Jerry Jones, Jason Garrett can't seem to agree on Romo's involvement
So is Tony Romo going to be spending more time on the job or will it just be more of the same? It's an interesting topic for discussion because the Dallas Cowboys' owner and general manager can't seem to agree with the team's head coach on if their franchise quarterback will be having more of an influence on the club's offensive game planning.
To help you better understand what's been said, here's a roundup of public comments that have been made over the last month regarding Romo's alleged increased workload.
Jerry Jones talking to reporters at Valley Ranch after the draft concluded on April 27: "If Tony, for instance, would be here Monday through Saturday … from seven in the morning to six o'clock at night all over this place then that's better than the way it's been. We'll have more success, and Jason believes that. It's certainly at quarterback but he believes it at the other positions.
"Tony is going to have more time, more presence, not only in the offseason but when the season starts, beginning Monday, assuming we played Sundays. He's going to have more time on the job. A part of what we agreed with [his contract extension] was extra time on the job, beyond the norm. That doesn't mean that he didn't have a lot of time on the job, but extra time on the job, Peyton Manning-type time on the job."
Jones during a conference call with Cowboys season-ticket holders on May 1: "There's a big difference when the quarterback gets in there with the coaches on an everyday basis and looks at hundreds of plays over the last couple of years of a particular opponent. Romo's going to be involved to that extent."
Jason Garrett at a charity home run derby in Arlington on May 8: "[Romo's] been a guy who's always been very committed to what we're doing. And it's something that we've always wanted as coaches, you want your quarterback to be involved. We've always felt like he's done that and he'll continue to do that going forward."
Jones following the afternoon session of rookie minicamp at Valley Ranch on May 10: "The facts are that Jason is very excited, relative to this stage in Tony's career of what he can bring to the table, relative to ideas about how to prepare the team against other opponents. It's natural that [Romo] would have evolved. He is qualified and prepared to do this now, where as he wasn't maybe as early as three or four years ago. So he's gained that kind of experience, he's got that kind of skill that he can do that now. … I want to use everything that he's got in his computer."
Jones during radio interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio on May 13: "You got to do more than just look at a couple of quick plays on Tuesday or Monday. You've got to get in, study, spend time looking at a hundred plays to really have that input. We think [Romo] can bring that to the table. And that'll be a big change. That is a change. He certainly has had input, but not the kind of input he's going to be having going forward."
Garrett at the annual Cowboys Golf Classic on May 15: "Tony's been around our offense for a long time and we think the lines of communication are open in a really positive way, so we'll continue to have it be that way, both in the offseason and during the season. And Tony's worthy of that opportunity, and it's really been that way since he's been our quarterback."
So to summarize, Jones says Romo will be making a significant change in the amount of time he'll be working on the upcoming week's gameplan, and Garrett is saying Romo won't be doing anything different from the other NFL quarterbacks.
Believe who you want for now, however, on Tuesday the picture might become a little clearer. The Cowboys have an organized team activity scheduled for that day, which includes media availability. It's likely that Romo will be asked about his involvement off the field heading into the 2013 season.
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
