Dallas Cowboys: Why Peyton Manning Makes Perfect Sense for America's Team

NFL Network's Charles Davis and Heath Evans brought up an interesting hypothetical, when they talked about how Peyton Manning would fit in Dallas.

Although there are no reported rumors regarding Jerry Jones pursuing the four-time MVP, we can still speculate.

First and foremost, this isn't anything against Tony Romo. He's a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, and he's definitely not the reason why the Cowboys have failed to make the playoffs or succeed in January. They've had deficiencies at cornerback and offensive line throughout the years that have hindered progress.

Also, the team had Wade Phillips as their coach, who was arguably one of the biggest mistakes Jones ever made. Throw in all of the Terrell Owens drama, and it's easy to see why the Cowboys haven't been successful. 

It's not on Romo. 

That being said, the Cowboys still have deficiencies in their secondary and offensive line. But Manning has always been a type of player who can mask a team's flaws and make them competitive. 

The Indianapolis Colts have never really had an unbelievable defense or running game. However, Manning's greatness was the reason why those flaws were never exposed. 

Manning's knack to mask the Colts' deficiencies was hard to ignore this season when the team tanked and wasn't able to buy themselves a win. 

With Peyton, the team could've won a lot of close games that they lost and perhaps taken a wild card spot in the playoffs. Peyton is that great.

Romo may be a solid quarterback on the cusp of being elite, but he's not the type of guy that's going to mask team deficiencies the way Manning is. Fact of the matter is, Romo can't win until Dallas addresses its problems in the secondary and the offensive line. 

It's just hard to win when Phil Kosta keeps snapping the ball over Romo's head, and when the line incessantly takes stupid false start penalties. These type of miscues kill drives and make it extremely difficult to succeed, especially when Dallas is up against elite teams like the Giants and Packers. 

So, should the Cowboys go after some disciplined players on the secondary and offensive line this offseason during the free agency and the draft? Or should they pursue Manning to hide their current deficiencies?

Ideally, the Cowboys will do both during the offseason, but should getting Manning be the No. 1 priority?

Yes!

He's been cleared to play by doctors, so the injury shouldn't really be a problem.

Also, his age shouldn't be an issue either considering guys like Kurt Warner and Brett Favre were highly effective late in their careers. 

Manning can give the Cowboys three or four great years. With Manning, that weak secondary won't be such a problem. Also, they'll be addressing their offensive line simultaneously if they can get Manning. As mentioned in the above link, Jeff Saturday might want to go where Manning goes. He's one of the best centers in the game, and it should give Manning plenty of protection along with Tyron Smith.

Also, by trading Romo, the Cowboys will gain some more assets in return. Romo can still play, and he holds plenty of value.

Although this scenario is highly unlikely, it's interesting to think about. Jones likes players who are stars. The Cowboys brand is star-driven, and he would most likely love to have a guy like Manning be the quarterback of his team. 

However, is he ready to give up on Romo just yet? 

Probably not. And doing so, won't be fair to Romo. Once again, it's not his fault that Dallas hasn't thrived late in the season, especially recently.

Would you be willing to have Manning over Romo next season? Thoughts below!

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