NFC Notes: Romo, Elliott, Seahawks, Graham

Quarterback Tony Romo could ask for his release this offseason, and the Cowboys should grant it, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If that were to happen, Romo would be able to pick his next employer (perhaps Denver) and negotiate a good deal for himself, and that team wouldn’t weaken itself by giving up a draft pick(s) for the soon-to-be 37-year-old. On the other hand, Florio notes that the Cowboys have the right to seek compensation for Romo via trade, though he points out that the club could otherwise designate Dak Prescott‘s backup as a post-June 1 cut and save $14MM in cap space in 2017.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wasn’t willing to elaborate on what he’ll do with Romo in the coming months. “We’ve got a lot to think about here, but that’s in the future,” he said (via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). Jones did opine, though, that Romo has enough left in the tank to lead a team to a Super Bowl.

More from Dallas and another NFC city:

• Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is unhappy with the pace of the NFL’s investigation into domestic abuse claims against him, he said after the team’s divisional-round loss to Green Bay on Sunday. “I do want closure,” Elliott told reporters, including Archer. “I would rather it not drag on this long. If there was something to find, which there’s not, they would’ve found it by now. The police did a very thorough investigation. I will tell you this — it just seems like they’re dragging their feet right now. Who knows, man? I’m just ready for it to end.” The league has been investigating Elliott since July, and it reportedly regarded him as “Public Enemy No. 1” as of November. That didn’t seem to affect Elliott on the field, as the rookie easily led the league in ground yards (1,631) and finished third in rushing touchdowns (15).
• Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll revealed Monday that cornerback Richard Sherman played this season with a “significant” MCL injury. Sherman’s knee problem wasn’t disclosed during the year via the injury report, however, and now the NFL is “looking into” the situation, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While Seattle was clearly in violation of league policy, its unclear what type of punishment the franchise could face. Last September, of course, the league took a fifth-round pick and a week of OTAs away from the Seahawks for 2017 after they violated its rules regarding contact practices in the offseason.
• The Seahawks would open up $10MM in spending room and incur no dead money by releasing tight end Jimmy Graham, but they’re likely to keep him for the last year of his contract, per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. An extension is even a possibility after what Carroll called “a terrific year” for the longtime Saint. “We’re always looking at all of those,” Carroll stated Monday. “We know how that’s going, and those conversations come up when we can get to them. I’m glad you reminded us, but (general manager) John [Schneider] is on that.” Graham bounced back from a subpar 2015 campaign, one that ended early because of a torn patellar tendon, to finish second on the Seahawks in receptions (65), targets (95), yards (923) and touchdowns (six).