4 free agents Detroit Lions should watch in Cowboys-Buccaneers Wild Card game

4. Cowboys QB Cooper Rush

Yes, Rush will only play on Monday night if Dak Prescott is injured, which no one wants to see happen. Unless that happens, since Rush is not the Cowboys’ holder on place-kicks, he won’t even see the field. But hear me out.

Jared Goff is locked in as the Lions’ starting quarterback next season. But during a recent appearance on 97.1 The Ticket (h/t to SI.com), Holmes cited the priority he’s putting on the backup quarterback spot this offseason. In short, no more Tim Boyles, David Bloughs and Nate Sudfelds.

"Going into this past year, yeah, we went down to the umpteenth hour trying to figure out what we were gonna do at number two,” Holmes said. “I’ve let it be known internally that we’re not gonna be in that position again heading into this year, so we have to get that settled. I thought Nate Sudfeld did a nice job with us, so we’ll figure that out. But, I am gonna make it a point of emphasis and make sure that, being that we’re finally in a position to address that quarterback room behind Jared, we have been in that position in the past. But, we’re gonna make that a point of emphasis this year.”"

The Cowboys are sure to want Rush back if possible, since he is 5-1 as a starter in Prescott’s place over the last two seasons and he gives them one of the better backup situations in the league. It’s unclear if he’ll look to leave, but it’s also hard to see another team making him their unquestioned starter. Rush is a Michigan native (born in Charlotte, MI) and a Central Michigan alum, as much as it might matter if/when he considers his free agent options.

If Holmes is serious about making the No. 2 quarterback spot a priority, Rush should be high on his list of free agent targets. Even if he doesn’t play on Monday night, his sideline interactions with Prescott between Dallas’ offensive series may be worth watching–in a positive way.