Tony Romo - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: Romo, Washington, Prosinski

November 6th, 2014 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

While Tony Romo has been plagued by back injuries within the last year, recently being forced to the bench with two small fractures in his back, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t expect the quarterback to retire anytime soon, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com.

“I think it’s realistic for him to play five more years,” Jones said of Romo. “I’m aware of his back. Only God knows what is in store for his back. I’ve seen backs out there that you wouldn’t believe how they look on the MRIs and how they look on X-rays. If you’re concerned about his future, then look at his age, and you might say, boy, you need to be thinking about a time when he doesn’t play. I don’t look at it much differently than that with his back, because there have been three very different types of injuries that have caused him to miss games with his back.”

While we wait to see if Romo returns to the field in London this weekend against the Jaguars, as is expected, let’s check in on a few items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions….

Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes an early look at Washington‘s salary cap situation for 2015, including identifying a handful of players who could be cut before next season. While there’s been no indication from the team that those players are in danger of being released, defensive end Stephen Bowen, nose tackle Barry Cofield, and guard Chris Chester are among the players who potentially fit the bill due to a combination of age and cap numbers, says Tandler.
Safety Chris Prosinski‘s new deal with the Eagles is for two years, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That doesn’t necessarily mean the former Jaguar will stick in Philadelphia for the 2015 season, but if things goes well this year, he’ll be an inexpensive option in the secondary for next year.
Jets GM John Idzik was “clearly miffed” by a prank that involved a plane flying over Wednesday’s practice with a banner that read “Fire John Idzik,” according to George Willis of the New York Post, who adds that Idzik vowed the Jets will get things straightened out.
Earlier today, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly addressed rumors that his team had “soured” on quarterback Nick Foles.

Cowboys Notes: Bryant, Randle, Romo, Jones

November 2nd, 2014 at 6:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Cowboys’ receiver Dez Bryant signed with Roc Nation earlier today, and they wll negotiate his next contract, presumably with his current team. Bryant is looking forward to signing a long-term extension, but would be “highly disappointed” if the team places the franchise tag on him, reports Jon Machota of DallasNews.com.

Backup running back Joseph Randle had rubbed Bryant the wrong way this week, but all is forgiven according Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Bryant accepted Randle’s apology, and they have put the incident in the past.
Although quarterback Tony Romo missed today’s game against the Cardinals, he will make the trip to London next week to play the Jaguars, writes Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com (via Twitter). He will prepare to play against the Jaguars.
Owner Jerry Jones expects Romo to play, reports . “I do see him playing,” said Jones. “He’s going on the trip to London, and logic tells you that we wouldn’t have him make that trip to London and back if we didn’t think he was going to play, so it does depend on the type of week he has at practice. But if he has the week we expect, he should be our quarterback.”

NFC East Notes: Romo, Bryant, RG3, Lee

November 2nd, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Dallas Robinson

After suffering two transverse process fractures in his back during Monday’s game against Washington, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will not play in today’s contest against the Cardinals, reports Desmond Purnell of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Ex-Brown Brandon Weeden, who filled in briefly for Romo on Monday night, will get the start against the league’s seventh-best defense by DVOA. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), Romo decided last night that he wouldn’t be able to go today, and the Dallas coaching staff is already preparing for Romo to not travel to London for Week 10, and instead use the time to fully heal. It’s a major development for a Cowboys team that, at 6-2, can’t afford to lose many games with the 5-2 Eagles chasing them in the standings. Here’s more from the NFC East.

Set to enter free agency this offseason unless an extension is worked out, Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has left agent Eugene Parker and opted to team with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter). Roc Nation, who also boasts Victor Cruz and Ndamukong Suh on its client list, might try to begin long-term contract talks with Dallas, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in August that there was no need to accelerate the discussions. Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo tweets that as of yet, the Cowboys have only shown a willingness to discuss an extension if the terms are extremely team-friendly. The club could use the franchise tag on Bryant in 2015, which would guarantee him ~$12-14MM.
Sources tell Schefter that Washington’s decision to start Robert Griffin III against the Vikings came from upper management, rather than head coach Jay Gruden. Ownership reportedly supports Griffin more than his teammates do, as evidenced by a scene on Friday, when Griffin spoke to the media for the first time since Week 2. Per Schefter, roughly 15 teammates began shouting while Griffin spoke. Ultimately, reporters and the quarterback had to leave the locker room so Griffin could be heard — at that point, the “cheering” became even louder. According to Schefter’s colleague Britt McHenry, the third-year QB has “alienated himself” from the locker room.
When he returns from injury in 2015, Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee will likely play weakside linebacker, rather than the middle, Jones tells 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (link via Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com). Dallas will presumably rely on Rolando McClain, who has played well this season, to man MLB.

NFC Notes: Romo, Bears, Barron, Rams

November 1st, 2014 at 6:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

With teams around the league preparing for Week 9’s slate of Sunday games, let’s check in on a few Saturday links from across the NFC….

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has two transverse process fractures in his back, reports David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Romo’s status for the next two games is questionable, but with two other QBs – Brandon Weeden and David Vaughan – already on the 53-man roster, the team shouldn’t have to make any moves even if Romo sits.
The Bears will get receiver Marquess Wilson back from a broken collarbone he suffered in early August, potentially as early as November 9th against the Packers, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Santonio Holmes and Josh Morgan have combined for only 12 catches and fewer than 100 yards filling in for Wilson. However, Wilson only had two catches in 10 games in 2013, so his return alone won’t guarantee an improvement on offense.
In his weekly notes piece at NFL.com, Albert Breer of the NFL Network spoke to a Rams source about the team’s decision to acquire safety Mark Barron from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. “We thought he was a good system fit,” the source said. “And he’s just 25, so there’s plenty of room for growth.” Breer also points out that, considering the Rams already have the league’s youngest roster, it doesn’t necessarily need to keep adding a ton of the young middle-of-the-roster talent that fourth- and sixth-round picks usually become.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Romo, Rams, Keenum, Broncos

October 28th, 2014 at 10:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Tony Romo left last night’s game against the Redskins during the third quarter with a back injury, but ultimately returned to play the fourth quarter and overtime. Per Ian Fitzsimmons of ESPN Radio in Dallas (via Twitter), Romo’s season is not in jeopardy. However, the Cowboys’ quarterback’s short-term health could be a concern, and he will be labeled “questionable,” at best, for Sunday’s contest against the Cardinals. Here’s more from around the league.

The Rams took on about $902K in 2014 cap charges when they acquired Mark Barron from the Bucs earlier today, and as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes, St. Louis only had roughly $540K in cap room, meaning the club likely had to restructure another player’s contract in order to fit Barron on the roster. Fitzgerald also writes that the new CBA was central to this trade — though Barron was a first-round pick, his guarantees are still relatively low, enabling Tampa Bay to take on his dead money without causing much financial discomfort.
Quarterback Case Keenum was waived by the Rams in order to clear a spot for Barron, but it’s fair to wonder if he could soon find another job with the Ravens. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com points out (Twitter link), Keenum has a familiarity with Baltimore offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak from the duo’s time in Houston. The Ravens were rumored to be looking for an upgrade over backup QB Tyrod Taylor during the offseason.
Sources tell Mike Klis and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post that although several teams were interested in trading for Broncos cornerback Tony Carter, no club was willing to part a “significant draft pick” in order to acquire the defensive back. We first heard last Friday that carter was drawing interest around the league, but the 28-year-old will finish out the season with Denver.
A torn biceps is a season-ending injury for most players, but Eagles offensive lineman Todd Herremans will attempt to play through the ailment, write Jeff McLane and Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce should return to the Birds’ line soon, so if Herremans can manage his health concern, Philadelphia should have its Week 1 starting offensive line together again soon.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News wasn’t impressed with Jets general manager John Idzik’s Monday state-of-the-franchise press conference, and doesn’t believe Idzik should be allowed to hire a new coach if Rex Ryan is let go.

Tony Romo Exits With Back Injury

October 27th, 2014 at 10:16pm CST by Rory Parks

10:14pm: Romo has returned to the game to a standing ovation, and will attempt to lead a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

9:28pm: Tony Romo has exited tonight’s game against Washington with an apparent lower back injury. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Romo took a knee directly to his back, near the area where he underwent surgery. He was escorted to Dallas’ locker room after laying on the field for several minutes. He did walk off under his own power, but was walking very gingerly. We will pass along any further updates if they become available.

NFC Links: Greenway, Graham, Riddick

July 7th, 2014 at 6:06pm CST by Matt Feminis

Vikings veteran linebacker Chad Greenway, coming off a disappointing 2013 season in which a wrist injury affected his play, is a player with “something to prove,” according to ESPN’s Ben Goessling: “Greenway took a paycut after a disappointing 2013 season with the Vikings, and he has just one year left on his contract after this season. The Vikings would have to count only a $1.7 million bonus proration against their 2015 cap if they cut Greenway after this season, and they’d save $7.1 million, meaning Greenway could be looking at another contract restructure or a release if he doesn’t pick things up at age 31 this season.”

Here’s some more NFC-related reading:

ESPN’s Mike Triplett did his best to clarify an arbitrator’s ruling that — for the purpose of the Saints’ franchise tag designation — Jimmy Graham was a tight end, in part, because of the so-called “4-yard benchmark.”
Late last month, Tim Twentyman wrote about Lions running back Theo Riddick turning heads with an impressive spring which caught the eye of head coach Jim Caldwell in particular. Now backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky is adding to the hype. Talking on Ross Tucker’s podcast, Orlovsky said, “I’m telling you, if [Riddick] doesn’t 50 catches this year, I’ll be surprised because he’s going to have opportunities and he’s very talented at it. I think he’s going to play that Sproles role, for sure.”
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is rehabbing from back surgery for the second consecutive offseason, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, but Romo says his conditioning is “miles ahead of last year.”
Barry Church will hold down one safety spot for the Cowboys, but his running mate is to be determined. Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com thinks it will come down to J.J. Wilcox or Jakar Hamilton. “Wilcox has lost weight and is playing with better movement along with a better understanding of what his responsibilities are,” says Broaddus. Matt Johnson, a 2012 fourth-rounder out of Eastern Washington, is the most talented of the bunch, according to Broaddus, but Johnson hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
The Redskins drafted Josh LeRibeus in the third round in 2012 anticipating he would develop into a starter. Two years later, he must prove himself a capable backup just to stick on the roster, writes Mike Jones in the Washington Post.
In a rundown of NFC South depth chart notes, Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness recognized the encouraging play of a pair of 2013 rookies: Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead and Buccaneers running back Mike James, both of whom made the most of limited opportunity.

Cowboys Notes: Orton, Romo, Jones

July 1st, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Ben Levine

The Kyle Orton–Cowboys standoff continues, but Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News says that there’s nothing for fans to worry about. After all, if Tony Romo gets hurt for a significant amount of time, the team “is doomed” either way. That may sound relatively pessimistic, but the writer seems to be on to something.

Gosselin looked at the success of backup quarterbacks from around the league. In 2013, starters won about 54 percent of the time while the backups only won 35 percent of their starts. Since 2000, backups have won 41 percent of their games, but that number is a bit misleading because of two outliers (Tom Brady‘s 11-3 record in 2001 and Ben Roethlisberger‘s 13-0 record in 2004).

The Cowboys could hold on to the dependable Orton, but history doesn’t suggest success if he’s thrust into a starting role. Instead, the team will hope he retires. As Gosselin notes, Orton would have to repay the Cowboys $3MM of his $5MM signing bonus if he decides to hang up the cleats. If he is cut, the Cowboys are responsible for the entire bonus.

Let’s see what else is happening in the Cowboys organization…

In a likely effort to avoid a third back surgery, Tony Romo told David Moore of The Dallas Morning News that he has given up golf. Golf is more than a hobby to Romo – the quarterback has won a number of amateur tournaments and nearly qualified for the U.S. Open. However, Romo understands what he needs to do to stay healthy. “It’s not just golf. It’s a way you live life,” he said. “I don’t think about it as [giving up] golf. It’s just life. You want to give yourself the best chance to succeed on the football field.”
Former Cowboys running back Felix Jones is still confident he’ll be in the NFL next season. The 27-year-old appeared in 16 games for the Steelers last season but only ran for 184 yards in a backup role. “I know something is going to happen, I have a gut feeling,” Jones said, via Kieran Steckley of TulsaWorld.com. “I just have to stay prepared for it…I played the game for a few years. I kinda got the hang for what’s going on in the NFL at my position. I know I can teach younger guys. Obviously I still got some gas in my motor.”

NFC East Links: Frederick, Romo, Murray, Foles, Boykin, Wilson

June 27th, 2014 at 9:14am CST by Matt Feminis

The Cowboys were criticized when they drafted center Travis Frederick 31st overall last year. In the immediate aftermath of the 2013 draft, Mel Kiper Jr. said (subscription required) Frederick was his 87th rated player and the team “drafted a player I thought they could have taken at least 30 spots later.” Mike Mayock had a third-round grade on Frederick, and called the selection “a little bit of a reach.” However, Frederick rewarded the Cowboys confidence by making the NFL All-Rookie Team, and he’s poised to anchor the offensive line for the remainder of the decade, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

Here’s a few more NFC East links:

Tony Romo‘s 2013 season was put under the microscope by Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo, who concluded Romo excelled with a clean pocket, but was among the league’s worst when pressured.
Cowboys writers weighed in on the future of DeMarco Murray, and all of them mentioned the running back’s need to disprove durability concerns. However, Bryan Broaddus stated, “regardless of what [Murray] does in 2014, it will most likely not get this front office to pay him what he believes he is worth.” Broaddus also cited Marion Barber as a cautionary tale and one that might dissuade Dallas from investing heavily into Murray’s future.
Eagles quarterback Nick Foles got the same treatment from PFF. Interestingly, 92.5 percent of his dropbacks came from the shotgun or pistol formation, and he rated as one of the league’s best deep-ball throwers. Foles also threw the league’s highest percentage of crossing routes and screens.
Tim McManus of Phillymag.com explains why the Eagles desire big, long cornerbacks to play outside, while Brandon Boykin (six interceptions and league-leading 13.3 coverage rating from PFF) will likely remain a slot defender extraordinaire.
Giants running back David Wilson, recovering from neck surgery, is hoping to be cleared for contact on July 21 when he undergoes a crucial medical examination, writes ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

Extra Points: Raiders, Romo, Pats, Cowboys

May 14th, 2014 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Jack Bechta of the National Football Post is sick and tired of seeing people talk about players “slipping” and teams “reaching” for certain guys. In reality, there is no such thing as “slips and reaches” in the draft, since players go to the team that wants and needs them at a certain pick. There was a lot of talk about the supposed slides of Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater, but Bechta doesn’t think much of it. Here’s more from around the NFL..

The Raiders‘ draft class has real potential, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. While some have been critical of Oakland for not addressing their wide receiver need, Bair praises GM Reggie McKenzie for sticking to his board and getting the best player available. The Raiders could have taken an impact WR at No. 36, for example, but they went for Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr instead.
With talk about whether the Cowboys should draft a quarterback to eventually replace Tony Romo so prevalent, executive vice president Stephen Jones said he wanted to remind Romo about the team’s commitment to him by not taking a QB in the draft, writes ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins. For his part, Romo’s confidence never wavered. “We did it, everybody had a visit with him along the way,” Jones told SiriusXM. “Jerry [Jones, Cowboys owner/GM] included, myself included, and told him how this is his football team and how much we think of him and with all the rumors flying around not to pay attention to that. His response is, as you might expect from Tony, it was ‘Well if you decide to, it ain’t going to matter, there’s not anybody out there that can beat me out.”
Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com wonders if the Patriots will hit with undrafted free agent Asa Watson. The North Carolina State tight end, who is the younger brother of former Pats first-rounder Ben Watson, has skill but has been hampered by a heart condition in recent years.
Many have been critical of the Cowboys‘ pick of Anthony Hitchens out of Iowa, but Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News defends Dallas’ pick. The main knock on Hitchens is his height (6’0″), but the linebacker can succeed in a Tampa 2 scheme.