1. The Texans got too cute because they wanted something for nothing. It is probable their reluctance to trade for Romo had as much to do with their desire to negotiate a contract that offered them protection against an injury. It's understandable, but competing to be a champion entails being willing to take some risks. The signal to Romo could well have been "we don't believe in you that much; not enough to risk a draft pick or your current contract."
2. The Broncos probably are content to go with their young QBs. Again they would have probably jumped in at a "low risk," but the signal to Romo is the same.
3. Any other unidentified teams with interest maybe were in the same "low risk" mode, or Romo simply didn't want to play for them.
4. The networks apparently see Romo as a potential superstar.
5. It seems to me that rather than "doing wrong" where Romo was concerned, Jones was actually providing him protection to weigh options and judge teams' true interest and commitment. Had Jones released Romo earlier, he would have been pressed to make a decision he might have not been ready to make -- and any hesitation would have been interpreted as a sign of a lack of commitment. Jones bought Romo time to make a decision and took the bullet for him by being painted as the villain in the play.
6. Romo is one of my all-time favorites, a tough, talented, stand-up guy who might be the most underappreciated athlete in my memory. He prevented the Cowboys from being in the QB wilderness for a long, long time. His perceived failures were more often the failures of other players. Taking account of the differences in the modern game, his career rather closely parallels the career of Don Meredith, though Dandy Don certainly played with inferior supporting casts for the first few years of his career. Romo will always have my deep respect. Perhaps like Meredith he will be a superstar in broadcasting.
7. Dak Prescott deserves to be the Cowboys' starting QB and could become one of the great ones. I am a huge supporter.
8. Maybe the story still has another chapter or two. Perhaps the Texans are being conned into stepping up in a significantly more committed manner. But we shall see.
9. Let us all hope Dak is healthy, continues to play great football, and we never need to find out whether Romo would return if needed.
10. Man am I looking forward to the new season.