2012 NFL Draft: Dallas Cowboys Wise Not to Trade Up for Robert Griffin III

Don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to admit that the Dallas Cowboys are fools to trust Tony Romo as their franchise quarterback, but for once he's safe from being ousted.

There is a lot of buzz around Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III following his scintillating performance at the 2012 Combine in Indianapolis, but even Jerry Jones isn't crazy enough to fly up the draft board to No. 2 overall to land him.

Cowboys fans are split behind Romo, but Jones isn't. Dallas Cowboys staff writer Josh Ellis states on the Cowboys' official site, in a mailbag response, that the hands-on owner wouldn't trade Romo for either of the top two quarterbacks:

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Jerry Jones explicitly said last week he wouldn't trade Romo for Griffin or Andrew Luck. So on draft day, just hope Griffin doesn't end up in Washington.

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For the Cowboys to trade up from No. 14 to No. 2 would cost far too much. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Rams should receive a package similar to what the San Diego Chargers got for Eli Manning in 2004 from the New York Giants. Big Blue owned the No. 4 pick that year and gave up next year's No. 1 as well a 2004 third-round pick and 2005 fifth-round pick.

Dallas, selecting eight picks lower than that, would have to give up multiple first-rounders and then some to even consider it a possibility.

This Cowboys team was one game away from the postseason last year and has too much talent to win with now to mortgage so much on a developmental prospect.

RG3 could very easily see the field as a rookie, but he wouldn't come without a learning curve. That would signal the beginning of an overhaul in Dallas, and they have too many players who believe they can compete for a Super Bowl right now to do that.

Like Ellis initially said, the only thing the Cowboys should be hoping for regarding RG3 is that he doesn't wind up in Washington. Dallas' focus in the NFL draft, first round especially, will not be on finding a new franchise quarterback.

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