Could Tony Romo Be Replaced in Dallas?

I just read a fantastic article by Jamie Brown about the possibility that Tony Romo could be gone after this season if he does not take the Cowboys further than he has. A lot of Cowboys will see this as blasphemy.

With the harsh reality that Jerry Jones is opening a brand new billion-dollar stadium that'll be by far the nicest in the league, he wants to add another Lombardi trophy to the case.

Add to that the fact that the Cowboys now trail the Steelers in most Super Bowls won, Jones wants nothing more than to be at least tied for that honor.

Jerry Jones is not a patient man and wants to win. He brought in a man that disgraced Texas Stadium worse than any man in the history of the NFL when he signed Terrell Owens, who spit in the Cowboys face when he played for the San Francisco 49ers.

There is not a Cowboy fan alive that does not know about T.O. and his parade on the Cowboys logo at midfield a few years ago.

If Jones could forgive him for that, there is no reason not to believe he would cut Romo if he fails to give him what he wants.

The question then becomes, who would be a better option for the Cowboys? There are two options that come to mind for a possible replacement.

At this point in time, there are two signal callers, who both are NFL starters, that are entering the last year of their contracts. Eli Manning of the Giants, and Philip Rivers of the Chargers could be great fits for the Cowboys.

Now, you say they are going to be franchised tagged if they don't sign before the end of next year. You are probably right, but does that really matter?

As I am sure the Giants know, Eli Manning is going to be expecting to break the bank with the largest contract in the history of the NFL. Rumor has it, that the contract he is looking for is in the neighborhood of $120 million, with $50-$60 million guaranteed.

That is not the kind of contract that a lot of teams are willing to just give out. However, the Giants just may have to pay him that much to keep him from heading to Dallas.

In reality, the Giants will use the exclusive rights tag on Manning, and the Cowboys will not even be able to negotiate with him.

Philip Rivers is a much more intriguing option. The Chargers, if they can't work out a deal, will also exclusively tag Rivers.

But, playing in the AFC, the Chargers may be willing to make a deal with the NFC East. Especially if that team is the Cowboys.

If Jerry Jones really wanted to, he could come up with a package that the Chargers might not be able to refuse.

Being that the Chargers would have to give up their own signal caller, Tony Romo would have to be included. Why would the Boys want to keep him anyway if they got Rivers?

Romo and another player, like Marion Barber, could entice the Chargers. Let's be honest, LT will be 31 and only a shell of his former self. Darren Sproles is great as a change of pace, but not big or strong enough to be the go-to guy.

The Cowboys drafted Felix Jones, who has the potential to be the every down back, don't you think?

If the Cowboys would be willing to throw in a first-round pick (which they did for Roy Williams), and a possible second-round pick, I think this deal could get done.

This would fill a lot of needs for both the Cowboys and the Chargers. Both teams are open to making a trade to make their teams better.

In addition to all of that, if the Cowboys don't make a serious playoff run, do you really think Wade Phillips is going to be kept as the head coach? He will be fired the day after the Cowboys are eliminated from the playoffs.

That would open the door for Bill Cowher. Cowher wanted the Steelers to draft Rivers while he was in Pittsburgh. Rivers is the kind of player that Cowher loves—tough and fiery.

If the Boys were to sign Cowher and trade for Rivers, this team would instantly be considered one of the best in the NFL.