Who would want Romo? Certainly there are a variety of teams who do not have a legitimate quarterback in place: Buffalo, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Oakland, Carolina, or Arizona.  Some of the teams have competent players manning the quarterback position, but Romo has play making ability that many of the others do not.

What would we receive in return? Donovan McNabb was traded for a 2nd round pick as well as a conditional pick which could be as high as a 3rd round pick.  McNabb was 33 when he was traded; Romo just turned 30.  While you could argue that McNabb is the more accomplished quarterback, Romo is younger and has outplayed his counterpart in recent years.  At the very least, the Cowboys should be able to get a 2nd round pick.  If there is a bidding war between the aforementioned teams, the Cowboys could possibly receive a first round pick along with another high conditional pick.

Why trade Romo? Because the Cowboys organization has failed him.  The Cowboys have placed around Romo a power back who runs out of bounds, hasn’t moved a pile since 2008, and no longer dishes out punishment.  The Cowboys speed back has gained upper body muscle mass and has lost the explosiveness necessary to be considered a speed back.  The offensive line is made of mostly older underachieving veterans.  The left tackle has played well for most of the season, but didn’t bother to block an all-pro defensive end (Jared Allen) leaving Romo wholly unprotected from his left side.  A quarterback is a dependent position.  The offensive line must give the QB time to throw, the WR’s must be in the right place at the right time, and the running backs have to gain positive yardage in early downs so the offensive isn’t constantly facing 3rd down and long.

Romo is one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the Dallas Cowboys franchise.  It is unfair to his potential that he play along side the overrated and underachieving.  Look at each of his seven interceptions: one was tipped by the defensive line because the tackle missed the block; one was a pass made while an unblocked defensive lineman was bearing down, one was a desperation throw at the end of the game, two were off the hands of the tight end, and one was a pass to the WR which is jarred loose after a hit and the ball lands in the arms of a defender.  There is only one interception that he is fully responsible for, and it was an incredibly well disguised defensive call that was sold to perfection.  When Romo’s arm started to move forward, the defender was entirely obscured by the offensive line.

Romo won’t be traded.  The Cowboys will rebuild their offensive line via the draft and free agency.  Romo will be a good soldier and will carry on without a complaint.  It is ironic, however.  In the 90′s the argument was, “What would Barry Sanders have done if he had Emmitt Smith‘s offensive line?”  We can only imagine how much greater Romo could have been if he had a good offensive line.

It’s not often that I carry a grudge about football games, especially regular season matchups early in the season.  This game (I’m about to discuss) is especially frustrating.

Allow me to take you back to a simpler time.  September 2005.  The Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Redskins for a Monday Night clash.  Both teams are coached by legends (Parcells and Gibbs), and both teams appear to be rising from the dead.  At half time, Troy Aikman, Micheal Irvin and Emmith Smith will be inducted into the Dallas Cowboys famed Ring of Honor.

The Cowboys thoroughly dominate the game for three and one half quarters.  It’s not all roses and sunshine, however.

At half-time the induction ceremony occurs.  It’s a moving moment where Cowboys history and present share in a once in a lifetime opportunity.  And I’m watching a TELETHON!!!  Never have I cared less for the victims of huricane Katrina as I do when the NFL decides to beg for money on their behalf during the induction ceremony.  Ask me after the game!  Ask me before the game!  Ask me during the commercials!  Ask me in a scroll at the bottom of the screen, but don’t show the telethon while the only thing I want to watch are the triplets!  Damn you NFL!

To add salt to the wound, Santana Moss, goes nuts and catches two LONG td’s receptions.  Final score, Cowboys 13, Redskins 14.

To add a red hot poker to the wound, in week 17 the Cowboys play a Sunday night game against the lowly Rams.  They simply need one of several possible outcomes to come to fruition combined with a win against the Rams, and the Cowboys will be playoff bound.  Slowly throughout that Sunday hope withers on the vine.  The Cowboys are eliminated from the playoffs with one lone game left to play.  All the emotion in Texas Stadium is sucked clean.  The fans are crestfallen.  The players are flat.  Even Rowdy had a difficult time keeping a smile.

There might be one small consolation to being knocked out of the playoffs.  There are two young QB’s, Drew Henson and Tony Romo, on the Cowboys roster who haven’t received any playing time.  Maybe the fans will get an opportunity to see if the future has any hope.

The QB line for the game:

18 for 39, 242 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT.  Not bad for a 2nd year QB in their first real action of the season.  Sure the Rams were a pathetic 5-10 at that point in time, but not a bad effort for young players.  An old player… who takes too much time in the pocket and throws with questionable accuracy.  Not so good.  Yes, that stat line is Drew Bledsoe’s. 

I’m emotional right now, so I’m going to lay all the blame at the feet of Santana Moss.  He single handedly beat the Cowboys, dropped them from playoff competition, and delayed the Romo era by 1/2 year (though I’m still thinking of exactly how Moss is to blame fo rthis one).  I also believe Moss’s body heat entering the Gulf of Mexico while on vacation helped cause huricane Katrina and caused me to miss the induction ceremony.

Damn you Santana Moss, damn you to hell!  Why do I bring up such pain?  It is reported that Moss has been provided performance enhancing drugs from Canadian doctor, Dr. Galea.  There’s no specific evidence that Moss used performance enhancers to win the September clash.  There’s no evidence that at half time he injected himself with equal parts HGH and spinich.  There’s no evidence that as the HGH/spinich combo rushed through his veins that he there were sinusoidal bulges running down his arm and then his legs.  There’s also no evidence that Moss has ever swam in the Gulf of Mexico.  Damn it, I don’t care. 

I can take solace in the following.  As the 2005 Cowboys season ended in misery, so will Moss’s career.