Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: Tony Romo Says Cowboys Can’t Rest On What They've Done

Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo: 'I have to be better' - ESPN Dallas
Tony Romo is far from satisfied, especially with the way last season ended, and is constantly trying to figure out ways he and the team can improve. How's that going to happen?

The secret is in the dirt. It’s an old Ben Hogan saying and one Romo references often. It’s on the practice field or in the meeting room. It’s studying the tiniest of details from where he places his ring finger on the ball to how he slightly adjusts where he points his lead foot.

"If you’re not improving and getting better from year to year, if you don’t think you can try to figure out new ways to perfect your craft, I don’t understand how you can help your football team," Romo said. "You’re going in the wrong direction, to me, if you don’t. You’ve got to figure out how you can be a better player. Each guy has to do that a little different and just think if our team takes that approach, we have a chance to be better."

"I’m a firm believer that you have to start over and go do everything you did to be better the next season. You can’t just rest on anything you’ve done. It just doesn’t work that way. I’m going to have to start over, tear it all down and figure out what I did well and work on the things I didn’t do as well and then go try and continue to perfect your craft to get to your highest level."’

Packers, Cowboys among playoff losers with biggest windows - NFL.com
Gil Brandt reveals the five playoff losers with the biggest windows for success, and the Cowboys rank second to the Packers on Brandt's list.

Tony Romo is 34 and coming off an injury-riddled campaign. But he also posted the NFL's best passer rating (113.2) and completion percentage (69.9). I would think Romo should be able to play at this level for another four or five years, especially with that stellar young line -- anchored by Pro Bowlers Tyron Smith (24), Travis Frederick (23) and Zack Martin (24) -- in front of him.

Dallas' defense -- which outperformed expectations, allowing 60 fewer yards per game in 2014 than it did in 2013 -- has some good pieces, including promising youngsters Anthony Hitchens, Demarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford. The fact that coordinator Rod Marinelli will be back is huge. Retaining linebacker Bruce Carter will be key. And, of course, linebacker Sean Lee, who missed all of 2014 with a torn ACL, should be healthy and ready to go.

Sam Shields says Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant made the catch - Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas
Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields, the defender on Dez Bryant's infamous non-catch, thinks the Dallas Cowboys WR caught the ball. But.

"It was a catch," Shields said, "But the new rule and at the last minute what happened, that’s what the refs came up with. I never said he didn’t catch it. He made a helluva catch I was in great coverage. Like I said, it was good on good and he came up with the catch."

Cowboys' draft needs - Rick Gosselin, DMN
Is there a position on defense that is not a need?

The defense needs to be fixed, so the focus would be a defensive player at 27. Ideally, you want a pass rusher. It doesn't matter if it's an inside (tackle) or outside (end) pass rusher -- I believe the Cowboys need two pass rushers to upgrade this defense. They also need another linebacker, a size corner and a playmaking safety. If the value isn't there for a pass rusher, I'm guessing the Cowboys will take the best defensive player on their board.

Owner Jones needs to spend more money on Cowboys defense | Gil LeBreton, Star Telegram
Yeah, like throwing money at a problem has ever worked out for the Cowboys.

Sizing up Jason Witten's odds to get to Canton | Rick Gosselin, DMN
In a chat with fans, Gosselin argues that a Super Bowl ring would help Witten's chances of getting into the Hall of Fame.

Tight ends are not a priority in Canton. There are only 8 of them in the Hall of Fame and even the best of them had to wait. John Mackey was chosen by the Hall of Fame selection committee in 2000 as the only tight end on the NFL's all-time team -- and even he had wait 15 years to get in. Also, 83 percent of all Hall of Famers either played, coached or owned championship teams. So it would behoove Witten to win a Super Bowl before he retires.

As farce in Foxboro further deflates trust in NFL, here's Super Bowl ending | Tim Cowlishaw, DMN
Cowlishaw points out that if you're rooting against the Patriots because they appear to have broken NFL rules, you should probably root against the Seahawks as well, as they are the team "ranked at the top of the most heavily penalized for performance-enhancing drug use during Pete Carroll’s stay."