The talking heads have returned to analyzing the championship worthiness of Tony Romo. Recently, Kurt Warner supported Romo's abilities on NFL Network's Total Access. Warner feels that Romo is more than capable of leading a team to a championship, and that Dallas simply needs to continue building up the roster.On the opposite side of the table is Warren Sapp. Sapp doesn't believe that Romo has what it takes to deliver when the time comes, and that the Cowboys overpaid for an undrafted quarterback.
Warner on Romo:
"I believe Tony Romo's a Top-10 quarterback in this league. I believe he has all the tangibles to be able take that team to the Super Bowl," Warner added. "I just think they need to figure out the pieces within the organization. You look at them -- all kinds of talent -- but they haven't been able to put everything together. And whether that's leadership, whether that's continuity, whether that's some changes that need to take place, I don't what it is.
"But I don't believe Tony Romo's the problem. I think he's safe in Dallas for a long time to come, and I think he'll continue to succeed year in and year out because he's that kind of talent."
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Sapp on Romo:
"I don’t think he has the potential to raise his game," Sapp said on NFL Total Access. "We’re talking about a guy that’s from Eastern Illinois, and when you look at the young man, undrafted in this league and then he had 17 starts before they gave him a 6-year, $67 million contract. When you look at this contract, from ’07 until now we’re in ‘10, they really haven’t got a lot of return for their money that they gave an undrafted guy in this league."
"So if I’m looking at that, I don’t think he fits that glove of knowing what the stage is. And if you don’t know what that stage is, it’s tough to perform on it."
No, it isn't just you, that doesn't make great sense. Look, I loved Sapp as a player, he's one of my favorite non-Cowboys of all-time. I get the point he was trying to illuminate here; after barely a season's worth of starting evidence, the Cowboys handed over a big contract to Romo. Since getting that contract, Romo hasn't delivered playoff success. I just don't see how that is evidence that Romo doesn't have the potential to become a championship quarterback.
I'm also, not going to be a homer and pretend that Warner's take is the absolute correct one. At least Warner provides backing to his claim, giving insight as to what he knows as a player. Warner believes that the talent can only go as far as the surrounding players and, I'm inferring here, the coaching staff, allows. To me, that is the angle I want to hear when former players are giving their opinions. Either break down X's and O's in a manner that the average and casual fan may not be able to, or give some unique take on what you think makes a player incapable of rising to the next level. Sapp used the fact that he was an undrafted quarterback from a small school that hasn't won yet as the basis for Romo's lack of playoff wins. How does a contract amount equate to his performance?
Jerry Jones is well known for paying stars for past performance and not getting a return on the investment. Romo would rank pretty low on that totem pole, considering how many more 'close to peak' (for those regression guys) seasons he has remaining.
On a side note, I wonder when Eagles fans will start wondering about defensive end Brandon Graham's commitment to getting better. He sure has been spending a lot of time on the golf course this summer. Where is that guy's focus?