12/31/12: D-FW sports chat with columnist Rick Gosselin

Forget about it. Romo will be back in 2013 and beyond. The Cowboys will give him a contract extension this offseason. Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett still believe he an take the Cowboys where they want to go.

Something dramatic obviously needs to be done. But if you're going to keep the GM, head coach and quarterback, what is there left that constitutes as dramatic? This has been an average football team for a long time and when you draft in the middle of the round each year, it's tough to get off that carousel.

I'm not sure this sets the team back any -- it just entrenches in everyone's mind that Tony Romo is not a big game quarterback. He knows it, his coaches know it, his teammates know it and the public knows it. The only way to change that perception is for Romo to win some games that matter -- games that extend your season. The bigger the game gets, the smaller Romo seems to play.

I agree. I'd take blockers with my first three picks. The way to make Romo a more efficient quarterback is take the burden of winning off his shoulders. Shift it to the shoulders of DeMarco Murray. John Elway didn't win Super Bowls until the Broncos found him a Pro Bowl running back who could share the offensive load. The Redskins had a gimpy quarterback last night so they shifted the load to a rookie runner and he delivered an NFC East title. I've written throughout the fall that the less Romo throws, the more I like him. I also said last August that the Cowboys could be a playoff team this season if Murray emerged as the team MVP. That didn't happen and the Cowboys remained mired in mediocrity. Better blocking will benefit both Romo & Murray.

I'm not sure that was the plan, but that's the hand MLB has dealt themselves. The Rangers didn't intend to stand pat when they went after Zack Greinke and B.J. Upton. They didn't get them, so younger players moved up in the queue into a more prominent part of the plan for 2013. The Rangers have some talented young pitchers and hitters. I'm anxious to see them play this summer. If the Rangers need help, there's always the trade deadline if they want to go that route.

As the devil's advocate, all those who want to dump Tony Romo, who do you suggest the Cowboys replace him with? Kyle Orton, Alex Smith? Kirk Cousins? You only swap out your quarterback if you think you can upgrade at the position. Jerry & Jason don't believe they can so look for Romo to get a new long-term deal.

Doug Free played his best football in a contract year and was rewarded by the Cowboys accordingly. They overpaid for his talents. Miles Austin also negotiated a huge new deal with great stats in a contract year. Like Free, the Cowboys haven't gotten the bang for the buck from Austin. My guess is the Cowboys might take a look at Free at guard. He has had his struggles at both left and right tackle and his contract is too big to just walk away from him.

The Cowboys have shown no inclination of drafting a young QB to groom as an heir apparent. I thought the Cowboys should had made a move for Kirk Cousins last April. He came off the bench to win two games for the Redskins this season. A young QB like Cousins would at least give the Cowboys an option at the quarterback position. Right now, it's Romo or bust.

Removing Romo from the roster would be too huge a contract hit. That's why they are going to negotiate an extension -- to lessen his cap figure in 2013 and future seasons. The Cowboys can't afford to trade or cut financially.