The Tony Romo era is not over

[JoeKing]

Lol I could be wrong too. Time will tell.

No it's no time to be magnanimous, you deserve some credit on my evolving on the Cowboys season. It really is over, isn't it.?

 

[StarBoyz83]

No it's no time to be magnanimous, you deserve some credit on my evolving on the Cowboys season. It really is over, isn't it.?

To me yes. I've seen nothing to suggest otherwise.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

It doesn't matter how long Romo plans or wants to play. His health will be the deciding factor. Not having a QB in place to take over will basically waste the other players careers in Dallas if they have to wait on a rookie QB to take over the year following Romo's retirement. It is going to be hard to replace Romo, but it it will be worse not to even attempt to have a QB ready. You have very short term thinking on this topic.

Very good points. As for Romo's health, we can put the collarbone injury under the "fluke" category (even though he broke it five years ago too), so his back issues have me worrying the most about his ability to play out his contract to age 39. But are the Cowboys going to invest a 1st round pick on a quarterback- and not play him- when rookie deals now last only four years? The tried and true "develop a quarterback" plan is out. It hasn't been done since Aaron Rodgers.

It's not the wisest thing to do, but the Cowboys aren't drafting a quarterback until Romo is done. As long as he plays, this team will remain in "win now" mode. This will come back and bite them if, for example, next year turns out to be Romo's last, but that's the risk they have to take.

And when the next QB is indeed drafted, he'll play right away, just like Ryan, Flacco, Winston, Mariota, etc.

 

[IAmLegend]

I have a feeling the Cowboys are going to take a serious look at Connor Cook this year in the mid-to-late 1st round.

 

[perrykemp]

I have a feeling the Cowboys are going to take a serious look at Connor Cook this year in the mid-to-late 1st round.

Mighty impressive highlight film.

There is a lot to like about Connor Cook.

The one thing that REALLY worries me though is that he throws at a 58% completion rate in college.

58% isn't good enough to win consistently in the NFL.

 

[Rockport]

When you have a QB that breaks down as much as Sean Lee......you have a problem that needs to be address. You signed up to Tony for this year....given. But next year....Cowboys are dumb to hitch up to this pony again. He's just not gonna get though 16 games ...and not wear down or get injured again. Cowboys need to face this fact...and move on.

To the OP: it's because you have fans such as this one who live to be negative about anything Cowboys. There's a hand full just like this guy.

 

[SuspectCorner]

if the Cowboys organization doesn't begin to seriously undertake the search for Romo's eventual replacement at this moment and going forward - they will find themselves in the very same situation they were in when Troy Aikman 'hit the wall' and was unceremoniously dumped - with nothing in the cupboard to fill the void Aikman had previously occupied.

Don't be stupid Cowboys. Begin the process of re-arming immediately and with all due and sober urgency - hello, Jerry! (and don't reply 'hello, Neuman' ya drunk ***).

 

[cowboyuptx]

if the Cowboys organization doesn't begin to seriously undertake the search for Romo's eventual replacement at this moment and going forward - they will find themselves in the very same situation they were in when Troy Aikman 'hit the wall' and was unceremoniously dumped - with nothing in the cupboard to fill the void Aikman had previously occupied.

Don't be stupid Cowboys. Begin the process of re-arming immediately and with all due and sober urgency - hello, Jerry! (and don't reply 'hello, Neuman' ya drunk ***).

You're talking about what happened following the Aikman era, but how did we get Troy Aikman? By being really bad and getting the #1 overall draft pick... That's the best formula for getting an elite QB, and you do that AFTER Romo retires. Until then, you better appreciate the great QB you already have, and use all your high draft picks to complete the team around Romo.

As a rule of thumb, you almost have to have a truly great QB to win the Super Bowl, and Dallas has one right now! Romo can finish his career like John Elway, but the team needs a few more really good players in the right position. As I stated previously, the Broncos don't win those two Super Bowls to end Elway's career if they didn't draft John Mobley and Trevor Pryce in the first-rounds of the 1996-97 drafts.

How did Dallas not address Aikman retiring? Did they not draft Quincy Carter in the second-round following Aikman's retirement? You may not like what they did by drafting Carter, but the situation was addressed... What really helped the Cowboys unravel so quickly after Aikman was trading away our first-round picks in both 2000 and 2001 for Joey Galloway! So we were stuck with drafting Quincy at #53, because Drew Brees went at #32 to the Chargers! If we still had that first-round pick, in desperate need of a QB we probably would have traded-down out of the #6 spot and drafted Drew Brees... Then who knows what happens...

I'm all for taking a chance on a couple QB's in later rounds, like I'm sure we all wish we had done in the 2000 draft, when both Tom Brady and Marc Bulger went in the 6th-round. Finding a great QB is always a crap-shoot, no matter where they're drafted, and I'm all for rolling the dice now, but not in rounds 1 or 2...

 

[cowboyuptx]

Very good points. As for Romo's health, we can put the collarbone injury under the "fluke" category (even though he broke it five years ago too), so his back issues have me worrying the most about his ability to play out his contract to age 39. But are the Cowboys going to invest a 1st round pick on a quarterback- and not play him- when rookie deals now last only four years? The tried and true "develop a quarterback" plan is out. It hasn't been done since Aaron Rodgers.

It's not the wisest thing to do, but the Cowboys aren't drafting a quarterback until Romo is done. As long as he plays, this team will remain in "win now" mode. This will come back and bite them if, for example, next year turns out to be Romo's last, but that's the risk they have to take.

And when the next QB is indeed drafted, he'll play right away, just like Ryan, Flacco, Winston, Mariota, etc.

"Tried and true"? Besides Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers, name some other top QB's who supposedly benefited from riding the bench for multiple seasons....?....

Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Troy Aikman, Jeff George, Randall Cunningham, Drew Bledsoe, Phil Simms, John Elway, Dan Marino, Warren Moon (also won champ as rookie in CFL before going to Oilers), Jim Kelly (also won USFL MVP in 1984 before going to Bills), all started a significant number of games as a rookie.

Steve Young started games as a rookie for Tampa, after starting as a rookie in the USFL, and he wasn't that great until many years later, so I guess you could also argue that he was a "developed QB", but if so, then it took 7 years into his NFL career before he was "ready"!

Brett Favre didn't start any games in his rookie season with Atlanta in 1991, but after being traded to the Packers following his rookie season, Favre started all 16 games for a new team in only his second season and had a really good season. Brady, Warner, and Brees were both full-time starters for their entire second seasons. So there's four HOF QB's who sat for ONE season, not multiple seasons... And in the instances of Favre, Warner, and Brady, they weren't starting simply because the team did not realize what they had, as evidenced by Brady and Warner only getting starts because of injury, and by Favre being traded by the Falcons after his rookie season.

Joe Montana also sat for one season and a half, and he only got his start because Steve DeBerg was doing so bad for the 49ers in 1980. Again you could argue that Walsh would have started him sooner had he realized just how special Montana was, and that it wasn't really so much about a planned development.

Duante Culpepper sat ONE season with the plan of letting him develop. Aaron Brooks sat ONE season as Favre's backup before being traded to the Saints where he would start immediately from there.

And in the case of both Romo and Rodgers, we'll never know what might have happened if they had played as rookies, but I don't think they would've sucked as rookies, and I certainly don't think starting as rookies would have kept them from becoming the great players that they are today.

Other than Romo and Rodgers, these are the only good QBs I could find that sat for more than one season before becoming a starting QB;
Chad Pennington sat for two seasons before starting for the Jets. Steve McNair sat for a season and a half with the Oilers... Jake Dellhome kicked around as a backup for the Saints and in NFL Europe for 4 seasons before landing a starting job with the Panthers. Matt Hasselbeck sat for a couple seasons before being traded, but he was also stuck behind Favre in Green Bay... Trent Green sat on the bench for 4 season between two different teams before finally winning the Commanders starting job.

So it would appear that as a general rule of thumb, most of the best QBs start as rookies, and if a QB isn't starting by his second season, history says it's almost guaranteed that he wont end up becoming a great QB, with Romo and Rodgers being the only real exceptions to the rule...

 

[calicowboy54]

I could see Romo play well for 2-3 more seasons. I also could seeing this thing wind down awfully fast.

Forget the clavicle injury. Could have happened to any quarterback. The issue is age and his back.

Very, very few quarterbacks play well much after age 35...and how many of those that do have to deal with a chronically bad back like Romo has?

I second this... i just had to have 2nd surgery on my L5-S1 in past 7 years and its the same disk as Tony... did nothing like get hit or anything i worked our 4x a week no strain nothing just woke up one morning bulg tried to do physio and it ruptured again so I'm back now waiting another 2 week before i can start Physo again. if it bulges again i have to have fusion. think about tony only a year removed dude gets hit just right and twists just right his back will have problems again. Need to plan for future whether its a 1st or 3rd round QB.

 

[4lifecowboy]

"Tried and true"? Besides Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers, name some other top QB's who supposedly benefited from riding the bench for multiple seasons....?....

Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Troy Aikman, Jeff George, Randall Cunningham, Drew Bledsoe, Phil Simms, John Elway, Dan Marino, Warren Moon (also won champ as rookie in CFL before going to Oilers), Jim Kelly (also won USFL MVP in 1984 before going to Bills), all started a significant number of games as a rookie.

Steve Young started games as a rookie for Tampa, after starting as a rookie in the USFL, and he wasn't that great until many years later, so I guess you could also argue that he was a "developed QB", but if so, then it took 7 years into his NFL career before he was "ready"!

Brett Favre didn't start any games in his rookie season with Atlanta in 1991, but after being traded to the Packers following his rookie season, Favre started all 16 games for a new team in only his second season and had a really good season. Brady, Warner, and Brees were both full-time starters for their entire second seasons. So there's four HOF QB's who sat for ONE season, not multiple seasons... And in the instances of Favre, Warner, and Brady, they weren't starting simply because the team did not realize what they had, as evidenced by Brady and Warner only getting starts because of injury, and by Favre being traded by the Falcons after his rookie season.

Joe Montana also sat for one season and a half, and he only got his start because Steve DeBerg was doing so bad for the 49ers in 1980. Again you could argue that Walsh would have started him sooner had he realized just how special Montana was, and that it wasn't really so much about a planned development.

Duante Culpepper sat ONE season with the plan of letting him develop. Aaron Brooks sat ONE season as Favre's backup before being traded to the Saints where he would start immediately from there.

And in the case of both Romo and Rodgers, we'll never know what might have happened if they had played as rookies, but I don't think they would've sucked as rookies, and I certainly don't think starting as rookies would have kept them from becoming the great players that they are today.

Other than Romo and Rodgers, these are the only good QBs I could find that sat for more than one season before becoming a starting QB;
Chad Pennington sat for two seasons before starting for the Jets. Steve McNair sat for a season and a half with the Oilers... Jake Dellhome kicked around as a backup for the Saints and in NFL Europe for 4 seasons before landing a starting job with the Panthers. Matt Hasselbeck sat for a couple seasons before being traded, but he was also stuck behind Favre in Green Bay... Trent Green sat on the bench for 4 season between two different teams before finally winning the Commanders starting job.

So it would appear that as a general rule of thumb, most of the best QBs start as rookies, and if a QB isn't starting by his second season, history says it's almost guaranteed that he wont end up becoming a great QB, with Romo and Rodgers being the only real exceptions to the rule...

Your talking multiple seasons like that is written in stone. It isn't how long the potential replacement sits it is that he gets to sit. Add to that list all the qbs that had one season to sit
Face it dude the reality is Romo career could end anytime between now and the end of his contract. The Cowboys or Aikman didn't plan on his career ending as suddenly as it did. The odds of most NFL players leaving on their own terms and riding off in the sunset are slim at best. Either injuries shorten their career or they stay a year or to two long. Either case grooming a replacement prepare us for both scenarios. That's reality.

 

[perrykemp]

Other than Romo and Rodgers, these are the only good QBs I could find that sat for more than one season before becoming a starting QB;

First off excellent post. I wholeheartedly agree with the general thesis of it.

I'm going back 15-20 years or so, however, two other examples occurred to me -- although neither was a 1st or 2nd round pick. Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Brunell both sat Favre for multiple seasons before being traded away and having VERY productive careers elsewhere.

The list of QBs who backed up Favre or otherwise were even blocked from making a team where Favre was starting is pretty extensive (not all these guys were good but all started games in the NFL):

• Brunell
• Detmer
• Hasselback
• Warner (just for a single camp)
• Aaron Brooks
• Doug Pederson
• Aaron Rodgers

EDIT: Just re-read your post and noticed you mentioned both Brooks and Hasselback.

 

[burmafrd]

elite franchise QBs do not sit for long. There were a lot of mid grade QBs listed there. Brunnell, Hasselback, etc.

and in the last 10-15 years as the NFL has changed so much show me anyone other then Romo who sat MULTIPLE seasons. Frankly now they do not even sit a full season like Rodgers did. And that was only because Favre was still there.

so this multiple season development plan is just a fart in the wind. Therefore the idea that we need several years to figure out if a QB is the next ONE is highly questionable at best. Just like the idea of drafting one later- if he does not go first or second rd then forget it. That means a prospect that has all the physical tools but was in a spread offense or at a small school, etc. That is probably as cheap as you can get as regards finding the next franchize QB.

The idea that we can just take a very rough prospect and spend 2-3 years getting him ready is horse crap.

 

[JoeKing]

elite franchise QBs do not sit for long. There were a lot of mid grade QBs listed there. Brunnell, Hasselback, etc.

and in the last 10-15 years as the NFL has changed so much show me anyone other then Romo who sat MULTIPLE seasons. Frankly now they do not even sit a full season like Rodgers did. And that was only because Favre was still there.

so this multiple season development plan is just a fart in the wind. Therefore the idea that we need several years to figure out if a QB is the next ONE is highly questionable at best. Just like the idea of drafting one later- if he does not go first or second rd then forget it. That means a prospect that has all the physical tools but was in a spread offense or at a small school, etc. That is probably as cheap as you can get as regards finding the next franchize QB.

The idea that we can just take a very rough prospect and spend 2-3 years getting him ready is horse crap.

What is your point? Do you really believe the only way to get a franchise QB is by drafting one in the first 2 rounds?

 

[burmafrd]

What is your point? Do you really believe the only way to get a franchise QB is by drafting one in the first 2 rounds?

look at the starters in the SB over the last 15 years. Now outside of flukes like Brady how many were not first or second rd picks?

Wilson is also a fluke in some ways - he had to have the best D in the NFL and a monster RG to win one and when it really mattered in #2 he threw the pick that lost the game.

Bottom line is that a average QB can win the SB if everything else goes just right. I refuse to consider that the best way to go. And that means either a first or second rd pick at QB for someone you truly believe will be of Romo quality or close.

 

[JoeKing]

look at the starters in the SB over the last 15 years. Now outside of flukes like Brady how many were not first or second rd picks?

Wilson is also a fluke in some ways - he had to have the best D in the NFL and a monster RG to win one and when it really mattered in #2 he threw the pick that lost the game.

Bottom line is that a average QB can win the SB if everything else goes just right. I refuse to consider that the best way to go. And that means either a first or second rd pick at QB for someone you truly believe will be of Romo quality or close.

So Romo is not going to win a SB because he wasn't drafted high enough? What is "Romo quality"? He was undrafted... doesn't fit your mold.

 

[burmafrd]

So Romo is not going to win a SB because he wasn't drafted high enough? What is "Romo quality"? He was undrafted... doesn't fit your mold.

now you know you have lost the argument when that kind of drivel starts. Not sure why I bother with you but I guess I am bored.

ONE MORE TIME.

Romo like Warner and Brady were flukes. Count on a fluke and you will have a very long wait. DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?

 

[JoeKing]

now you know you have lost the argument when that kind of drivel starts. Not sure why I bother with you but I guess I am bored.

ONE MORE TIME.

Romo like Warner and Brady were flukes. Count on a fluke and you will have a very long wait. DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?

Warner and Brady are SB champions. How can you include Romo in their category? His undrafted status has so far been a marker of unfulfilled expectations.

 

[burmafrd]

Warner and Brady are SB champions. How can you include Romo in their category? His undrafted status has so far been a marker of unfulfilled expectations.

AH now I see it. Another Romo hater. Well logic is always wasted on such.

 

[JoeKing]

AH now I see it. Another Romo hater. Well logic is always wasted on such.

No, I'm just trying to follow your own logic... Romo wasn't a high draft pick and therefore hasn't won the SB. He's not a fluke like Brady and Warner... not yet. I actually think Romo is the best player the Cowboys have.