I think have Cam Newton evaluated, and his pluses and his minus,” Jones told 105.3 The FAN, via NBC Sports. “You know, Norv Turner did a great job… when he was coordinator there with Cam Newton. So, I think he’s no secret as to what he does and does well. And of course he was basically able to be evaluated if you want to look at it playing games and results and all of that as an evaluation. And so what you’re seeing with him, he’s available, as best I can tell he’s available… If you can get it to make the right kind of deal, he’s available.”

“But the point is that in this particular case — now, it’s another thing with Will Grier or it’s another thing with some of the guys that don’t have the play time or haven’t has been as readily, haven’t had as much experience,” said Jones. “But Cam Newton is not playing because everybody has evaluated it and they’re making a decision… We were very, very easy to evaluate Cam.”

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Last week as rumors swirled about Cam Newton’s next destination, the Cowboys were thrown into the fix as a potential fit. While head coach Mike McCarthy has plenty of respect for the former MVP, he has no interest in adding him to the roster.

“I think he has a ton of football left,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday, via NFL.com. “But we’re very excited about the group that we have.”

While the recent comments by Jerry Jones were not as direct, it appears the Cowboys are ready to move forward without Cam Newton as they prepare for a Week One meeting with the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dallas Cowboys depth chart

The Cowboys only kept two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, starting quarterback Dak Prescott and his backup Cooper Rush. The later addition of former Carolina Panthers quarterback Will Grier could mean the team plans to roster three quarterbacks, or a correlating move could be made over the next week.

More: Cowboys release unofficial depth chart

While Will Grier did not have the same Panthers career as Cam Newton, the Cowboys feel he is a better fit right now.

In order to reach their 53-man roster, the Cowboys released a pair of quarterbacks. Ben DiNucci and Garrett Gilbert, who both started games last season, did not make the active roster, but the former was added back to the practice squad.