If the Dallas Cowboys lose Tony Romo at any point next season, watching Kellen Moore jog out onto the field will probably be just as painful for Cowboys fans as the ensuing drive. You know the one - the one where Moore tries feebly to evade rushers and eventually lofts the ball in that kind of awkward, looping sidearm way into triple coverage.
In short, if Romo misses any time next season, the Cowboys season is shot.
But that's not a knock on Dallas' organizational depth. That's a knock on 35-year-old Romo's increasingly fragile body and the contract that ties the team to him through at least 2017, probably beyond.
Really, there's no reason Romo shouldn't be the starter in Dallas for the next few seasons, other than health. The problem with that, of course, is that availability is one of the most important abilities a player can have.
And that's exactly why the Cowboys shouldn't fall into the trap of kicking the can of responsibility and the future of the franchise down the line again this offseason.
Yes, Brian Hoyer, the veteran journeyman released by the Houston Texans after they handed unproven colossus, Brock Osweiler, a gargantuan free agent deal, would seem an ideal fit behind Romo for this season and next.
Hoyer, despite his meltdown in the playoffs last season, a game in which he tossed four interceptions, has proven himself a capable starter that can manage an NFL team with a strong defense and some legitimate skill position talent to wins.
But he's not the addition - or, at least, the only addition - the Cowboys should make to the signal-caller spot this offseason.
The Cowboys need to start planning for Life After Tony. And while accepting that there will be LAT is the first step of the process and one that Jerry and Stephen Jones are seemingly reluctant to come to terms with, it's better to plan ahead than it is to be stuck staring another losing season in the face should Romo go down.
No, guys like Dak Prescott - who the Cowboys are apparently bringing to their facility today - or Christian Hackenberg or Connor Cook, the guys who will be available to Dallas after the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, almost assuredly won't be able to step in from NFL day one and win.
And if the Cowboys don't think Moore can take the reins of the offense should Romo go down and lead the team to wins, then yes, go right ahead and hand Hoyer a short-term deal that ensures, at the very least, quality backup play for a year or two.
But the addition the Cowboys really need to make at quarterback shouldn't come in free agency. It should come in the draft, and it should be a player the Jones' really believe can become the franchise signal-caller that Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, Jameill Showers, Hoyer and Moore simply aren't and will never be.
Because LAT is coming, and soon, whether the Cowboys want to admit it or not.
