NFL Draft 2011: Why the Dallas Cowboys Must Trade Up and Draft Cam Newton

On April 28th, the 2011 NFL draft will take place in New York City.  Over the course of three days, professional teams will decide which college players have a shot at becoming a contributing member of their squad.

One team that stands out this season is the Dallas Cowboys.  The team finished the 2010 season with a 6-10 record and earned the ninth overall pick in the draft.  Even though the team's quarterback situation seems set with Tony Romo, owner Jerry Jones must consider making a trade with one of the teams ahead of Dallas.  This trade would move Dallas up in the draft order so that they could draft Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.

Let's have a look at the teams ahead of Dallas with potential needs at quarterback: Carolina Panthers (No. 1), Buffalo Bills (No. 3), Cincinnati Bengals (No. 4), Arizona Cardinals (No. 5), San Francisco 49ers (No. 7), and the Tennessee Titans (No. 8).

Immediately, we can rule out a couple of teams.  The Panthers have shown interest in Newton, but new head coach Ron Rivera is a defensive guru and most signs point to team management drafting Newton's teammate at Auburn, defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

The Bills also technically need help at quarterback, but Ryan Fitzpatrick stepped up last season and proved that he is worthy of keeping the starting job.  Thus, look for the Bills to make improvements either on defense or at wide receiver.

The remaining teams, however, all have glaring holes at quarterback.  The Bengals are in a tough spot now that Carson Palmer has said he will never play another down for them, and the Cardinals proved just how much they relied on Kurt Warner after Derek Anderson had a dismal 2010.

The 49ers have draft bust Alex Smith and head case Troy Smith at quarterback, and neither will fly with new head coach Jim Harbaugh.  In Tennessee, the Titans have cut ties with Vince Young and need an upgrade over the aging Kerry Collins.

That all being said, the Cowboys need to make a move if they are interested in Newton.  Tony Romo is a great quarterback, but has failed to perform in big games.  Given, the team's draft position can be chalked up to him missing most of the season with a broken collarbone, but that doesn't change history.

In must-win games, Romo more often than not comes up short.  He can put up good offensive numbers and has a strong arm, but his 1-3 record in the postseason raises many doubts.  He has a few years and a ton of money left on his contract and the fans love him, but the Cowboys need to make a change if they want another Super Bowl championship.  Thus, here is what has to happen.

First, Jerry Jones and team management must sit down with Romo and ask him to restructure his contract.  Romo is a classy guy, who despite previous occurrences, knows that the team comes first, and he will ultimately agree to some sort of pay cut.

Next, Jones must get on the phone with Bengals owner Mike Brown.  During this phone call, Jones and Brown will negotiate a trade.  Cincinnati will receive Romo, the Cowboys' ninth overall pick and two more draft picks, as well as cash.  In return, Dallas will get the fourth overall pick in the draft.

With this pick, Dallas will, of course, draft Cam Newton.  All in all, this would be a great move for them.  Here is why. 

As good as they were all season, Dallas's offensive line still manages to give up a lot of sacks.  Newton's athleticism and footwork will compensate for the holes in the o-line and thus he may be able to turn what look like impending sacks into first downs.

On top of that, his offensive coaches will help him build a rapport with receivers Roy Williams and Miles Austin, both of whom had down seasons with Romo injured.

Most importantly, however, will be Newton's relationship with head coach Jason Garrett.  After taking over for Wade Phillips, who was fired after a 1-7 start, Garrett led the team to overall improvement over the second half of the season.  He is an offensive coach, so he will work with Newton to both hone and improve his skills so that the young man out of Auburn can become the top quarterback everyone knows he can be.

Thus, it is only logical that the Dallas Cowboys consider making this trade.  This is a team that is used to winning and regularly contending for a Super Bowl, and that just isn't going to happen if Tony Romo remains the starting quarterback.  Drafting Cam Newton will give the team a fresh start.

Combine his presence with a balanced running attack and improved defense, and it won't be long before the Dallas Cowboys win another Vince Lombardi Trophy.