IRVING – Tony Romo can't wait to get started on 2007.
On Thursday, the Cowboys quarterback found out he will have a new offensive coordinator in Jason Garrett and probably a much different offensive staff in 2007.
Part of the Cowboys' coaching search is to find the right guy to help Romo's development.
"I trust Jerry [Jones]," Romo said. "He's done this awhile. He's a very smart owner. He's very intuitive, and he'll find someone who is right for this football team and put us in the best position to succeed."
The last time Romo spoke locally, he was near tears following his bobbled snap in the Cowboys' wild-card playoff loss at Seattle on Jan. 6. Time has helped heal some of the pain, and Romo is preparing to play in his first Pro Bowl on Feb. 10.
"I've been doing that for a while already," Romo said. "I can't sit so long before I get greedy and want to get started."
For the first time since joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Illinois in 2003, Romo will be coached by someone other than Parcells. He developed a tight relationship with Parcells and was sad to see him leave.
The two have talked twice since the season ended, with Parcells giving Romo career advice.
"He meant so much to my career to this point, and I was definitely hoping that we would get to do something special before he left," Romo said. "It would've been nice to see him go out I think the way he wanted, but I don't think he has any regrets about the game. He's given a lot to the game, and I was fortunate to be a part of that for an extended period."
Romo became a huge part of the Parcells story after he took over as quarterback to start the second half of the Cowboys' 36-22 loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 23. The Cowboys won four of Romo's first five starts. He tied a team record with five touchdown passes against Tampa Bay on Thanksgiving. He helped deliver December road wins against the Giants and Atlanta.
He finished the season with the NFC's third-highest passer rating (95.1) and had 19 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, becoming the first Cowboys quarterback to earn a Pro Bowl spot since Troy Aikman in 1996.
But the picture of Romo changed when he could not handle the snap on what would have been a 19-yard field goal attempt with the Cowboys looking to take the lead with 1:19 to play against the Seahawks.
TOM FOX/DMN
Tony Romo said he wishes Bill Parcells' career could have ended on a better note.
Replays of the bobble have been shown almost every week during the postseason.
"I've watched football," Romo said. "I can't not watch it. Something about it keeps me coming back to see what's going to happen. I love the playoffs. I love the game. I like to see how other guys perform."
Romo, who could be the NFC's holder in the Pro Bowl, does not believe that play will be the signature one of his career.
"I'm more of a half-full guy anyway," Romo said. "I feel like hopefully I'll have a decent career, and this will be a stepping stone for me to go through to get to where I want to be one day. I think I'll look back at it as something that made me work that much harder to reach those goals I have in my mind."
