The training camp I got a peek at in 2003 made him look promising in my opinion but I must concede I didn't think he'd ever wrestle the starting position into his own lap until this off-season.
You just don't ever know with quarterbacks. Let us examine the window between the twilight of Aikman's career where an heir should probably have been sought and the time since his retirement where the quest has been to find a steady steward under center.
I remember when San Francisco took Jim Drukenmiller over Jake Plummer and lest we forget that for several seasons Plummer was getting over the top "Montana" like praise from ESPN. He still isn't a bad quarterback although he's in a slump at present, as for Druckenmiller, he narrowly evaded rape charges a few years back. Looking back at '97 Dallas was wise to not jump the gun on any of the available options.
Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf? This was a genuine debate at one time.
Dallas tried the maligned Leaf and he failed to impress.
The great class of '99: Couch, McNabb, Culpepper, Akili Smith, McNown.
Safe to call it a disaster just yet? Nothing here for Dallas to gnash their teeth about not taking a shot at.
Chad Pennington was the highlight of the 2000 draft until you consider the one that flew underneath the radar of NORAD itself in Tom Brady.
Brady has made fools of 31 scouting departments and made another one look lucky for taking him in the 6th round.
2001 saw the salivatingly talented michael Vick go number one in a shocking trade but San Diego hit gold with a Drew Brees in the second round, quite a steal. Qunicy Carter went somewhere but I forget.
David Carr, Joey Harrington and Marc Bulger emerged from this crew in 2002, none of them inspire envy from teams not graced with their leadership. The Texans drafted Drew Henson in hopes of dealing the Yankee to a desperate team, somebody eventually fell for the ploy.The greatest steal may have been David Garrad, he alone may have been a Cowboy lamentation.
2003 saw the unabtainable Carson Palmer go first while the chubby and eratic Byron Leftwich was on the board when the clock came to Dallas. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time Dallas secretly aquired the second most talented quarterback college football gave to the pros this year as Tony Romo quietly signed on.
2004 saw Dallas content with Vinnie Teseverde and some guy traded from Houston so little attention was payed Phillip Rivers and the unabtainable Eli Manning. Retrospect grants Dallas grace for this but not on account of the two quarterbacks who would play that season.
2005 gave Dallas an NFL passing giant and a veteran with the rocket arm, unfortunately his inability to read defenses quick enough made him sack prone. Dallas sensed the hype that surrounded Alex Smith and Aaaron Rodgers was quite bogus and neglected to make a push for either. The Houston trade was believed to be an answer to the future.
2006 saw Dallas sit pat on draft day neglecting to make so much as a flirtacious wink in the direction of Matt Leinhart and Vince Young while making no aggressive moves to take a swipe at Jay Cutler. So Dallas entered training camp with the rocket armed but immobile vet and the presumed future and a former UDFA. The future was cut, the UDFA played well in preseason, the immobile rocket was benched six weeks into the season and a glorious new beginning nearly a decade in the making was launched from the confines of their own bench!
Romo will erase all the miserable personnel gaffs concerning his position and perhaps even justify not taking some of them if he remains well...Tony Romo.
