Post by prossman on Feb 6, 2009 21:14:10 GMT -7
DC.COM: Backup Plan; Depth Behind Romo Needs Addressing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backup Plan;
Depth Behind Romo Needs Addressing
Rob Phillips
February 6, 2009 5:06 PM
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones always was admittedly hesitant to spend first-round money on a rookie quarterback. If he was going to shell out $30 million in guarantees, he wanted a tangible assurance that the performance would match the price tag.
Tony Romo's first 18 starts provided enough evidence for Jones, who's now paying the former undrafted quarterback like a No. 1 overall pick.
Romo has stayed mostly healthy in his two-and-a-half seasons under center. But the three games he missed with a fractured right pinkie finger in 2008 proved something else - the Cowboys could stand to strengthen the depth behind their $67.5 million investment.
The Cowboys went 1-2 during that mid-season stretch, with backups Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger completing a combined 46-of-94 pass attempts for 490 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions. The team's scoring average plummeted from 24.7 points in Romo's 13 starts to 13.7 in his three absences against the Rams, Buccaneers and Giants.
The Cowboys can't expect production parallel to Romo's if he gets injured again. But the offense's limitations without him last season cost the Cowboys two of those games - all three if the defense hadn't held Tampa Bay to nine points and wide receiver Roy Williams hadn't scored a two-yard touchdown just before halftime.
Perhaps the depth will have a different look in '09. Bollinger is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Johnson has one year left on his contract, but he was demoted to third string after Romo's return and will turn 41 years old in September. If Bollinger isn't re-signed, it's hard to imagine the Cowboys opening the season with Johnson as Romo's primary backup again.
The Cowboys have nine draft picks this year, including several mid- to late-round selections. One alternative is drafting a low-priced prospect in that range and taking a long-term approach toward grooming him behind Romo.
The club scouted several accomplished quarterbacks at last month's Senior Bowl, including Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, Sam Houston State's Rhett Bomar and West Virginia's Pat White. They'll get a closer look at the rest of the quarterback crop at this month's NFL scouting combine.
All three aforementioned players must overcome stigmas between now and April. Bomar faced lesser college competition, Harrell played in Tech's notorious spread offense and there's speculation White will be asked to change positions, despite a strong showing for the Senior Bowl South team.
Harrell struggled in the game (4 of 13 for 40 yards) but believes he can thrive in a traditional pro-style system.
"I think coming from the Texas Tech offense, one of the biggest strengths that comes with that is the knowledge and understanding where we're attacking, understanding the game of football," he said. "I think I can prove that I have some knowledge of the game and try to break some of the stereotypes."
Drafting a youngster might be an option, but it's unlikely the Cowboys could rely on him to play right away if needed.
When asked about possibly drafting a rookie backup, Jones cited Romo's three-year maturation process before the team felt confident he could lead the offense.
"Our system is tough on drafting QBs because we can look at the example of (Tony) Romo - we know how tough it is to get him on the field," Jones said. "If they get on the field early you think you pay a high price, although you look up and you've got guys like (Ravens rookie Joe) Flacco and some of these things that happen and some of the performances. You saw some good ones, and it seemed like some of these teams did well with rookie quarterbacks.
"But certainly when you're trying to draft one down the line and develop him, because of how you sign those players and make the term you sign them to, you usually develop them for somebody else - and at the same time paying a pretty high price. You have to look for the year you are in, you really have to handicap and lean to some degree to a veteran."
Plenty of experienced free agents should be available this off-season, but the more talented ones - like Tennessee's Kerry Collins and Pittsburgh's Byron Leftwich - want at least the chance to compete for the starting job. Dallas won't present that opportunity.
Other veterans scheduled for unrestricted free agency include the Giants' David Carr, San Francisco's J.T. O'Sullivan, Cincinnati's Ryan Fitzpatrick, Baltimore's Kyle Boller and Tennessee's Chris Simms. The Cowboys actually had some level of interest in Simms last spring, but a trade with Tampa Bay never materialized.
Rookie or veteran, the Cowboys' backup quarterback situation might look different next season. Romo's finger injury, in addition to back and rib problems in December, might have made the position a higher priority than the team expected a year ago.
__________________
If that isn't the understement of the decade I don't know what is. Prossman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backup Plan;
Depth Behind Romo Needs Addressing
Rob Phillips
February 6, 2009 5:06 PM
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones always was admittedly hesitant to spend first-round money on a rookie quarterback. If he was going to shell out $30 million in guarantees, he wanted a tangible assurance that the performance would match the price tag.
Tony Romo's first 18 starts provided enough evidence for Jones, who's now paying the former undrafted quarterback like a No. 1 overall pick.
Romo has stayed mostly healthy in his two-and-a-half seasons under center. But the three games he missed with a fractured right pinkie finger in 2008 proved something else - the Cowboys could stand to strengthen the depth behind their $67.5 million investment.
The Cowboys went 1-2 during that mid-season stretch, with backups Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger completing a combined 46-of-94 pass attempts for 490 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions. The team's scoring average plummeted from 24.7 points in Romo's 13 starts to 13.7 in his three absences against the Rams, Buccaneers and Giants.
The Cowboys can't expect production parallel to Romo's if he gets injured again. But the offense's limitations without him last season cost the Cowboys two of those games - all three if the defense hadn't held Tampa Bay to nine points and wide receiver Roy Williams hadn't scored a two-yard touchdown just before halftime.
Perhaps the depth will have a different look in '09. Bollinger is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Johnson has one year left on his contract, but he was demoted to third string after Romo's return and will turn 41 years old in September. If Bollinger isn't re-signed, it's hard to imagine the Cowboys opening the season with Johnson as Romo's primary backup again.
The Cowboys have nine draft picks this year, including several mid- to late-round selections. One alternative is drafting a low-priced prospect in that range and taking a long-term approach toward grooming him behind Romo.
The club scouted several accomplished quarterbacks at last month's Senior Bowl, including Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, Sam Houston State's Rhett Bomar and West Virginia's Pat White. They'll get a closer look at the rest of the quarterback crop at this month's NFL scouting combine.
All three aforementioned players must overcome stigmas between now and April. Bomar faced lesser college competition, Harrell played in Tech's notorious spread offense and there's speculation White will be asked to change positions, despite a strong showing for the Senior Bowl South team.
Harrell struggled in the game (4 of 13 for 40 yards) but believes he can thrive in a traditional pro-style system.
"I think coming from the Texas Tech offense, one of the biggest strengths that comes with that is the knowledge and understanding where we're attacking, understanding the game of football," he said. "I think I can prove that I have some knowledge of the game and try to break some of the stereotypes."
Drafting a youngster might be an option, but it's unlikely the Cowboys could rely on him to play right away if needed.
When asked about possibly drafting a rookie backup, Jones cited Romo's three-year maturation process before the team felt confident he could lead the offense.
"Our system is tough on drafting QBs because we can look at the example of (Tony) Romo - we know how tough it is to get him on the field," Jones said. "If they get on the field early you think you pay a high price, although you look up and you've got guys like (Ravens rookie Joe) Flacco and some of these things that happen and some of the performances. You saw some good ones, and it seemed like some of these teams did well with rookie quarterbacks.
"But certainly when you're trying to draft one down the line and develop him, because of how you sign those players and make the term you sign them to, you usually develop them for somebody else - and at the same time paying a pretty high price. You have to look for the year you are in, you really have to handicap and lean to some degree to a veteran."
Plenty of experienced free agents should be available this off-season, but the more talented ones - like Tennessee's Kerry Collins and Pittsburgh's Byron Leftwich - want at least the chance to compete for the starting job. Dallas won't present that opportunity.
Other veterans scheduled for unrestricted free agency include the Giants' David Carr, San Francisco's J.T. O'Sullivan, Cincinnati's Ryan Fitzpatrick, Baltimore's Kyle Boller and Tennessee's Chris Simms. The Cowboys actually had some level of interest in Simms last spring, but a trade with Tampa Bay never materialized.
Rookie or veteran, the Cowboys' backup quarterback situation might look different next season. Romo's finger injury, in addition to back and rib problems in December, might have made the position a higher priority than the team expected a year ago.
__________________
If that isn't the understement of the decade I don't know what is. Prossman