Tony Romo has been accused of many things, but commitment should never be one of them

It's bad enough that the Cowboys have finished 8-8 the last two seasons and have missed the playoffs the last three seasons, but when management, coaches and players seem to be on different pages it's a huge concern. If a team isn't on the same page how can it expect to achieve success? If a team is filled with contradictions it points to a major problem in the organization. The latest involves who else, Tony Romo.

Soon after the draft Jerry Jones made the following comments in regards to Tony Romo.

“I can speak for Jason in this respect, everything he’s about wants more buy-in and more participation from the player, so if Tony, for instance, would be here Monday through Saturday, that is far better, and be here from seven in the morning to six o’clock at night, all over this place, then that’s better than the way it’s been,” Jones said. “We’ll have more success, and Jason believes that. It’s certainly at quarterback but he believes it at the other positions, too.”

“Anybody will tell you that Peyton Manning’s involvement in what they do is a bonus as opposed to what the general commitment is of top quarterbacks in the NFL,” Jones said.

“The more Tony can be involved in what we’re doing offensively, the more the product we have out there complements his skills, the more we’re going to do it.”

A few days later Jason Witten commented on what Jones said about Romo.

“I’ve always felt like Tony was very involved in the process of the plays in our scheme and how we attack,” Witten said before a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a renovated Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. “I think in any organization when you have an elite quarterback like that, you want him to feel comfortable. And that’s something we’ve always tried to do and it sounds like we’re going to continue to do that.”

“I don’t think, from a player’s perspective or even coaches, that there’s not enough time being put in,” Witten said. “I don’t think that’s ever been a concern on anybody’s behalf. I don’t think it was anything more than he’s going to be involved in game-planning and what takes place with that.”

Then it was Jason Garrett's turn to comment about Romo.

“I think Tony Romo is a great leader for our football team,” said Garrett, who joined nine Cowboys players in the Reliant Home Run Derby at Rangers Ballpark. “He’s been a guy who’s always been very committed to what we’re doing. And it’s something that we’ve always wanted as coaches, you want your quarterback to be involved. We’ve always felt like he’s done that and he’ll continue to do that going forward.”

So the owner wants more commitment from Romo and the head coach and a longtime teammate believe that Romo has always had that commitment to the team.

It just baffles the mind that there are different opinions when it comes to the teams franchise quarterback. How can people so close to a situation have such different opinions? I know all about the stories when it comes to Romo as the quarterback of the Cowboys. How he makes mistakes at the worst possible times and doesn't come through when the games matter the most and how he is just 1-6 in do or die games. For those who read my articles know that I'm front and center when it comes to writing about Romo and how he doesn't come through in big spots and the mistakes he has made as a starter. Yes, I have developed a lot of doubt when it comes to Romo being able to win that BIG game when he is under the bright lights. 

BUT.......

...the one thing I have never questioned about Romo is his commitment to football and to the Cowboys organization as well as his teammates. I don't care about all the golf he plays or any of the other stuff he does during the off season. He has every right in the world to have fun and enjoy himself. It's not like he is missing OTAs or training camp because he is doing other things that don't involve football or taking his focus away from the team. From what I can tell as a fan, Romo has always been committed to the Cowboys and working with the offense to try and get better every week. Romo is out there working his butt off with the rest of the team trying to get them to that next level. I don't remember at any time something happening to make anyone doubt his commitment to football and the Cowboys. Well, there was little trip to Cabo in 2007, but we won't go there in this article.

Sure, Jerry Jones can backtrack on his comments about Romo, but it's not going to change the fact that he said it and that he probably meant it. It's also not going to change the fact that management, coaches and players just seem to be on different pages. This is not the first time something like this has happened either when it comes to contradictions from the team and I'm sure it won't be the last. That's what makes it all so concerning for the Cowboys organization. Hopefully the coaches and players will prove to be right on this one about Romo, but even if that happens it sure won't stop Jerry Jones from speaking.