front-runners to land Garoppolo, Romo

Here are the front-runners to land Garoppolo, Romo in NFL’s QB shuffle
There will be multiple suitors for Tom Brady’s backup and the Cowboys veteran

Jason La Canfora

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/here-are-the-front-runners-to-land-garoppolo-romo-in-nfls-qb-shuffle/

The jostling for the few intriguing quarterbacks on the market has already begun. The NFL combine is still weeks away, while the start of the league year is over a month away, but deep, internal strategic discussions are ongoing in several quarterback-needy front offices. These clubs are outlining their offseason plans at the most critical position in football, and targets have already been set.

The Chicago Bears will make a strong, concerted effort to acquire quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots , according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The Illinois native is far and away their top offseason priority.
The Dallas Cowboys will listen to offers for Tony Romo , sources said, once owner Jerry Jones has his meeting with the Pro Bowl quarterback. Romo prefers to be moved to a contending team — specifically, the Houston Texans , Arizona Cardinals , Denver Broncos or Kansas City Chiefs . The Buffalo Bills also have significant interest in Romo, team and league sources said, though they realize that it might be a tough sell. The Bills have not given up hope on retaining Tyrod Taylor on a lesser contract, too, though that might be wishful thinking on their part at this point.
Many teams view Garoppolo as the best option of all potential free-agent or trade targets, and the Bears will have competition. Teams like the Cleveland Browns , New York Jets and 49ers could provide opposition, but the Bears’ intent and willingness to complete a trade could not be more serious. Quarterback is an acute need — the Bears are moving on from Jay Cutler — and jobs are on the line there after two poor seasons from the John Fox and Ryan Pace regime. The Bears have abundant draft picks they could trade — including picks in the top three of each round — and while rival executives do not believe the Patriots will land a first-round pick that high via trade, a package including multiple high second-round picks is quite possible. Furthermore, trading Garoppolo out of the AFC would appeal to the Patriots, who expect him to prosper elsewhere.

Jimmy Garoppolo is seen as the biggest QB prize in the offseason market. USATSI
The Bears have done extensive work on Garoppolo and are very comfortable with him. He shined in the preseason and was exceptional filling in for Tom Brady early this season and has strong roots to that community. He played at Eastern Illinois, where Pace played as well. Romo, Mike Shanahan and New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton are also Eastern Illinois products; Pace and Payton worked together in New Orleans and were very high on Garoppolo coming out of college.
The Bears are prepared to engage in talks on Garoppolo at the combine later this month, or sooner if need be. Trades cannot be officially consummated, however, until the league year begins in March. The Bears acknowledge it will be difficult to land much of anything for Cutler, with other teams preferring to not trade for him and instead wait for him to be cut to then sign him to a cheaper contract, though a suitor could emerge.
The Jets have strong evaluations on Garoppolo, but realize it’s virtually certain Bill Belichick would not trade the prized young passer within the division. The 49ers are very high on the Washington Redskins ‘ Kirk Cousins , sources continue to maintain, but Washington will franchise the impending free-agent quarterback and is prepared to engage in talks in a lucrative long-term deal with him. It would take a huge haul of picks to pry Cousins away, and new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who along with his dad drafted Cousins in Washington, has a ravaged roster with needs at every position. Paying that kind of draft-pick price could be prohibitive. The Bears also have done significant work on Cousins, but with the Redskins going to franchise him and that process playing out perhaps throughout the offseason, the timing may not work out and this team can’t afford to be left without a seat in these musical quarterback chairs.
The Browns have stockpiled draft picks (again) and will explore multiple quarterback options, and they and the Jets are highly intrigued by North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky , as we first reported months ago. Texans coach Bill O’Brien is a big believer in Garoppolo as well, but he is stuck with Brock Osweiler ‘s salary for another year, and he is planning on giving Tom Savage every opportunity to win that starting job, sources said. Ownership has already declared the need to draft a quarterback.
Romo’s market will be robust as well. The Chiefs have to make a determination on whether he, or any other option, would give them a better opportunity to win a Super Bowl than Alex Smith does. Smith has already played out the guaranteed portion of his contract. If so, Smith would be a trade-worthy commodity as well. While some reported the Cowboys might just let Romo walk, the demand for him should be such that Jerry Jones gets a strong return on his investment. Some GMs opined that the Cowboys would get a second-round pick, plus potentially another high pick based on Romo’s playing time (injuries have dogged him in recent years).

The Broncos are likely inclined to give Paxton Lynch , their first-round pick in 2016, every chance to take the starting reins there, so a trade might not match up. Fitting Romo under the salary cap with Osweiler would be a challenge for the Texans. If Carson Palmer retires, Romo could be an option in Arizona, and sources said the Cardinals are very high on Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson and could be prepared to trade up to land him this spring. If the Cardinals determine Watson is out of their reach, Tyrod Taylor is very appealing to Arizona and would be a great fit in Bruce Arians’ scheme.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback Mike Glennon is viewed as the best of the free-agent quarterbacks set to hit the market, and his market will further come into focus after the chase for Garoppolo and Romo concludes.

Broncos may be interested in Tony Romo, if he’s a free agent

Mike Florio

Broncos may be interested in Tony Romo, if he’s a free agent

It’s believed Tony Romo will ask the Cowboys to release him in lieu of trying to trade him. Romo has another reason to push for the termination of his contract.

The Denver Broncos, previously believed to be not interested in Romo, reportedly could be interested if Romo can be obtained free and clear on the open market. Mike Klis of 9news.com reports that “a source in the Broncos’ football department did not dismiss the possibility” of signing Romo, if a trade isn’t needed.

Although the Cowboys may prefer to get value for Romo, cutting him would actually have a benefit, since the salary cap hit could be divided over two years. The team nevertheless has been very coy about its plans for the franchise quarterback who has been supplanted by Dak Prescott, prompting speculation that the Cowboys prefer to finagle a trade.

Romo’s interest in the Broncos would depend on the role the team envisions for him. Would he be installed as the starter? Would he have to compete with Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian?

The financial package the Broncos offer to Romo would say plenty about how they plan to use him. Even then, it’s possible that some other team would offer Romo much more than Denver would.

None of it matters unless and until the Cowboys release Romo’s rights. The question of whether they will soon will become one of the biggest issues in the NFL.

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What will the Cowboys do with Tony Romo? Our experts predict his fate

By SportsDayDFW.com

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2017/01/27/will-cowboys-tony-romo-experts-try-predict-fate

What does the future hold for quarterback Tony Romo? It’s the story of the Cowboys’ offseason. Will the franchise’s all-time passing leader suit up for another team? Will he be released by the Cowboys or traded? What about a backup role in Dallas or retirement? SportsDay’s columnists and Cowboys beat writers offer their predictions:

Tim Cowlishaw

Romo’s future: Release, June 1 designation

It’s fun to consider all the trade possibilities for Romo. To Denver for DeMarcus Ware? To Houston for Brock Osweiler and a No. 1 pick? Yes, it’s fun, but none of it makes sense.

There are teams that will want Romo, but it’s unlikely that he will leave Dallas in a trade. The cap ramifications make it easier for the Cowboys to designate him a June 1 cut and spread the salary-cap hit over the 2017 and 2018 seasons. It’s unrealistic to think this ends any other way.

Then again, these are the Cowboys, and with Jerry Jones, it’s wise to consider the “unrealistic” from time to time. Jones wants to keep Romo. He wants to convince Romo that he has a future here in the organization and that he should stay, presumably as the most expensive insurance policy in the league. Not having to worry about what happens when the backup quarterback enters the game would be a decided plus.

But that would be the only plus. This scenario would be bad for Dak Prescott, terrible for Romo and unfair to the coaching staff. The circus would never leave town if Romo stayed around.

Releasing him will allow Romo to pursue his final year or years with the team of his choice. It’s fair to him and best for the Cowboys.

Brandon George

Romo’s future: Release, June 1 designation

As much as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would like to keep Romo around, it just doesn’t make fiscal sense. Romo will count almost $25 million against the salary cap in 2017. Last season, he played six snaps and counted $20.8 million against the cap.

NFL teams can’t afford to keep a backup quarterback — and that’s what Romo is now, behind Dak Prescott — on their roster for a big price tag if they’re serious about contending.

Working a trade for Romo will be difficult. He’s going to have to sign off on the team that wants to trade for him, the sides would have to agree on compensation and Romo would likely have to rework his contract at a much lower price. Having all that come together is unlikely, so an outright release makes the most sense here.

Look for Romo to land on a team that can immediately contend for a championship, has a strong offensive line and isn’t afraid to take a chance on a soon-to-be 37-year-old with a history of back injuries.

Denver makes as much sense as any team. The Broncos have a team in place that can immediately make a run at a championship. In John Elway, they also have a general manager who certainly knows a quarterback can win titles late in his career. Romo turns 37 in April. Elway won his first Super Bowl at 37 and won another at 38.

Rick Gosselin

Romo’s future: Release, June 1 designation

When you trade for a player, you trade for his contract. And with Romo on the books for almost $25 million next season, the Cowboys would have problems dealing him. It’s more likely the Cowboys will release him this offseason and let him cut his own deal with the team of his choice.

Whether the Cowboys trade or release him, they will take a sizable salary-cap hit. If the Cowboys designate him as a June 1 cap casualty, they can split that hit over two seasons. And that’s what I think the Cowboys will do — designate him as a June 1 release.

Romo has maybe a two-year window left … if he can stay healthy. So don’t look for him to sign with teams that are in rebuilding mode. That knocks the Bears, Bills, Jaguars and Jets out of the running. He needs to sign on with a team that is Super Bowl-ready, as Peyton Manning did. He picked his spot and wound up taking the Broncos to the Super Bowl. Joe Montana also picked his spot when he left the 49ers and wound up taking the Kansas City Chiefs to an AFC title game.

So only two teams seem logical fits for Romo, the Broncos and Texans. Both are Super Bowl contenders in need of upgrades at the quarterback position. My guess is Romo has Houston atop his shopping list. The Texans have the best defense in the NFL, and that defense will become even better in 2017 with the return of J.J. Watt. They have a 1,000-yard rusher in the backfield (Lamar Miller) and two talented young wide receivers (DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller). So Houston it is.

Jon Machota

Tony Romo’s future: Trade

The Cowboys will play this close to the vest until a deal is done. Jerry Jones has compared Romo to Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning within the last few months. The owner and general manager won’t just give away his former franchise quarterback. He realizes how few teams have a quality starter, so he’d like to drive up the price.

In the statement Romo read in November he didn’t sound like a player looking to retire or settle for a backup job. He’ll eventually be traded to an AFC team that believes it’s a good QB away from making a Super Bowl run. In return, the Cowboys will receive a third- or fourth-round draft pick.

David Moore

Romo’s future: Release, June 1 designation

The club’s preference is to swing a trade that meets with the quarterback’s approval. But compensation would be tricky, and finding mutual ground for the Cowboys, Romo and a third party would be complex.

Owner Jerry Jones and Romo have a relationship that transcends owner and quarterback. That’s clear. It’s one that will continue once Romo’s career is done.

Neither side will risk harming that bond. In the end, an outright release is cleaner and less complicated, making it the most likely option.

It will cost the franchise $19.6 million to sever ties with Romo whether he is traded or cut.

Romo has a salary-cap hit of $24.7 million for the 2017 season. If he’s released before June 1, the Cowboys actually free up $5.1 million in room they wouldn’t have otherwise.

If the club designates Romo as a June 1 cut, it can split the $19.6 million over two seasons. He would consume $10.7 million of the ’17 salary cap and $8.9 million of the team’s payroll the next season.

Do the Cowboys want to free up $14 million or $5.1 million this season with a release of Romo? As tempting as it will be to take the entire hit now and be out from under the contract in 2018, splitting the hit over the next two seasons is more of the team’s style.

Look for Romo to be designated a June 1 cut. And look for Houston to be a major contender for his services, with Denver right behind.

Kate Hairopoulos

Romo’s future: Release

This split isn’t easy on anyone. As is often the case in arduous situations, it’s best to just get it over with all at once. By releasing Romo, the Cowboys will actually save $5.1 million that they will have available for free agency, money that won’t be available to them if they designate Romo a June 1 cut. Yes, they’ll have to take the $19.6 million hit to the salary cap this season, but financial gymnastics will make it work.

Best of all, they can move into 2018 free and clear of Romo’s contract. Romo will also get to choose where he goes for his last hurrah. Contenders such as Denver and Houston seem to be the most obvious situations where the potential rewards of Romo outweigh the clear concerns about his durability.

There. Done. Everyone’s happy-ish.

Kevin Sherrington

Romo’s future: Release, June 1 designation

Tony Romo signs with the Broncos and leads them to the AFC Championship Game, where they lose to the Ravens. Romo subsequently retires and goes into TV. First order of business in new job: Lose the smirk.