Was Romo's Career "Wasted"?

[Alexander]

You are assuming the Cowboys screw up the draft and the coach firing process too. That's a lot of presumptions.

I'm just saying without Romo's heroics, we would have had the opportunity to have better draft picks and different/better coaches.

First time I have seen someone actually wishing a good player had played worse so an organization would give themselves a better chance to be competent.

 

[JoeKing]

First time I have seen someone actually wishing a good player had played worse so an organization would give themselves a better chance to be competent.

It's not about one player, it's about the team. A truly bad team was cheated draft picks by Romo's heroics making the team better.

 

[Risen Star]

Sadly, yes. From a competitive standpoint.

Tough to feel sorry for him though considering he chose Dallas and leaves a multi-millionaire.

 

[Aven8]

Of course they were. Through all the money, and all the fame Jerry has never realized how great this all really could be. We should be like NE with the best coaches and championships, just like before. Jerry the businessman is a stud. Jerry the football man is a failure.

 

[punchnjudy]

I'd say Dallas and New Orleans both failed to get nearly as much post-season success out of their QB's careers as they should have.

I'd rank Brees over Tony even without the ring, but regardless their team hasn't won squat except for that one season. That was the only time they made it past the divisional round and they haven't sniffed the playoffs since 2013. Until the last two seasons, they were also usually in a very mediocre division.

So, going by the logic that great QB's make flawed teams winners, is Brees still a great QB or just a one year wonder? Is team success the be all end all for QB's or isn't it?

 

[Alexander]

It's not about one player, it's about the team. A truly bad team was cheated draft picks by Romo's heroics making the team better.

This would only be accurate if every mediocre 8-8 team was a failure because they never got a chance to pick high.

The cheating of draft picks comes when you don't know what you have as a team, can't evaluate talent well and do things like this:

“They've got a quarterback in (Tom) Brady. They've done a good job of having an offensive team, and they've given up a little bit on their defense. They want to score points. Are we all resolved to doing it different relative to injecting that influence in this offense? Don't come in here with the same old same old. ... If we go this route with the tight end, we are going to shake it up around here. It's going to be different.” - Jerry Jones after drafting Gavin Escobar.

All that and they still got the player wrong because Travis Kelce and Jordan Reed were picked after him in the same draft. Picking higher did not matter.

 

[cowboyblue22]

yes his career was wasted by a gm who had no idea and most of his coaches had no idea either

 

[bonafidebanter]

How can an UNFA, who made over $100 million have a wasted career on the ONLY team that he played for? I say no.

 

[JoeKing]

This would only be accurate if every mediocre 8-8 team was a failure because they never got a chance to pick high.

The cheating of draft picks comes when you don't know what you have as a team, can't evaluate talent well and do things like this:

“They've got a quarterback in (Tom) Brady. They've done a good job of having an offensive team, and they've given up a little bit on their defense. They want to score points. Are we all resolved to doing it different relative to injecting that influence in this offense? Don't come in here with the same old same old. ... If we go this route with the tight end, we are going to shake it up around here. It's going to be different.” - Jerry Jones after drafting Gavin Escobar.

All that and they still got the player wrong because Travis Kelce and Jordan Reed were picked after him in the same draft. Picking higher did not matter.

Again you are assuming the Cowboys screw up the opportunity to draft higher. It's a valid possibility but it doesn't counter my point that Romo's heroics negated that possibility in the first place.

 

[Proximo]

"Was Romo's career wasted?"

Based on the responses in this thread I think people interpret this question in a variety of different ways. (which is okay; I'm not saying there's a right or wrong)

My answer is an ENORMOUS NO, it was not wasted. Romo gave it his all, made the most of his opportunities, and did all he could do considering the circumstances he was in. He played as well as he could for us. No way you can call that a waste in my eyes.

To me, when I talk about wasted careers I think of guys like Ryan Leaf, Rolando McClain, probably Randy Gregory in a couple of years (hopefully I'm wrong), Greg Hardy, Jay Ratliff, Josh Gordon, etc. THOSE are wasted careers.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Without doubt the team wasted their good fortune of having a star QB, they should have been more consistently competitive, but from a glass half full standpoint Romo's career in Dallas made being a fan much more tolerable,,, disappointing at the end of each season but at least he made it exciting.

 

[Alexander]

"Was Romo's career wasted?"

Based on the responses in this thread I think people interpret this question in a variety of different ways. (which is okay; I'm not saying there's a right or wrong)

My answer is an ENORMOUS NO, it was not wasted. Romo gave it his all, made the most of his opportunities, and did all he could do considering the circumstances he was in. He played as well as he could for us. No way you can call that a waste in my eyes.

To me, when I talk about wasted careers I think of guys like Ryan Leaf, Rolando McClain, probably Randy Gregory in a couple of years (hopefully I'm wrong), Greg Hardy, Jay Ratliff, Josh Gordon, etc. THOSE are wasted careers.

I don't think your take is really what is at question.

 

[tyke1doe]

Was Dan Marino's?

I'd say yes for the same reason Romo's was. Miami should have won at least one Super Bowl. But Miami ran the offense through Marino and neglected a balanced attack and could never find a back to complement Marino.

 

[JoeKing]

I'd say it was wasted.

Wasted by three different head coaches, two of them incompetent.

Wasted by five different offensive coordinators.

Wasted by horrible drafting by Jerry Jones.

Wasted by stupid trades by Jerry Jones.

Wasted by cancerous free agent signings.

Wasted by having to run for his life for the first 10 years of his career due to horrible offensive lines because Jerry Jones refused to upgrade the offensive line.

Yes, I'd say it was wasted. Had Tom Brady been at Dallas instead of Romo, he too would have struggled. Now Romo at NE with a real coach, real front office might have won some Super Bowls.

another ridiculous juxtaposition. Romo is no Brady.

 

[ShiningStar]

How can an UNFA, who made over $100 million have a wasted career on the ONLY team that he played for? I say no.

if you are assuming money was his only intent. I dont believe money was everything to Tony.

 

[visionary]

If a team has the services of a top 5-7 QB for over 10 years and proceeds to undermine him by putting a high school HC in charge and reaches the post season 2-3 times then that is pretty much the definition of 'wasted'

 

[gimmesix]

Romo provided me with a number of fantastic moments watching football during his career. And a few absolutely maddening moments.

He went from good enough to win it all as long as Bad Romo didn't show up, to almost good enough to win it with a deeply flawed roster. I don't think Brady or Montana could have won any championships with the line and D Romo had during his last 6 seasons. That said, the 2006 and 2007 seasons were his best opportunities and they came before he was at his best. I'm sure Marino can relate.

Wasted, no. Championships can be determined by an awful lot of luck. Having Romo meant we always had a chance. That's all you can reasonably ask for.

I went back and watched the season he took over as a starter. Although he was an exciting player at that point, it was clear to me that the Romo of 2014 would have had more success with Parcells' last team and Phillips' first. That was when our defense was its strongest and we had a decent running game, but Romo just wasn't as polished as he became.

Some of his lack of playoff success was just a matter of poor timing and then when he got his game polished, we didn't put good enough players around him. Terrible offensive line that we slowly built. Poorly used running game that we finally started using. And by that time, the defense had aged and fallen apart.

 

[Rockport]

Only in the mind of a loser.

 

[Alexander]

another ridiculous juxtaposition. Romo is no Brady.

That did not stop our organization's brain trust from trying to make him one.

 

[Kevinicus]

Without a doubt.

Was it a waste for him? No. He did a lot for himself. But the Cowboys wasted the opportunity they had with him...all the way up until the very end.