Bell: Cowboys need to work on emergency QB plan behind Romo
OXNARD, Calif. – The Dallas Cowboys will open the preseason with one striking similarity to the disaster of last season.
Tony Romo will watch from the sideline.
No need for a Big D panic attack. This time, Romo is a healthy scratch.
Dallas opens the exhibition slate on Saturday at the Coliseum in an event that marks the Los Angeles Rams’ first game in the market in 20 years.
"I’m not going to play,” Romo told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. “They told us tonight.”
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It’s hardly a surprise. Romo hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2012 because of injuries, including the twice-fractured collarbone that limited him to four games in 2015 and essentially ruined Dallas’ season. Avoiding the risk of a preseason opener is prudent.
Yet with an unsettled backup quarterback situation that was stressed by the fractured ankle that has knocked out projected No. 2 quarterback Kellen Moore, the Cowboys need this opportunity for extensive evaluations of the young quarterbacks in camp – fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott, the presumed starter on Saturday, and first-year pro Jameill Showers.
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The Cowboys still plan to bring in a veteran backup – and there have been discussions with the Cleveland Browns about trading for 14th-year pro Josh McCown – but there’s no rush.
In any event, Dallas had better construct a better emergency plan than they had last year, which is why the symbolism of heading into preseason with Romo on the side is layered by the practical challenge that could make or break another season.
Can the young bloods become options in the event that Romo gets injured again?
"This is a tremendously valuable time for us,” Jerry Jones, the Cowboys owner and general manager, told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s almost a window that you can’t pass up. We need to see them against the Rams, when they unleash that (deep, talented) defensive line. We need to see them with our firsts.”
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett maintains that it’s possible that one of the young quarterbacks could emerge as Romo’s top backup. Prescott, who set the all-time passing record at Mississippi State, seemingly has a leg up. He has flashed on the practice field and impressed coaches with his poise and leadership. But he’s still a rookie.
But even if Prescott progresses quickly, the Cowboys need a desired veteran in the mix.
"We don’t want to bring in a guy just to bring a guy in,” Garrett insists. “We want to make sure it’s a guy that we want, who can help us, and the terms are right. In the meantime, we’ll give these guys a chance to go.”
Jones called it a “slow-moving walk” for bringing in a veteran, mindful that potential options may surface in the coming weeks with cuts.
Nonetheless, he identified a basic requirement: A quarterback who can grasp the offense quickly without needing many practice repetitions, which the Cowboys prefer to use on the young prospects.
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The stakes of such an approach are enormous, following the reality check of last season. Dallas finished 4-12 and managed just one victory in the 12 games without Romo, who was injured in Week 2, then was hurt again in his second game back from a seven-game layoff. The initial veteran backup plan backfired to the point that Brandon Weeden was cut, then Matt Cassel filled in with similar results.
The setbacks, in conjunction with the fractured foot that limited star receiver Dez Bryant to nine games, provided some hard takeaway lessons.
"Last year is strong on my mind,” Jones said. “We messed that up. We didn’t have the quarterbacking, but it was a combination of things. As much as anything, it was us thinking, ‘Let’s do reasonably well until Romo and Dez get back. Help is on the way.’
"Mentally, we went in with a halfway attitude. That’s not to criticize coaching. We just thought if we can win a couple of games, we could just hold the fort. You can’t do this game that way. Whoever’s in there…it’s all on that 60 minutes. You’ve got to let it all empty. I think that mentality is what Jason is addressing.”
As Garrett pointed out, it wasn’t all on the backup quarterbacking last season. And it won’t be this season, either, with a defense undermined by the drug suspensions of three key players.
Yet the Cowboys have been warned. Prepare for the ultimate emergency – or else.
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