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Moore: Jerry Jones clarifies his stance on Tony Romo, Wade Phillips and a possible youth movement
01:12 AM CDT on Friday, October 29, 2010
COLUMN By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
ARLINGTON – This was a celebration. Other than one moment of weakness, when Jerry Jones admitted that he sang the blues about his team to Gov. Rick Perry, the Cowboys owner was remarkably upbeat.
Business and civic leaders gathered at Cowboys Stadium on Thursday afternoon for another countdown event to Super Bowl XLV. It's a much different countdown than the Cowboys are on these days.
It has become clear with each passing week that the Cowboys don't have what it takes to play in the NFL's championship game. Jones chose to focus on the prestige and economic boon the Super Bowl brings to North Texas rather than lament the fact his team won't be invited.
"All of that is a complete positive and is not impacted, is not diminished, by the challenges that we're having with the team at all," Jones said after the luncheon. "The two aren't in the same mentality."
Jones spent the next 15 minutes discussing the state of his 1-5 team. He opened the door to the possibility that Tony Romo might not return this season, intimated the league's impending labor dispute could factor into the future of coach Wade Phillips and was emphatic that October is not the time to launch a youth movement.
On Romo: The Cowboys' quarterback fractured his collarbone in Monday night's loss to the New York Giants. In the locker room afterward, Jones was adamant that Romo would play when he was cleared to return, regardless of the team's record.
Jones backed off that stance Thursday and acknowledged other factors will weigh into the decision.
"I don't know," Jones said. "We have to see what the circumstances are at that time. We have to see how well we are playing."
If Romo is out eight weeks, which appears likely, that would put him back in the Cowboys' lineup for the Arizona game Christmas night. If the team is eliminated from the playoff race by then, the wisdom of letting him play could be called into question.
So while Jones hopes that Romo returns this season, he is no longer definitive on the subject.
"I wouldn't be presumptuous enough to know how fast he's going to heal," Jones said. "The faster he heals, the better I like it.
"We will be weighing that aspect of where he is in the healing process relative to any risk that you might take with him playing."
On Phillips: Jones issued his weekly comment about how he has never changed coaches during the season in response to the latest round of questions about Phillips. But there was an interesting twist when Jones was asked specifically about the NFL's uncertain labor future as it relates to Phillips.
"I wouldn't try to or weight how that impacts decisions, but certainly you aren't going to see a lot of coaching changes as we go into next year," Jones said.
What is Jones saying? Does he mean that the Cowboys and other NFL teams will be reluctant to change coaches once the season is over given that a lockout looms and no owner wants to pay a coaching staff if the 2011 season is in question?
"I mean just what I said," Jones replied. "As we go into next year, I don't see a lot of coaching changes. Period."
On a possible youth movement: Jones made it clear that if you want to see how some of the younger players on this roster look, you will have to wait.
"We would not, in any way, compromise a chance to win the game by playing a player to evaluate or to give him experience," Jones said.
How does Jones balance that philosophy with developing players for the future?
"You don't, in my mind, do anything five to six games into the season but try to win the game," Jones said. "I'm emphatic about that.
"We will get enough opportunity, usually through injury, to see the players."
• • •
01:12 AM CDT on Friday, October 29, 2010
COLUMN By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
ARLINGTON – This was a celebration. Other than one moment of weakness, when Jerry Jones admitted that he sang the blues about his team to Gov. Rick Perry, the Cowboys owner was remarkably upbeat.
Business and civic leaders gathered at Cowboys Stadium on Thursday afternoon for another countdown event to Super Bowl XLV. It's a much different countdown than the Cowboys are on these days.
It has become clear with each passing week that the Cowboys don't have what it takes to play in the NFL's championship game. Jones chose to focus on the prestige and economic boon the Super Bowl brings to North Texas rather than lament the fact his team won't be invited.
"All of that is a complete positive and is not impacted, is not diminished, by the challenges that we're having with the team at all," Jones said after the luncheon. "The two aren't in the same mentality."
Jones spent the next 15 minutes discussing the state of his 1-5 team. He opened the door to the possibility that Tony Romo might not return this season, intimated the league's impending labor dispute could factor into the future of coach Wade Phillips and was emphatic that October is not the time to launch a youth movement.
On Romo: The Cowboys' quarterback fractured his collarbone in Monday night's loss to the New York Giants. In the locker room afterward, Jones was adamant that Romo would play when he was cleared to return, regardless of the team's record.
Jones backed off that stance Thursday and acknowledged other factors will weigh into the decision.
"I don't know," Jones said. "We have to see what the circumstances are at that time. We have to see how well we are playing."
If Romo is out eight weeks, which appears likely, that would put him back in the Cowboys' lineup for the Arizona game Christmas night. If the team is eliminated from the playoff race by then, the wisdom of letting him play could be called into question.
So while Jones hopes that Romo returns this season, he is no longer definitive on the subject.
"I wouldn't be presumptuous enough to know how fast he's going to heal," Jones said. "The faster he heals, the better I like it.
"We will be weighing that aspect of where he is in the healing process relative to any risk that you might take with him playing."
On Phillips: Jones issued his weekly comment about how he has never changed coaches during the season in response to the latest round of questions about Phillips. But there was an interesting twist when Jones was asked specifically about the NFL's uncertain labor future as it relates to Phillips.
"I wouldn't try to or weight how that impacts decisions, but certainly you aren't going to see a lot of coaching changes as we go into next year," Jones said.
What is Jones saying? Does he mean that the Cowboys and other NFL teams will be reluctant to change coaches once the season is over given that a lockout looms and no owner wants to pay a coaching staff if the 2011 season is in question?
"I mean just what I said," Jones replied. "As we go into next year, I don't see a lot of coaching changes. Period."
On a possible youth movement: Jones made it clear that if you want to see how some of the younger players on this roster look, you will have to wait.
"We would not, in any way, compromise a chance to win the game by playing a player to evaluate or to give him experience," Jones said.
How does Jones balance that philosophy with developing players for the future?
"You don't, in my mind, do anything five to six games into the season but try to win the game," Jones said. "I'm emphatic about that.
"We will get enough opportunity, usually through injury, to see the players."
• • •
