It’s Happening Again!

After the colossal collapse of the Cowboys on Sunday, losing to the Packers, the faithful are firing away with opinions and suggestions of what the Cowboys should do. The ugly December Swoon is back. Here are a few options for the Cowboys after letting the game…er…season slip away in such an embarrassing fashion.

• Jerry steps down as GM and assumes ONLY the owner role
• Fire Jason Garrett
• Fire Bill Callahan
• Fire Monte Kiffin
• Trade Tony Romo…wait…what?

Which of these are truly viable options? Some? All? None? The question that must be answered first is “Who are the alternatives to bring in?” No one really comes to mind, do they? At least no practical options, and that’s the problem. Culture change is needed, but whom do you give the reigns to? The Parcells experiment was a valiant attempt, but Jerry couldn’t bear to let go of the controls and, in turn, ran off another coach (whether you liked Parcells or not).

The facts we know…Exhibit A- Jerry, as a GM, is running this team into the ground. Exhibit B-Jason Garrett has no authority. Exhibit C-Bill Callahan is kryptonite everywhere he goes (See Raiders & Huskers). Exhibit D- Monte Kiffin’s scheme may be ready for the NFL archives (along with the Run & Shoot, the Veer, etc.). Exhibit E- Tony Romo can’t seem to get out of his “December Rut” and walks through a living hell every season, it seems, in trying to work his way out.

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First and foremost, Jerry DOES need to fire himself as GM and bring in someone who has quality NFL experience and has the business sense to blend football with economics. Plain and simple. Then they can address the rest, as needed.

The next squeakiest wheel, in my personal opinion is Callahan and that he needs to be shown the door…and quickly. Ask the Raiders and University of Nebraska how bad that “rash” hurts after Callahan has gone scorched earth on a program.

Jason Garrett…although a good “company man” and Cowboy veteran from the “90s hey day”, he may not have all the skills (yet) to effectively be a head coach in the NFL. That may be the toughest decision for Jerry to make, next to firing himself. Then there is Kiffin. Well, it’s only been one season, and personnel is still adjusting to the scheme and the team is battling injuries, yada yada…but, being the worst defense in the NFL tends to make that trap door a little bit bigger, beneath his orthopedic shoes.

Now as for Tony Romo…THAT is a polarizing topic! All the Romo haters have been begging for this for years now, yet the other half understands that this team would be nowhere without Tony. The bottom line is that sometimes a player may need to be moved (while he still has value) to make things better for all involved. Tony would get a fresh start somewhere and a chance to prove his worth without the added “December Swoon” pressure that he gets in Dallas. Also, it gets the Cowboys some quality in return, in either players and/or draft picks to rebuild and move on.

So where do you move Romo?  I can think of a few teams with some serious QB needs, and who also have choice draft picks in the upcoming draft…a draft that is rich in young QB talent that the Cowboys could use to start the rebuilding process.

• Romo to Cleveland for one of their two 1^st round picks in the upcoming draft
• Romo to Houston for what could arguably be the #1 pick overall
• Romo to Minnesota for Adrian Peterson and/or a 1^st round pick (work out the details)*
• Romo to St. Louis (in case they feel Bradford’s time is up) for 1^st rounder
• Romo to Jacksonville for 1^st round pick and/or MJD*

*Denotes trade may involve sending DeMarco Murray in deal

These are all just speculative scenarios and whether they get a “Start from Game 1” signal caller in the draft (a la Andrew Luck) or not, they can live with Kyle Orton for a season while the new youngster learns the ropes and gets ready to take over under center.

These are all just speculative scenarios and whether they get a “Start from Game 1” signal caller in the draft (a la Andrew Luck) or not, they can live with Kyle Orton for a season while the new youngster learns the ropes and gets ready to take over under center.

It may be time for the Cowboys to do the unthinkable and simply clean house.  From the GM down to QB, and some key personnel in between, in an effort just to try and get a fresh start with a new regime, from draft day through camps to the season and beyond…soup to nuts!

Where have all the Andy Reids, Bill Parcells and Mike Holmgrens gone? Where is the new wave of young football geniuses coming from, and can the Cowboys tap into that to architect a resurgence and bring them back to being more than just a .500 team? It’s possible with the right GM making those decisions.

The Jekyll & Hyde Cowboys have alternated success by decade and their window of opportunity is closing if they want to make a successful run this time around. The 70s Cowboys were championship caliber…The 90s Cowboys were championship caliber. Time is getting tight for the “20-Teens” Cowboys to return to that championship caliber, as they skip decades in greatness…and so the debate continues. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but in the wise words of Dez Bryant, “I just got emotional.”