$67.5 million=Super Bowl or Bust

Owner Jones always has been a master of DWI answers, swerving this way, weaving back, zig-zagging along until everybody is left wondering "What the heck did he just say?" Fluency in JerrySpeak requires years of intense training.

And my Jerry-English dictionary translates Owner Jones' take on signing Tony Romo to a six-year, $67.5 million contract extension as follows: "We finally have the Super Bowl QB. Now, let's go get that trophy or I am going to be peeved."

I know, I know, what Owner Jones technically said was: "I don't want to say that because we are having this press conference we are going to win a Super Bowl. I am not saying that." I had a chance to talk to him for almost 20 minutes after Tuesday's festivities and, believe me, the only reason Owner Jones is not saying this deal raises the bar to Super Bowl or Bust is because he does not have to, $67.5 million says that for him.

That is Super Bowl-QB money. That is Win-Now money. That is We-Had-Darn-Well-Better-Be-Playing-In-Late-January money. That may even be February money because all NFL contracts come with expectations. And bigger numbers=bigger expectations.

"I would have never brought in Leonard Davis had I not ... " Owner Jones told me, his voice tailing off for fear of predicting those two little words.

"You get what I am saying," he said. "I am reluctant to say Super Bowl. The whole point is these are actions, not words, that really preclude me from having to say 'I think we can go to the Super Bowl.' These are definitive. This is body language at its best."

I know what you are thinking: He always says this. He always predicts Super Bowl. All of this is true. He admits as much. What changes this from typical Jerry Optimism to an actual real-live expectation is having Romo now and longterm.

"It is just a shallower goal, a shallower comment when you don't have good, top quarterbacking," Owner Jones admitted. "I think we have top quarterbacking after this and, frankly, passing on Brady Quinn,
there has been some short term and some long term definitive things done in the last eight or nine months that you can point to and say they believe they have a guy they can ride with."

Owner Jones finally has what he believes to be a franchise QB and all that entails. On that point, his words were extremely clear. "When we had it, we won Super Bowls. And when we didn't have it, we didn't get close."

Make no mistake. What Owner Jones was saying is Tuesday needs to translate into February.

He's right, too.

More to come on my interview with Owner Jones, including his thoughts on why Romo is the guy and if Marion Barber needs to be starting.

I'll be chatting live about the deal at 1 p.m. Wednesday at http://www.realcities.com/mld/dfw/sports/qa_forum.htm?forumId=2009.

Post questions any time.

Meanwhile, Mr. Randy and I dissect the deal in our vodcast at www.star-telegram.com. Check it out.