Tony Romo To Be Released By Cowboys

It is being reported that Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has been informed that he will be released on Thursday, making him a free agent.

It has been speculated for a few weeks now that this was going to be the foreseeable outcome, but rumors began to swirl when a speculative 3-team trade was proposed between Dallas, Washington, and San Francisco.

The thought behind the trade was that Cousins would go to San Francisco in return for most likely San Francisco’s 2nd overall pick in the upcoming Draft. Dallas would have sent Romo to Washington, and the Cowboys would have received a couple late round draft picks.

The infrastructure of the projected trade made some sense. Washington still hasn’t made their mind up on Cousins and will most likely lose him in free agency next season, unless they make him the highest paid QB in the league. Shanahan, the new coach of the Niners, has stated his interest in Cousins and voiced that they would possibly go after him next season if the Redskins did not sign him long term. So this would essentially speed up the process and ensure they get the guy they want right away. Giving up the number two overall pick is a big deal, but proven quarterbacks are hard to come by, and no draft picks are a sure thing.

And for Dallas, instead of letting Romo walk for nothing they would get something in return.

All of this sounded feasible…except for the participating parties.

It’s no secret that Jerry Jones and Tony Romo have a strong bond and great relationship. I truly do believe that Jones wants what is in the best interest for Romo, and wants to see him end his career on a high note on a reputable team. But I can all but guarantee you that Jones would not let all of this happen on a team that he faces twice a year and might be one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.

That’s why this deal was all smoke and mirrors, in my opinion. A ploy to get another GM to get nervous and offer the Cowboys something greater for Romo in fear that he wouldn’t make it to free agency.

Good effort Jerry, it was worth a shot. But now Romo will be released and can begin his pampering treatment while he decides where to take his talents and 90-year-old back.

So where does Romo end up?

It seems like reports of his possible landing spots has been surfacing since last November, but the two that continue to come up are Houston and Denver.

On paper, Houston makes the most sense. Let’s break it down.

O’Brien and his coaching staff have been in place for three seasons so the system is set and in place. I think that Vance Joseph and Mike McCoy will be successful in Denver, but they just got there. Joseph is a first-time head coach so it will take some time to get acclimated and there may be some growing pains. Edge goes to the Texans, slightly.

As far as playmakers for Romo goes, it’s a toss-up. If C.J. Anderson comes back healthy for Denver, he and Lamar Miller are very comparable backs. The Broncos have a little better depth with Devontae Booker, who is a bruising straight-line runner. Receivers, again, is a toss up. Who do you want Hopkins or Thomas? I’d take either. Sanders in Denver is maybe the best 2nd option in the league, but Houston has better depth as you go down the line. If Tony is looking at playmakers, each team gets a tie.

The offensive line, which we know Denver will be vigorously addressing in the offseason and assume Houston will as well, may one of the top factors in Romo’s decision making. According to Pro Football Focus, Denver ranked 24th and Houston ranked 18th. Slight edge to Houston right now, but I’m sure the future of the o-line will be discussed with Romo when he is meeting with both teams.

Comparing both defenses is again a toss-up. I don’t think I really need to go into stats and numbers. Two of the best defenses in the league, and for the most part, will retain all of their top starters heading into 2017.

The final factor that will play heavily is location. Obviously, Houston is not far from Dallas and Romo would get to finish his career in the State of Texas, where his entire professional career has taken place. Also, the Texans play in a dome. What aging quarterback doesn’t want to play in a dome in December? Edge goes to Houston.

So as I stated earlier, the edge on paper for the Tony Romo sweepstakes would go to the Houston Texans. However, there is one factor that I did not mention. Broncos GM John Elway.

Since Elway took over the role of GM he has pretty much gotten whoever he has wanted in free agency. He’s got the Midas Touch or something. When Peyton Manning was a free agent Denver was low on the radar to land him. But that’s where he ended up. When the defense needed work after a Super Bowl blowout, he convinced Demarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, and Aqib Talib to put on the orange and blue. When Eric Decker left for more money, Elway signed Sanders for less money to do more on the field.

So where does Romo end up? Houston makes more sense, but if Elway really wants him I wouldn’t count Denver out.