Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has made it known this offseason that he believes quarterback Tony Romo still has four to five years left as the starting quarterback in Dallas. The Cowboys owner has said that he won't take a quarterback with the fourth pick in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft, but whether he is telling the truth or using gamesmanship to land the player he wants is unknown.
There is no question that when healthy, Romo is among the top-tier quarterbacks in the league, but the Cowboys quarterback turns 36 years old this offseason and is coming off a season in which he broke his collarbone twice, which obviously creates concern amongst Cowboys fans.
The Cowboys franchise quarterback will reportedly be undergoing a Mumford procedure on his collarbone next week where the distal part of the clavicle will be shaved down to release potential pressure on his shoulder. Romo was contemplating having a plate inserted but decided after a CT Scan this past Wednesday that he would do the Mumford procedure.
A plate could still reportedly be inserted should the surgeon determine that it is the best option, and the veteran quarterback's recovery time is expected to be 6-8 weeks. The Cowboys were one of the biggest surprises during the 2015 season, but injuries clearly played a major factor, as they finished in last place with a 4-12 record.
The Cowboys may choose not to take a quarterback in the first round of the draft, but there are multiple different prospects that they could look to target in later rounds of the draft. Romo was 3-1 in the four games that he played last season, but he struggled at times and threw five touchdowns to seven interceptions.
The Cowboys franchise quarterback had a huge season in 2015 in which he completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 3,705 yards and threw 34 touchdowns to nine interceptions. The Cowboys came in first in the NFC East that season and are hoping that a healthy Romo and wide receiver Dez Bryant will put them back at the top of the division in 2016. Dallas' front office is hopeful that Romo will return to form in 2016, but two back surgeries in 2013 and breaking his collarbone three times since 2010 has likely taken a toll on the veteran quarterback.
