Sturm: On the Romo Signing

[FuzzyLumpkins]

But, the other thing it tells us, is just as vital. Quarterbacks earn their paychecks based on giving their team a chance to win every Sunday - from September until December. That is why they are paid. If January success determined money in this league, there would be plenty of Quarterbacks living in apartments every year.

It doesn't. What makes QB the most well-paid position in the sport is the ability to single-handidly raise the competitive level of a team. Now, one guy can't change an entire team from lousy to Super Bowl champion, but he can take a D+ and turn it into a B- and that can cover a lot of issues around the squad that didn't get fixed. A QB, now paid over $1 million dollars per regular season game, can be the deodorant on a team like the Cowboys for a lot of stinky departments. And if you don't think Romo is that guy, then we might have to agree to disagree.

He has a career 55-38 record as starter and statistics that are well above the league average across the board. He is the 5th highest rated QB over the course of his career, trailing only Rodgers, Brady, Manning, and Brees since 2006. Like I have always said, if one of those 4 are available, go get them. But, since truth #1 at the top of the page is true, you can forget about that. Instead, you are sifting through the Matt Flynn and Kevin Kolb files if you are looking for a QB this off-season, and I don't see their names on that list. Forget it.

http://sturminator.blogspot.com/2013/04/on-tony-romo-extension.html

 

[ABQcowboyJR]

Makes a valid point. I disagree that it was the only rational choice. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the present for the future. JJ will never make that sacrifice because it makes the team less marketable to the average fan. I just hope we don't end up losing a young rising star because of the cap.

 

[Eskimo]

But this roster is so talented - Jerry Jones told us all about that. Heck, we had 12 Pro Bowlers in 2007 and Mo is the best CB since Deion.

 

[Cowboys22]

What he said is true but there comes a point when a team has to move on from a QB, although pretty good, that can't lead the team into the playoffs and beyond. The situation we have with Romo now is that many fans have reached that point where they think it's best to move on and many others have not. Both sides have valid arguments and it doesn't make anyone a hater because they have a different opinion from you on what the best path for the team is. I was a big supporter of Romo and defended him up until week 17 of this year. That was the point in which I decided that was too many letdowns for me. That doesn't mean I will not support Romo and that I want him to fail. He is the QB for my favorite team so I will cheer for his success. I very much want for him to prove me wrong because that would mean success for the Cowboys. Having said that, it is still my right to have my opinion that Jerry should have made him play out his final year and prove his worth. My gut tells me that if he folds again, it would be the right time to let him go. Now we can't. Thats all.

 

[Risen Star]

You don't "move on" from a franchise QB unless he just can't play anymore. Which is clearly not the case with Romo.

These guys are rare. You can spend 20 plus years looking for a QB who can be considered among the best at his position. When you find one, you keep him at all costs and build around him.

Now if you don't believe Romo is franchise caliber, none of this matters. I do though. So resigning him was the only option. Of course I'd have liked it to be less costly but it is what it is.

 

[Nation]

I'm truly amazed at how many fans think you can just tank one season and magically replace a starting quarterback like this is the NBA. 2012 was an anomaly in that 3 rookies were success stories, but if you look at the forest from the trees you'll see it's closer to a game of Russian Roulette. Look at that position the Jaguars, Jets, Browns, Cardinals, etc are continuously in because they haven't found franchise guys.

 

[03EBZ06]

I completely agree with that article.

Now, lets say Romo wasn't extended and he played out this season, and say his contract wasn't renewed. Cowboys only selected 3 QBs from draft since 1991 and we can reasonably say Cowboys aren't exactly great talent evaluator in QB position, so lets say Cowboys selects 1st round QB and he doesn't pan out, now what? FA QB? like who? Another year or two of misery?

Franchise QBs aren't dime a dozen and frankly I don't trust Cowboys getting it right in the draft, unless there is another Luck or RGIII and Cowboys have top 3 pick.

 

[CowboyGil]

Obvious from some of the comments that it has still not penetrated some skulls that Romo is our best option right now, even when it comes from a pretty smart (IMO) guy like Sturm. And here I thought he just had hockey smarts.

 

[Risen Star]

Sturm's the best writer covering this team. It's not even close, IMO.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

Sturm's the best writer covering this team. It's not even close, IMO.

I think he is. Maybe its because he is a Packer fan and not a Cowboy fan that he can be objective.

With Romo, the core of this team, aging vets like Ware, Witten and Ratliff, can cling to some small semblance of hope that they can get to the post season and compete.

 

[Cowboys22]

I'm truly amazed at how many fans think you can just tank one season and magically replace a starting quarterback like this is the NBA. 2012 was an anomaly in that 3 rookies were success stories, but if you look at the forest from the trees you'll see it's closer to a game of Russian Roulette. Look at that position the Jaguars, Jets, Browns, Cardinals, etc are continuously in because they haven't found franchise guys.

Who said anything about tanking a season? That would be the last thing in my mind. Letting Romo play out his contract year and moving on next year if he wilts again is not tanking a season. How are you going to feel next year if he throws 3 ints week 17 with the playoffs on the line again. Will you still want to be tied to him for another 3-4 years at $17 million per or would you then like the opportunity to look at a QB in a QB rich draft? Now we do not have the option. That is my only point.

 

[Nation]

Who said anything about tanking a season? That would be the last thing in my mind. Letting Romo play out his contract year and moving on next year if he wilts again is not tanking a season. How are you going to feel next year if he throws 3 ints week 17 with the playoffs on the line again. Will you still want to be tied to him for another 3-4 years at $17 million per or would you then like the opportunity to look at a QB in a QB rich draft? Now we do not have the option. That is my only point.

Letting a franchise quarterback go without compensation would be the dumbest thing Jerry Jones ever did.

 

[Cowboys22]

You don't "move on" from a franchise QB unless he just can't play anymore. Which is clearly not the case with Romo.

These guys are rare. You can spend 20 plus years looking for a QB who can be considered among the best at his position. When you find one, you keep him at all costs and build around him.

Now if you don't believe Romo is franchise caliber, none of this matters. I do though. So resigning him was the only option. Of course I'd have liked it to be less costly but it is what it is.

At what point does a pretty good QB stop being a franchise QB? 6 years and 1 playoff win? 1-6 in lose and go home games? Both apply to Romo. At what point do you move on? Is 8 years and 1 playoff win enough for you? How about 1-7 or 1-8 in lose and go home games? The skins game in week 17 was enough for me but I do realize he is currently the best option on the roster and there wasn't anything better available for this season. So I would have let him play out his contract year and told him to prove he is worth that kind of money. If he made good this year, he might cost a little more but I would gladly have paid the extra for a proven commodity. As it is now, we are gambling a huge chunk of salary cap space on a QB with nice stats but a history of ill timed mistakes and/or poor play.

 

[Cowboys22]

Letting a franchise quarterback go without compensation would be the dumbest thing Jerry Jones ever did.

If Romo throws 3 ints with the playoffs on the line again next year, do you honestly think we should still consider him a franchise QB? At what point is enough enough?

 

[rocboy22]

At what point does a pretty good QB stop being a franchise QB? 6 years and 1 playoff win? 1-6 in lose and go home games? Both apply to Romo. At what point do you move on? Is 8 years and 1 playoff win enough for you? How about 1-7 or 1-8 in lose and go home games? The skins game in week 17 was enough for me but I do realize he is currently the best option on the roster and there wasn't anything better available for this season. So I would have let him play out his contract year and told him to prove he is worth that kind of money. If he made good this year, he might cost a little more but I would gladly have paid the extra for a proven commodity. As it is now, we are gambling a huge chunk of salary cap space on a QB with nice stats but a history of ill timed mistakes and/or poor play.

you seem to be forgetting the fact that he could have just left town after the season. Even if he we wanted to re-sign him, that would not be guaranteed.

 

[03EBZ06]

If Romo throws 3 ints with the playoffs on the line again next year, do you honestly think we should still consider him a franchise QB? At what point is enough enough?

Since we are playing IF game...What if he has a great season and go deep into the playoffs and decides not to re-sign with Cowboys, then what? No high draft pick.

 

[BlueStar22]

Letting a franchise quarterback go without compensation would be the dumbest thing Jerry Jones ever did.

This.

I also don't get how some of you think teams can just "move on" from a franchise QB. You do that with players that are old and can't play anymore. You don't do that with a soon to be 33-year old franchise guy who still has at least 3 more good years.

The people who think this way need to write down all 32 teams on a sheet of paper and figure who are the "haves" and the "have nots" in terms of top line QB play. You'll be amazed to see how small that number is. We fall into the "haves". Romo will get it done if he gets the help.

 

[Nation]

If Romo throws 3 ints with the playoffs on the line again next year, do you honestly think we should still consider him a franchise QB? At what point is enough enough?

You act like those are the norm and not an anomaly. Romo has as many multi-pick games in the past two years as Brady, it's not like he has been some historical turnover machine.

 

[Cowboys22]

Since we are playing IF game...What if he has a great season and go deep into the playoffs and decides not to re-sign with Cowboys, then what? No high draft pick.

Thats a chance I would be willing to take before committing that contract to a QB with Romo's track record. I would feel confident that if he had the success we have all been waiting for that he would certainly want to stay in Dallas and a deal could be reached. Most of the teams that would be willing to go after Romo would be the bottom dwellers coming off of poor seasons. I think staying in Dallas after having success would be Romo's first option and it would get done.

 

[Cowboys22]

You act like those are the norm and not an anomaly. Romo has as many multi-pick games in the past two years as Brady, it's not like he has been some historical turnover machine.

We are talking about lose and go home games which has been Romo's achillies heal. If he never gets over that hill, he will never have any success because every playoff game is lose and go home.