Stop Looking At QB - He's Here
Nick Eatman - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
January 20, 2007 3:44 PM Change Font Size A A A A
IRVING, Texas - Since the day LaVar Arrington slammed Troy Aikman into the Texas Stadium turf (and it was real turf back then) on a December Sunday in 2000, the Cowboys have been looking.
Looking all over the place for the next, well, the next Troy Aikman.
They've looked in the draft, minor league baseball, free agency, minor league baseball again.
They've tried to cut corners by reaching for the Quincy Carters in the second round, or overpaying for Chad Hutchinson and Drew Henson - all with the hope they might find a hidden gem, without having to use a first-round pick for one.
Well, as the NFL Draft approaches in the next three months, my e-mail inbox will be filled with names such as Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell and even Troy Smith of Ohio State. Fans all over the place will want the Cowboys to magically trade up to try and get this team a franchise quarterback.
Well guess what, he's already here.
For some of you, this might just be a statement of the obvious. For others, it's more like blasphemy.
But seriously, I've seen enough.
I'm convinced.
In 2007, Tony Romo is my guy. No doubt about it.
Now, while the Cowboys sit and wait for head coach Bill Parcells to decide whether he's coming back next season or not, they shouldn't be waiting around to figure out about Romo.
And no, I'm not breaking out any anointing oils, or reserving any spots for Romo in Canton, Ohio.
But the Cowboys, or any NFL team for that matter, can't sit around too long wondering what they have. At some point, you've got to take a chance. And if you really believe this guy has what it takes to be the future of the franchise, then Jerry Jones needs to step up right now and lock up Romo with a new contract.
Think about, the timing might just be perfect.
Romo's confidence is certainly lower now, considering the second-half drop-off and definitely the botched field goal attempt in Seattle. If the Cowboys offer a four- or five-year deal to Romo with a few guarantees and a hefty bonus, just don't think the still-26-year-old gunslinger from Eastern Illinois is going to turn it down.
And not because of the money, but the opportunity.
He knows what a long-term deal would mean. It means, he's the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. He's the guy this organization sees as good enough to take them to the next level. Despite the inexperience, the late-season falter and certainly despite the fumbled snap, the Cowboys think Romo is the guy. That's what he needs.
And although my perspective doesn't include taking out the checkbook and handing over wads of cash to a guy who still has 11 pro starts under his belt, I've still seen all I need to see.
I saw a guy get thrown into the fire and not blink. I saw a guy completely turn around a struggling team, take it on his back and win four straight games.
We saw Romo go toe-to-toe with Peyton Manning and the Colts, and actually outplay the perennial Pro Bowler, at least for that day.
He's got an arm that can make all the throws. And no, that's not just coach speak. Some starting quarterbacks CAN'T make every throw. A few of those aforementioned post-Aikman guys come to mind.
But Romo has arm strength. He's got touch when he needs it. And most of all, he's got guts. He's not afraid to make plays.
Now sure, we saw Romo struggle some at the end of the season. We saw a few teams figure out ways to stop him.
But overall, he was the reason the Cowboys won six of those 11 games, more than he was the reason they lost five of them.
Romo was far from good in some of those losses, throwing a few untimely picks and even putting the ball on the ground four times against the Lions, losing two of the fumbles.
But even in that loss to Detroit, it's hard to put total fault on a guy who throws for 321 yards and two touchdowns, leads his team to 24 points (don't forget Terence Newman returned a punt for a touchdown). Let's be real. If Peyton Manning's team gives up 39 points at home to the Lions, he's probably not going to win either.
OK, sorry. Enough with the Manning and Romo comparisons.
One is an established quarterback who is trying to prove critics wrong that suggest he can't win the big game. The other is just trying to prove to his team he is the answer at quarterback.
Now, maybe he's not the answer as the holder. But who are we kidding? He shouldn't have been holding in the first place.
Before I get slammed with more e-mails, that last statement is not an indictment on the coaching staff. I know why Romo was the holder before and it probably made no sense to change in the middle of the season just because he was promoted to the starter.
But just how many starting quarterbacks in the NFL hold for extra points and field goals anyways? Jake Plummer did it in Denver before he was benched as the quarterback.
But let's face it, whether Romo drops the snap for the most critical field goal attempt the Cowboys have had this decade, or he handles every snap with perfection for the entire season, it's likely Romo's days as the holder were up anyway.
So as the Cowboys get ready for next year, sure there will be some changes at quarterback.
Even Jerry Jones isn't expecting Drew Bledsoe to return next year. The veteran is due a $1 million roster bonus this spring and it's rather unlikely he will get that.
So behind Romo, the Cowboys will probably acquire another veteran free agent. Someone who has a few skins on the wall, has won some big games, but no one that will create any major controversy. Someone who will compete? Definitely, but not someone who doesn't know his role and why he's here.
Even after the veteran, there needs to be another young guy. Is it Matt Baker, the rookie from North Carolina who spent the year on the practice squad? Possibly, but it also could also be another rookie from next year.
However, if I'm drafting a quarterback, he's a fourth- or fifth-round pick, if that. Someone who can be a legitimate No. 3 quarterback and could use a year or two of watching and listening, just like Romo did, before he's anywhere close to being ready.
Because frankly, that's all the Cowboys need from the quarterback position out of this draft.
Regardless of what happened in the final two minutes of the Cowboys' season-ending loss in Seattle, Romo IS the answer at quarterback for this team.
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
January 20, 2007 3:44 PM Change Font Size A A A A
IRVING, Texas - Since the day LaVar Arrington slammed Troy Aikman into the Texas Stadium turf (and it was real turf back then) on a December Sunday in 2000, the Cowboys have been looking.
Looking all over the place for the next, well, the next Troy Aikman.
They've looked in the draft, minor league baseball, free agency, minor league baseball again.
They've tried to cut corners by reaching for the Quincy Carters in the second round, or overpaying for Chad Hutchinson and Drew Henson - all with the hope they might find a hidden gem, without having to use a first-round pick for one.
Well, as the NFL Draft approaches in the next three months, my e-mail inbox will be filled with names such as Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell and even Troy Smith of Ohio State. Fans all over the place will want the Cowboys to magically trade up to try and get this team a franchise quarterback.
Well guess what, he's already here.
For some of you, this might just be a statement of the obvious. For others, it's more like blasphemy.
But seriously, I've seen enough.
I'm convinced.
In 2007, Tony Romo is my guy. No doubt about it.
Now, while the Cowboys sit and wait for head coach Bill Parcells to decide whether he's coming back next season or not, they shouldn't be waiting around to figure out about Romo.
And no, I'm not breaking out any anointing oils, or reserving any spots for Romo in Canton, Ohio.
But the Cowboys, or any NFL team for that matter, can't sit around too long wondering what they have. At some point, you've got to take a chance. And if you really believe this guy has what it takes to be the future of the franchise, then Jerry Jones needs to step up right now and lock up Romo with a new contract.
Think about, the timing might just be perfect.
Romo's confidence is certainly lower now, considering the second-half drop-off and definitely the botched field goal attempt in Seattle. If the Cowboys offer a four- or five-year deal to Romo with a few guarantees and a hefty bonus, just don't think the still-26-year-old gunslinger from Eastern Illinois is going to turn it down.
And not because of the money, but the opportunity.
He knows what a long-term deal would mean. It means, he's the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. He's the guy this organization sees as good enough to take them to the next level. Despite the inexperience, the late-season falter and certainly despite the fumbled snap, the Cowboys think Romo is the guy. That's what he needs.
And although my perspective doesn't include taking out the checkbook and handing over wads of cash to a guy who still has 11 pro starts under his belt, I've still seen all I need to see.
I saw a guy get thrown into the fire and not blink. I saw a guy completely turn around a struggling team, take it on his back and win four straight games.
We saw Romo go toe-to-toe with Peyton Manning and the Colts, and actually outplay the perennial Pro Bowler, at least for that day.
He's got an arm that can make all the throws. And no, that's not just coach speak. Some starting quarterbacks CAN'T make every throw. A few of those aforementioned post-Aikman guys come to mind.
But Romo has arm strength. He's got touch when he needs it. And most of all, he's got guts. He's not afraid to make plays.
Now sure, we saw Romo struggle some at the end of the season. We saw a few teams figure out ways to stop him.
But overall, he was the reason the Cowboys won six of those 11 games, more than he was the reason they lost five of them.
Romo was far from good in some of those losses, throwing a few untimely picks and even putting the ball on the ground four times against the Lions, losing two of the fumbles.
But even in that loss to Detroit, it's hard to put total fault on a guy who throws for 321 yards and two touchdowns, leads his team to 24 points (don't forget Terence Newman returned a punt for a touchdown). Let's be real. If Peyton Manning's team gives up 39 points at home to the Lions, he's probably not going to win either.
OK, sorry. Enough with the Manning and Romo comparisons.
One is an established quarterback who is trying to prove critics wrong that suggest he can't win the big game. The other is just trying to prove to his team he is the answer at quarterback.
Now, maybe he's not the answer as the holder. But who are we kidding? He shouldn't have been holding in the first place.
Before I get slammed with more e-mails, that last statement is not an indictment on the coaching staff. I know why Romo was the holder before and it probably made no sense to change in the middle of the season just because he was promoted to the starter.
But just how many starting quarterbacks in the NFL hold for extra points and field goals anyways? Jake Plummer did it in Denver before he was benched as the quarterback.
But let's face it, whether Romo drops the snap for the most critical field goal attempt the Cowboys have had this decade, or he handles every snap with perfection for the entire season, it's likely Romo's days as the holder were up anyway.
So as the Cowboys get ready for next year, sure there will be some changes at quarterback.
Even Jerry Jones isn't expecting Drew Bledsoe to return next year. The veteran is due a $1 million roster bonus this spring and it's rather unlikely he will get that.
So behind Romo, the Cowboys will probably acquire another veteran free agent. Someone who has a few skins on the wall, has won some big games, but no one that will create any major controversy. Someone who will compete? Definitely, but not someone who doesn't know his role and why he's here.
Even after the veteran, there needs to be another young guy. Is it Matt Baker, the rookie from North Carolina who spent the year on the practice squad? Possibly, but it also could also be another rookie from next year.
However, if I'm drafting a quarterback, he's a fourth- or fifth-round pick, if that. Someone who can be a legitimate No. 3 quarterback and could use a year or two of watching and listening, just like Romo did, before he's anywhere close to being ready.
Because frankly, that's all the Cowboys need from the quarterback position out of this draft.
Regardless of what happened in the final two minutes of the Cowboys' season-ending loss in Seattle, Romo IS the answer at quarterback for this team.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:15 AM
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