It's a year of evaluation for the entire organization. Find out who can lead a turnaround. Everyone else is given their walking papers. At the top of the evaluation list will be Banks, who has skills NFL teams crave these days. Fewer teams are relying on pocket quarterbacks like Troy Aikman, who was released earlier this month after six Pro Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl titles in Dallas.
Banks has a strong arm and is mobile.
Banks, who turns 28 next week, was benched halfway through the Ravens' Super Bowl season. Someone had to take the fall for going five consecutive games without scoring an offensive touchdown. The Dallas coaching staff, though, reviewed tape of Banks' eight games as a starter and couldn't find concrete evidence why he lost his starting job to Trent Dilfer. A second-round pick in 1996, Banks has been a starter all five seasons. He's been sporadic but completed 59.1 percent of his passes in 1998 and compiled a decent 81.2 quarterback rating in 1999.