INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Romo is the Dallas Cowboys quarterback now and for the foreseeable future.
Owner Jerry Jones has made it clear the team plans to lock up Romo contracturally with a long-term extension that will allow him to retire a Cowboy.But the Cowboys must address how they can improve a shoddy offensive line to allow Romo to succeed.Romo was sacked a career-high 36 times each of the past two years and often was forced to run to make something out of nothing because of poor blocking and a lack of a running game. It also led to him trying to do too much, resulting in turnovers. Jones said the Cowboys must improve the offensive line and could target an interior guard or center in free agency and the draft.But Jones does not want to secure the issue with bigger contracts because he said Romo’s mobility allows the Cowboys to get by with lesser talent on the line.Jones called Romo one of the best quarterbacks in the league at improvising when the play breaks down.And if it has to choose, Jones will invest more resources in other places.“If you’re going to have a guy operate behind an offensive line that can handle a porous offensive line, it’s Tony,” Jones said. “Tony has some of the best percentages operating behind pressure situations of anyone in the NFL. If there were a place theoretically that you had to have a weakness with Tony Romo at quarterback, that might be a place to have it. You just can’t have it all.”It’s not exactly Romo-friendly, but it is reality for the Cowboys.But Jones believes the Cowboys will be better on the offensive line because of the expected improvement from within.He cited the return to health of center Phil Costa, a healthy off-season and hopefully better play from guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau, who had disappointing years after signing free-agent contracts in 2012. And he said the Cowboys will make a bigger commitment to the run game.He said that offensive line coach Bill Callahan’s added influence on play-calling, whether or not he is the play-caller, should help. “We need to play better in the offensive line,” Jones said. “That’s a given. But a different makeup, percentage of runs, passes, a different makeup of play-action as opposed to pocket passing, a different makeup of different things we do out there could make a difference, and I think that’s what you’re looking at in the course of the off-season.“I think Callahan will be very influential with this thing. As we all know, if he’s anything, he’s a run guy. So he’s going to be weighing in good and he’s not bashful.”As far as individual players are concerned, Jones said the only sure thing is left tackle Tyron Smith. But he said he likes what the Cowboys have in right tackles Jermey Parnell and Doug Free.He said he is comfortable with the undersized Costa at center if the guards improve.Costa missed most of last season with a back injury, but team doctors say the injury is not chronic. “You have to weigh what Costa is as opposed to what he isn’t,” Jones said. “He doesn't have great arm length. ... But he is as smart as anyone playing in the NFL. ... If we can get in better shape at guard, then Costa can be a good center for us. I can see going with Costa at center for several years.”Clarence E. Hill Jr., 817-390-7760 Twitter: @clarencehilljr
