The time, it seems, has come - though the time, it seems, may have already been here. The Dallas Cowboys, forced to watch their 2015 season crumble after quarterback Tony Romo suffered a pair of injuries, one of which cost him seven games and part of an eighth, and the latest of which will ultimately sideline him for the remainder of the year, will reportedly begin the process of vetting potential Romo replacements. Albert Breer of NFL.com reported late Friday afternoon that Cowboys owner Stephen and Jerry Jones, hellbent on righting the wrongs of the past couple decades, will consider "all options" at quarterback behind Romo next season. Per Breer, that includes potentially selecting one high in the 2016 NFL Draft, wherein the Cowboys are expected to choose at some point in the first 10 selections.
"So my understanding is the Cowboys will consider all options at quarterback behind Romo this offseason, including taking one high in the draft, working another reprisal (like they tried to do with Brandon Weeden) or both," Breer wrote. "And that was going to be the case even if Romo hadn't reinjured his collarbone in Week 12."
It's interesting that Breer suggests the franchise was thinking about a future without Romo even before this season's debacle, though in all reality, it makes a lot of sense. Romo, as talented as he remains, is now 35 and has a decade's-worth of NFL wear and tear on his body. He's seemingly become increasingly fragile and injury-prone, appearing in just four games this season and despite appearing in 15 games last year, appearing on the injury report quite often with back issues, which resulted in a surgery. He'll be 36 by the time the 2016 NFL Draft rolls around and so his future as the Cowboys franchise quarterback is now cloudy at best (even if his spot on the roster isn't).
When he's on the field, he's the clear cut emotional leader of the team and their best option at signal-caller - Cowboys fans aren't likely to forget the painful images of Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel bumbling their way through games this year anytime soon - but the issue that has become so prevalent at this point is Romo's availability and, further, his longevity.
A recent report suggested that the Cowboys were "looking hard" at embattled Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, a guy Breer says the Cowboys discussed "the very real possibility" of taking in the 2013 first-round. With this spring's draft likely to boast a handful of potentially elite quarterback prospects, though no clear top dog, like California's Jared Goff, Memphis' Paxton Lynch and Michigan State's Connor Cook, there will be option for the Jones' to upgrade behind Romo.
The question becomes what kind of assets they're willing to inject into the position, considering Romo will be back for at least another season or four - he's got four seasons left on his deal at steadily increasing base salaries, reaching $20.5 million in 2019, and steadily decreasing dead cap penalties, bottoming out at $3.2 million in the final year. There's also Romo's psyche to consider. If you trade for Manziel or draft player who is clearly the heir apparent to the Cowboys starting gig, how will Romo handle it?
In the end, the team has to do what's best for them and no matter how popular or beloved a player is, their time in the league eventually ends. It's a hard choice to make, but smart personnel men will cut the cord and make a change a season too early and not a season too late.
