DMN: Romo's confidence good for Cowboys
by Jean-Jacques Taylor
So Tony Romo thinks the Cowboys have a shot to win the Super Bowl? That's one of the reasons I like Romo.
He says what's on his mind.
And he doesn't really care what you think about it. You get real emotion and real answers from Romo – not the well-rehearsed quotes you get from a lot of star players in the NFL. Before you send me a bunch of e-mails saying Romo isn't a star, let me say that I agree.
He is, however, the face of the franchise, and what he says carries weight these days. How long that lasts is in direct proportion to the number of football games he wins. The hope is that Romo never changes his approach as his career continues.
The reason I began to think Romo had a real future as a quarterback in this league has nothing to do with him being an accurate passer or a good athlete. To me, it's all about intangibles when it comes to Romo.
He can do good things on the football field, but that's not what gives him the potential to be special. I keep saying he exudes a certain charisma and confidence – the kind that sometimes makes him throw a stupid pass into coverage – that make players rally around him.
Not everyone has that.
No one knows whether he'll ever play in another Pro Bowl. Or take the Cowboys to a Super Bowl. I do, however, like his odds.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: I am tired of hearing Greg Ellis ask for a commitment from the Cowboys. Do you believe a decision has already been made to cut him? Will he be ready at the start of training camp?
Steve Glenn, Denver
TAYLOR: Greg Ellis will definitely be on the Cowboys this season. As I have said many times and actually wrote in a column today, I understand why he's mad at the club, but I also understand why he will not get a new deal from the Cowboys no matter how mad he gets. I expect him to be ready for training camp.
• • • Q: Do you get the sense that there will be trouble this year because players who have been micromanaged are often incapable of policing themselves adequately?
Matthew Bryant
TAYLOR: I wouldn't go quite that far, but they do have to figure out how to police themselves because the coach isn't going to be quite as involved as he was last year. Now that doesn't mean the players can do whatever they want. It just means they have a little more freedom.
• • • Q: You wrote that Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Darren Woodson, Charles Haley, Tony Tolbert, Nate Newton and Ken Norton Jr. were all leaders. None of those guys would let another teammate wreck their team or their chemistry. Question: Which one of these leaders shut down the "white house"? Weren't the Cowboys not leading the NFL on the police blotter with those guys on the roster? Leaders, shmeaders.
Kai Naim
TAYLOR: It never fails to amuse me how so many fans can't separate what happens on the field from what happens off the field. Lots of guys are great players and leaders on the field, who make poor decisions or live immoral lifestyles based on my belief system. Lawrence Taylor comes to mind. I can separate the two. You need to think about the Cowboys the way you think about your own job.
Kai, if members of your company had a version of the white house, would you go to the president of the company and have it shut down? What if those people using the white house were the best employees at your company? How hard would you fight to get it shut down?
Whatever you say, know that any hypothetical question is much easier to answer than if you were presented with a real scenario.
The reality is that what guys do away from work is really none of your business unless it affects your work. All of the guys you mentioned were beyond reproach in terms of how they performed at work.
• • • Q: Marion Barber is an excellent back, but he doesn't have the speed that a good club needs at the tailback position. What do you think?
Chip A. Barker, Midland
TAYLOR: You're right, he doesn't have game-breaking speed, but he is an excellent slasher and gets yards after contact. There aren't many 50-yard runs in the NFL, so speed isn't the most important factor for a running back. Barber is a really good runner, and he's going to get a chance to prove it again this year.
• • • Q: You said this was a feast or famine defense. Do you think we can get that much worse on giving up big plays?
Jim Shaw, Austin
TAYLOR: This defense is designed to put pressure on the offense by blitzing and attacking gaps, which puts a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks and safeties to make plays. If the defensive players don't get where they're supposed to go, then it creates some real good opportunities for the offense.
• • • Q: What would you suggest the cowboys do to get consistency out of the running game?
Roderick Paris, McKinney
TAYLOR: Frankly, I thought they were pretty consistent last season. Julius Jones gained more than 1,000 yards and Marion Barber ran for 14 touchdowns. That's pretty good production, and the offensive line has been improved with Leonard Davis replacing Marco Rivera. All of that means the running game should be better.
• • • Q: With more than 20-odd draft picks already signed around the league, does it look like the Cowboys will join the trend soon? Can we just expect them to follow their usual M.O. and wait until the week before training camp to sign their rookies?
Roman Aguilar, San Jose, Calif.
TAYLOR: Nope. The Cowboys like to wait until the last minute because they believe it puts pressure on themselves and the player to get a deal done instead of sending bogus proposals that really amount to nothing more than posturing.
• • • Q: I can't help but think of how good it is to have this extra first-round pick next year. Isn't it really just a luxury pick because they could then go in any direction they choose? Thoughts?
Eddie Arnold
TAYLOR: I wouldn't say it's a luxury pick. I would say it's an opportunity for a good team to add an impact player to its roster, something that doesn't happen too often. Dallas is hoping and praying this winds up a top-five pick, so it has a crack at an elite player who could be a difference-maker, especially on offense at running back, wide receiver or quarterback, if for some reason Romo doesn't perform at a high level.
• • • Q: I agree that Parcells didn't succeed in Dallas, but don't some of these comments by players about how much they are enjoying the "more relaxed atmosphere" now that Parcells is gone remind you a lot of similar comments made after Switzer replaced Jimmy Johnson?
Mike Spencer, San Antonio
TAYLOR: Maybe so, but I don't really think they matter. If the Cowboys win, it'll be because they thrived in Phillips' laid-back atmosphere. If they lose, it'll be because Wade wasn't tough enough. Actually, Phillips has one of the league's worst jobs because he'll get virtually no credit if the Cowboys win because most folks will give it to Parcells and he'll get all of the blame, if the team struggles.
• • • Q: Do you know if the shotgun will be a staple in the passing game?
Marco Terrazzano, Toronto
TAYLOR: That's a good question that I'm not sure about the answer. My suspicion is that it will be in the playbook, but it won't be a key part of the passing game for two reasons. First, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett never had it as a big part of the offenses he played in with the Cowboys, which were heavily influenced by Norv Turner and Ernie Zampese. Second, the Cowboys will use more of a timing-based passing game this year, which emphasizes using three-, five- and seven-step drops to correlate with the pass routes. The timing gets a little skewed in the shotgun.
So Tony Romo thinks the Cowboys have a shot to win the Super Bowl? That's one of the reasons I like Romo.
He says what's on his mind.
And he doesn't really care what you think about it. You get real emotion and real answers from Romo – not the well-rehearsed quotes you get from a lot of star players in the NFL. Before you send me a bunch of e-mails saying Romo isn't a star, let me say that I agree.
He is, however, the face of the franchise, and what he says carries weight these days. How long that lasts is in direct proportion to the number of football games he wins. The hope is that Romo never changes his approach as his career continues.
The reason I began to think Romo had a real future as a quarterback in this league has nothing to do with him being an accurate passer or a good athlete. To me, it's all about intangibles when it comes to Romo.
He can do good things on the football field, but that's not what gives him the potential to be special. I keep saying he exudes a certain charisma and confidence – the kind that sometimes makes him throw a stupid pass into coverage – that make players rally around him.
Not everyone has that.
No one knows whether he'll ever play in another Pro Bowl. Or take the Cowboys to a Super Bowl. I do, however, like his odds.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: I am tired of hearing Greg Ellis ask for a commitment from the Cowboys. Do you believe a decision has already been made to cut him? Will he be ready at the start of training camp?
Steve Glenn, Denver
TAYLOR: Greg Ellis will definitely be on the Cowboys this season. As I have said many times and actually wrote in a column today, I understand why he's mad at the club, but I also understand why he will not get a new deal from the Cowboys no matter how mad he gets. I expect him to be ready for training camp.
• • • Q: Do you get the sense that there will be trouble this year because players who have been micromanaged are often incapable of policing themselves adequately?
Matthew Bryant
TAYLOR: I wouldn't go quite that far, but they do have to figure out how to police themselves because the coach isn't going to be quite as involved as he was last year. Now that doesn't mean the players can do whatever they want. It just means they have a little more freedom.
• • • Q: You wrote that Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Darren Woodson, Charles Haley, Tony Tolbert, Nate Newton and Ken Norton Jr. were all leaders. None of those guys would let another teammate wreck their team or their chemistry. Question: Which one of these leaders shut down the "white house"? Weren't the Cowboys not leading the NFL on the police blotter with those guys on the roster? Leaders, shmeaders.
Kai Naim
TAYLOR: It never fails to amuse me how so many fans can't separate what happens on the field from what happens off the field. Lots of guys are great players and leaders on the field, who make poor decisions or live immoral lifestyles based on my belief system. Lawrence Taylor comes to mind. I can separate the two. You need to think about the Cowboys the way you think about your own job.
Kai, if members of your company had a version of the white house, would you go to the president of the company and have it shut down? What if those people using the white house were the best employees at your company? How hard would you fight to get it shut down?
Whatever you say, know that any hypothetical question is much easier to answer than if you were presented with a real scenario.
The reality is that what guys do away from work is really none of your business unless it affects your work. All of the guys you mentioned were beyond reproach in terms of how they performed at work.
• • • Q: Marion Barber is an excellent back, but he doesn't have the speed that a good club needs at the tailback position. What do you think?
Chip A. Barker, Midland
TAYLOR: You're right, he doesn't have game-breaking speed, but he is an excellent slasher and gets yards after contact. There aren't many 50-yard runs in the NFL, so speed isn't the most important factor for a running back. Barber is a really good runner, and he's going to get a chance to prove it again this year.
• • • Q: You said this was a feast or famine defense. Do you think we can get that much worse on giving up big plays?
Jim Shaw, Austin
TAYLOR: This defense is designed to put pressure on the offense by blitzing and attacking gaps, which puts a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks and safeties to make plays. If the defensive players don't get where they're supposed to go, then it creates some real good opportunities for the offense.
• • • Q: What would you suggest the cowboys do to get consistency out of the running game?
Roderick Paris, McKinney
TAYLOR: Frankly, I thought they were pretty consistent last season. Julius Jones gained more than 1,000 yards and Marion Barber ran for 14 touchdowns. That's pretty good production, and the offensive line has been improved with Leonard Davis replacing Marco Rivera. All of that means the running game should be better.
• • • Q: With more than 20-odd draft picks already signed around the league, does it look like the Cowboys will join the trend soon? Can we just expect them to follow their usual M.O. and wait until the week before training camp to sign their rookies?
Roman Aguilar, San Jose, Calif.
TAYLOR: Nope. The Cowboys like to wait until the last minute because they believe it puts pressure on themselves and the player to get a deal done instead of sending bogus proposals that really amount to nothing more than posturing.
• • • Q: I can't help but think of how good it is to have this extra first-round pick next year. Isn't it really just a luxury pick because they could then go in any direction they choose? Thoughts?
Eddie Arnold
TAYLOR: I wouldn't say it's a luxury pick. I would say it's an opportunity for a good team to add an impact player to its roster, something that doesn't happen too often. Dallas is hoping and praying this winds up a top-five pick, so it has a crack at an elite player who could be a difference-maker, especially on offense at running back, wide receiver or quarterback, if for some reason Romo doesn't perform at a high level.
• • • Q: I agree that Parcells didn't succeed in Dallas, but don't some of these comments by players about how much they are enjoying the "more relaxed atmosphere" now that Parcells is gone remind you a lot of similar comments made after Switzer replaced Jimmy Johnson?
Mike Spencer, San Antonio
TAYLOR: Maybe so, but I don't really think they matter. If the Cowboys win, it'll be because they thrived in Phillips' laid-back atmosphere. If they lose, it'll be because Wade wasn't tough enough. Actually, Phillips has one of the league's worst jobs because he'll get virtually no credit if the Cowboys win because most folks will give it to Parcells and he'll get all of the blame, if the team struggles.
• • • Q: Do you know if the shotgun will be a staple in the passing game?
Marco Terrazzano, Toronto
TAYLOR: That's a good question that I'm not sure about the answer. My suspicion is that it will be in the playbook, but it won't be a key part of the passing game for two reasons. First, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett never had it as a big part of the offenses he played in with the Cowboys, which were heavily influenced by Norv Turner and Ernie Zampese. Second, the Cowboys will use more of a timing-based passing game this year, which emphasizes using three-, five- and seven-step drops to correlate with the pass routes. The timing gets a little skewed in the shotgun.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:23 PM
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