Dallas Cowboys' Romo taking steps to improve
By TODD ARCHER
The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
IRVING – Because of his success – two Pro Bowl trips, team records for yards and touchdown passes in a season – it's easy to forget Tony Romo has made only 26 career starts.
With such a short body of work, there is room for Romo to grow, and he has approached the off-season looking for ways to improve.
To the untrained eye, Romo looks the same. To Romo, he's retooled parts of his game and is seeing the changes take hold.
"I always take a step back at the beginning of each off-season to try to develop these things, and I know I can go back to the things I've got," Romo said. "But I try to do the things to improve on and use them in the practice side of it and see if they work.
"I'm really excited about the chance to take the next step this year with some of the stuff I've done."
Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett talked about Romo having better "posture," which not only allows him to have better vision but also keeps him in position to throw more quickly.
"If you get too bent, you tend to move a little more," Garrett said. "If you're a little bit more controlled, maybe your movements in the pocket are more subtle."
Perhaps Romo's biggest strength is his improvisation, and Garrett and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson do not want to limit Romo's feel. But they also want him to attempt to be more fundamentally sound.
"There were times where sometimes he got a little jumpy ... or maybe a little too aggressive in his movements, and sometimes that can get you in trouble," Garrett said. "It's a fine line having presence and moving away from somebody but then moving too much and getting in trouble with somebody else."
Even the improvisation is practiced, so Romo works in drills that have him throwing on the move to the left and right. He will also change his arm angle to simulate throwing around, over or under a defender.
"I feel like you practice a lot of different shots in basketball, you practice a lot of different shots in golf," Romo said. "I find it funny most of the quarterbacks practice the same throwing motion. The reality in a game is that 20 percent of your throws are going to be the same drop you took by yourself on a field throwing to a guy out there."
On a play during Wednesday's workout, Romo was able to caress a throw just over an outstretched linebacker and then dip to a crossing Patrick Crayton.
Romo said he has learned how to position his feet in a way to make a throw even with his shoulders not square to the target.
"There are different ways to do it and do it accurately and quickly," Romo said.
As much as he has incorporated, he has also discarded. He attempted a slight change in his release from letting go of the ball by his ear to in front of his face.
"You get more power because you're holding on to the ball longer and you get a good wrist snap out of it," Romo said. "The problem is you lose accuracy. After a few times, I felt like I didn't want to risk that side of it."
The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
IRVING – Because of his success – two Pro Bowl trips, team records for yards and touchdown passes in a season – it's easy to forget Tony Romo has made only 26 career starts.
With such a short body of work, there is room for Romo to grow, and he has approached the off-season looking for ways to improve.
To the untrained eye, Romo looks the same. To Romo, he's retooled parts of his game and is seeing the changes take hold.
"I always take a step back at the beginning of each off-season to try to develop these things, and I know I can go back to the things I've got," Romo said. "But I try to do the things to improve on and use them in the practice side of it and see if they work.
"I'm really excited about the chance to take the next step this year with some of the stuff I've done."
Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett talked about Romo having better "posture," which not only allows him to have better vision but also keeps him in position to throw more quickly.
"If you get too bent, you tend to move a little more," Garrett said. "If you're a little bit more controlled, maybe your movements in the pocket are more subtle."
Perhaps Romo's biggest strength is his improvisation, and Garrett and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson do not want to limit Romo's feel. But they also want him to attempt to be more fundamentally sound.
"There were times where sometimes he got a little jumpy ... or maybe a little too aggressive in his movements, and sometimes that can get you in trouble," Garrett said. "It's a fine line having presence and moving away from somebody but then moving too much and getting in trouble with somebody else."
Even the improvisation is practiced, so Romo works in drills that have him throwing on the move to the left and right. He will also change his arm angle to simulate throwing around, over or under a defender.
"I feel like you practice a lot of different shots in basketball, you practice a lot of different shots in golf," Romo said. "I find it funny most of the quarterbacks practice the same throwing motion. The reality in a game is that 20 percent of your throws are going to be the same drop you took by yourself on a field throwing to a guy out there."
On a play during Wednesday's workout, Romo was able to caress a throw just over an outstretched linebacker and then dip to a crossing Patrick Crayton.
Romo said he has learned how to position his feet in a way to make a throw even with his shoulders not square to the target.
"There are different ways to do it and do it accurately and quickly," Romo said.
As much as he has incorporated, he has also discarded. He attempted a slight change in his release from letting go of the ball by his ear to in front of his face.
"You get more power because you're holding on to the ball longer and you get a good wrist snap out of it," Romo said. "The problem is you lose accuracy. After a few times, I felt like I didn't want to risk that side of it."
posted by The Gryphon at 8:43 AM
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