Despair, destruction and depression were words you could
describe about the Dallas Cowboys for the six years after former Super Bowl MVP
quarterback Troy Aikman retired. None of his replacements could even come close
to being competent. It was by sheer luck that his true heir was even found, as
Tony Romo went from undrafted free agent and backup, to franchise player.
Fast-forward to 2016 and Tony is getting old. Coming off multiple surgeries to
his back and collarbone and missing most of the 2015 season, things are bleak
for number 9. While he still has some stuff left in the tank to make some magic
happen, you would be a fool if you didn’t find his replacement now.
Going into this draft, many fans and pundits believe it is
time to make use of the fourth overall pick in the draft and select one of the
stud quarterbacks. Then there is a
complete other faction that wants to take advantage of having a high pick to
either bolster the defense or add a weapon to the offense, so that Romo can win
now.
Let’s make peace and try to map out a plan that can make
both factions happy.
It is absolutely necessary to have a quarterback ready to go
in the wings. Aside from needing an eventual heir, this team needs a capable
backup quarterback. Last season, the front-office gambled on it and it blew up
in their face. The team went through three quarterbacks and all three were just
terrible. You knew the team was still talented because they were able to stay
in every game, but the ineffective play at quarterback led to disastrous
results. In just one season, Dallas dropped from second to 26th on
third down conversions. The offense lost their identity and soon the season
went with it. A capable backup is needed
for this offense to survive.
You could go and sign a veteran backup like Robert Griffin
or even Johnny Manziel, but those aren’t long-term solutions and you have to be
also ready for the day Romo eventually calls it quits. The team is already very
young at all the crucial positions on this team. In fact, the team had the
fifth-youngest team in the NFC at 25.92, according to analysis done by the NFL
during opening week of the 2015 season. So imagine a team hitting their prime,
with a young quarterback who has taken the time to mature and he is ready to
hit the ground running. The post-Romo window looks very appealing.
Yet, those Romosexuals, like me, are wondering about the
win-now window with Tony. Yes, we would not get an impact player with the
fourth overall pick, but you can get very good players that can help contribute
this season. Remember, the Cowboys still pick at the top of the draft for at
least the first four rounds. Add in those talented rookies to your draft haul,
mix in some bargain veterans through free-agency and the Cowboys can be back in
the title-conversation by the time the season kicks off in September.
See? Everybody wins. You can still go win-now with Romo and
still get the quarterback of the future.
If the team decides to not go with a top quarterback this
year, that is fine too, but they better hope they win now. It’s going to be
dark days ahead once Romo decides to hang up his cleats.
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