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Jason Fitzgerald On Gronk, Romo, Giants, Chiefs

December 3rd, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Ben Levine

Who will be the top unrestricted free agents this offseason? Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com throws out several names that may not be tagged by their current teams (via Twitter): Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones, Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short, Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

The cap guru answered a number of additional questions last night on Twitter. We collected some of the highlights, which you can find below…

Considering his $7MM cap hit and low salary in 2017, Fitzgerald can’t envision the Patriots trading tight end Rob Gronkowski. We learned earlier this week that the 27-year-old needs back surgery, which should keep him out for the rest of the regular season.
Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram could ask for Ryan Kerrigan-money during free agency, according to Fitzgerald. The Redskins linebacker inked a five-year, $57.5MM extension with the team back in 2015.
Fitzgerald imagines that Chiefs safety Eric Berry still wants to be among the highest-paid defenders in the league, but he notes that the 27-year-old hasn’t received the buzz that often accompanies top free agents. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald could see the Chiefs spending to retain defensive tackle Dontari Poe, but he’s uncertain about defensive end Jaye Howard‘s future in Kansas City.
Fitzgerald believes the Cowboys should take whatever they can get for quarterback Tony Romo, with the writer referring to the conditional fourth-round pick sent from the Jets to the Packers in the Brett Favre trade. However, even if the team does trade the veteran signal-caller, Fitzgerald says the team’s cap situation will likely prevent them from being major players in free agency.
The Giants signed defensive end Olivier Vernon to a five-year, $85MM deal back in March, and Fitzgerald believes teammate Jason Pierre-Paul is likely to make even more money when he reaches free agency this winter. Ultimately, Fitzgerald predicts that the organization will franchise their star defender.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Romo, Agholor

December 2nd, 2016 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Where will Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo wind up this offseason? The Broncos, Jets, and Bears would be the most obvious fits for the Cowboys quarterback, NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal opines. Beyond those teams, the Cardinals could be a possibility if Carson Palmer retires. Meanwhile, the Bills and Texans represent “longshot” landing spots for the veteran. Buffalo already has a QB in Tyrod Taylor, but his contract gives them an out if they see Romo as the better option to win right now. In Houston, Brock Osweiler could use another QB to push him, but they’d probably look to a younger player.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

The Eagles will enter the offseason with just $9.6MM in cap space, meaning that they will have to make some moves in the spring. Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com runs down a handful of cap casualty candidates, but says that wide receiver Nelson Agholor is unlikely to get cut. That’s because cutting Agholor would leave $4.6MM in dead money on the cap versus $2.1MM in savings. The Eagles could theoretically trade him and absolve themselves of that dead money, but they’re not likely to find a strong market for him. High-priced players who could go include tackle Jason Peters, defensive lineman Connor Barwin, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson says there is a good chance Agholor is active this week, Shorr-Parks of NJ.com tweets. Agholor was a healthy scratch against Green Bay on Monday and Pederson has declined to give specifics on that decision. In other Agholor news, he remains under NFL investigation for his involvement in an alleged rape over the summer.
Is Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins playing himself into the $24MM/year range? One former agent says yes.
The Giants auditioned a quartet of safeties earlier this week.

Latest On Tony Romo’s Future

November 23rd, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declared last week that he does not intend to move on from quarterback Tony Romo after the season, but the belief around the NFL is that Dak Prescott‘s backup will be in another uniform in 2017, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.

While some expect the soon-to-be 37-year-old Romo to bring back a healthy return in a trade, general managers Schefter spoke to indicated otherwise. In the opinion of those GMs, Romo would net anywhere from a mid- to late-round conditional pick. One reason is that the Cowboys wouldn’t hold much leverage in trade talks because Jones, who’s close with Romo, would enable the four-time Pro Bowler to choose his next team. If that’s the case, the to-be-determined club wouldn’t have much incentive to surrender a significant pick for Romo, who’s due base salaries of $14MM, $19.5MM and $20.5MM over the final three years of his contract.

A high-end starter from 2006-14, Romo has played in just four games since the beginning of last season because of various injuries – including a broken bone in his back that left him inactive the first nine contests this year. When Romo went down during the preseason, the assumption was that he’d reclaim the starting job upon returning. But Prescott, a fourth-round rookie, had other ideas. The 23-year-old has gone from caretaker to star over the course of the season, having accounted for 21 touchdowns (17 passing, four rushing) against a meager two interceptions in the first 10 games of his career. Prescott also ranks third in the NFL in yards per attempt (8.35) and passer rating (108.6), and has helped the Cowboys to a league-best 9-1 record. The team hasn’t lost since dropping a 20-19 decision to the Giants in Week 1.

In the near term, Prescott’s brilliance has pushed Romo to the bench (he returned last Sunday in a No. 2 role). Down the line, it could lead Romo out of Dallas in the offseason. One potential suitor is the Broncos, who have gone 7-3 with roughly average play under center from Trevor Siemian.

The 24-year-old Siemian addressed the Romo rumors on Wednesday, telling Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, “Not too worried about it, truthfully. This is a really important game for us. We have plenty of focus toward this coming Sunday. You can’t worry about that stuff too much.”

Denver does indeed face a crucial matchup Sunday against AFC West rival Kansas City, which is also 7-3. While the Broncos and Chiefs currently hold playoff spots in the AFC, they’re looking up at the division-leading Raiders (8-2), and the reigning Super Bowl champions will likely need more from Siemian if they’re going to overtake Oakland. In his first year as a starter, Siemian has completed 60.1 percent of throws, averaged 6.97 yards per attempt and tossed 12 scores against seven picks. With Romo likely to hit the market after the season, Siemian could be playing for his job over the next several weeks.

Extra Points: Romo, Gase, House

November 20th, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up a few notes from around the league as the early Week 11 rage on:

We heard earlier today that retirement was a real possibility for Tony Romo at the end of the season, but Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Cowboys‘ newest backup quarterback fully plans to play in 2017 (Twitter link). If Romo did retire, Dallas could recoup $19.6MM from him, according to former NFL agent Joel Corry (via Twitter), which further supports the belief that Romo will not hang it up just yet.
The Dolphins have turned their season around in a big way, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports observes that first-year head coach Adam Gase is getting a great deal of credit both inside and outside the locker room. The players have responded to Gase’s no-nonsense, meritocratic approach, highlighted by his decision to release starting offensive linemen Billy Turner and Dallas Thomas, and his decision to leave Jay Ajayi home during the team’s Week 1 trip to Seattle (Ajayi’s subsequent breakout performance, of course, has been a big reason for Miami’s success). Gase has also stood steadfastly by quarterback Ryan Tannehill, which has done wonders for Tannehill’s confidence.
The Jaguars‘ signing of Davon House in 2015 was widely regarded as a shrewd move that added a young and ascending player to Jacksonville’s secondary. During the first half of this season, though, opponents were 16-of-19 passing for 204 yards and three touchdowns against House in man coverage, and as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union observes, House has been fully phased out of the team’s game plan. It seems likely that the Jags will part ways with House in the offseason, as they could save $6MM against the cap without absorbing any dead money.
49ers wideout Torrey Smith is unlikely to play today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). If Smith does not suit up, his streak of 89 consecutive regular season games played, which dates back to the first game of his rookie year in Baltimore, would come to an end.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com takes a look at two collegiate prospects who are generating a great deal of buzz: USC’s Adoree’ Jackson and South Alabama’s Gerald Everett. Brooks writes that Jackson could be one of the top prospects in the 2017 or 2018 class, and Everett could become the best tight end in the 2017 class, which is especially impressive considering that this year’s crop of tight ends is quite strong.

More Speculation On Tony Romo’s Future

November 20th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Rory Parks

Now that Tony Romo has formally conceded the Cowboys’ starting quarterback job to Dak Prescott, it is time to speculate where Romo will be next season. It is possible, of course, that he stays in Dallas, and many pundits believe it would make plenty of sense for the Cowboys to keep him around. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, for instance, says that given Prescott’s athleticism and running ability, he will always run a heightened chance of getting hurt, and Romo would easily represent the best insurance policy in the game. Plus, as a fourth-round draft choice this year, Prescott’s 2017 cap number is a meager $635K, and the Cowboys would eat $19.6MM in dead money if they were to cut or trade Romo next year.

As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Romo will talk with team owner Jerry Jones in the offseason, and the possibility that Romo returns to the Cowboys on a reworked contract is certainly on the table. Jones himself recently said, “I have no plans for [Romo] not to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys. Not a consideration.” (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).

There’s nothing else that Jones, ever the politician, would say at this point. But if the Cowboys do seek to trade Romo in the offseason, La Canfora and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirm that there would be a pretty healthy market for his services. Earlier this week, we heard that some NFL executives believe the Cowboys could get as much as a second-round pick for Romo, though others are more bearish on his value. In any event, since Romo’s contract would have to be renegotiated to make a trade work, he will have a great deal of say in where he winds up next season.

Rapoport hears that Romo “has his eyes on the Broncos” as a potential destination, assuming Denver determines that Paxton Lynch is not ready to go in 2017 and that Trevor Siemian is not the answer. The Cardinals also look like a strong possibility, and the Bears, Jets, and Bills could theoretically be interested in Romo if the circumstances are right.

And, although Jason Witten has recently stated that he does not believe Romo will retire anytime soon, Rapoport says that retirement remains a possibility, depending on how Romo’s body feels. If he does choose to hang up the cleats, Rapoport believes Romo will continue to work in the Cowboys’ organization in some capacity given his close personal relationship with the Joneses.

NFL Execs On Tony Romo’s Trade Value

November 18th, 2016 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys insist that Tony Romo is still a part of their plans going forward, but that hasn’t stopped speculation on whether Romo could be traded this offseason and what his price tag could be. Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports checked in with a handful of NFL executives to gauge Romo’s trade value and got a wide range of answers.

One GM feels the Cowboys could get as much as a second-round pick, provided that the Romo could pass a physical. Another executive predicted the Cowboys could ask for a second or third. Another said a third was the absolute max Dallas could get. Other responses ranged from a sixth-round choice to a conditional late-round pick.

“Imagine me going to [the owner] and saying, ‘Listen, I’m going to make a trade for a 36-year-old that’s got back issues that’s a backup,’ ” one anonymous GM said. “He’d be like, ‘You’re crazy.’ ”

Of course, it’s hard to peg Romo’s value without having a good handle on his health or the quarterback landscape in the offseason. Romo’s market would vary depending on which teams needed a quarterback and exactly how desperate they are. As I have noted before, this year’s draft class is pretty thin at QB, and that could help the Cowboys’ case if they choose to deal their one-time franchise star.

The executives mentioned the Jets, Broncos, Cardinals (if they were to dump Carson Palmer) and Bears as possible suitors. The 49ers need a QB, but as Pelissero notes, Romo isn’t a great fit for Chip Kelly‘s offense.

Latest On Tony Romo, Rolando McClain

November 17th, 2016 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Before his classy press conference, Tony Romo politely lobbied Cowboys brass for an open quarterback competition, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com writes. Not wanting to mess with their success, the Cowboys didn’t go for it.

“Tony’s smart,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “He’s very bright. And so when he came out and said it, in the end, I don’t think it took him long to figure that wouldn’t be a great thing for the team. We’ve got a good thing, and no one wants Dak looking over his shoulder.”

With a league-best 8-1 record, it’s no surprise that the Cowboys have decided to go with Prescott, but Romo’s petition to play was also expected. The veteran has taken the news hard, but he has also handled the situation with class.

Here’s more out of Dallas:

Jones says that having Tony Romo on the team next year is tenable, even when considering his contract, Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram tweets. Jones added that he believes Romo is capable of quarterbacking a Super Bowl team and he has “no plans for him not to be a part” of the Cowboys (Twitter links). Romo is currently slated to earn a $14MM salary for the 2017 season and, in theory, Dallas could cut him for $5.1MM in cap savings. They could also find a decent trade market for No. 9. Multiple teams will be seeking a quarterback and there will be very few quality options in this year’s draft class.
Jones says Rolando McClain will not be back with team when his suspension is formally lifted on Monday, Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram tweets. That doesn’t necessarily rule out a McClain return at some point this season, though the Cowboys might not want to go down that road. The linebacker reportedly wants to rejoin the team for the final stretch of the season.
Teammate Jason Witten doesn’t think Tony Romo is thinking about retiring anytime soon.

Cowboys Organization Torn On Romo, Prescott

November 16th, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Tony Romo has graciously accepted his new role as the Cowboys’ backup quarterback, and some in the organization are now hoping he steps aside for good at the end of the season, reports Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Even though injuries limited Romo to four games in 2015 and sidelined him for the Cowboys’ first nine contests this season, there’s no indication that the soon-to-be 37-year-old is considering retirement.

Longtime teammate and Hall of Fame-bound tight end Jason Witten indicated Wednesday that Romo’s nowhere near done, saying, “I don’t think he’s planning on retiring anytime soon. I wouldn’t bet against him” (Twitter links via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News).

Witten added that “it hasn’t entered anyone’s mind” that Romo has taken his last snap as a Cowboy, but it’s a possibility with the way rookie Dak Prescott has fared. Dallas has gone an NFL-best 8-1 with the fourth-rounder at the helm, and Prescott has been one of the NFL’s most effective quarterbacks in the process.

In the first action of his pro career, Prescott has accounted for 18 touchdowns (14 passing, four rushing) against two interceptions and completed 66.8 percent of his 280 aerial attempts. Moreover, Prescott ranks third in the league in yards per attempt (8.35) and fourth in passer rating (106.2), yet some on the Cowboys’ staff still expect the team to need Romo this season, according to Robinson. A team source told Robinson that four of the Cowboys’ wins this year could have been losses, implying that luck has been on Prescott’s side. While the Cowboys have gone 4-1 in one-score games this year, the source’s critique would hold more weight if the Prescott-led club didn’t have the league’s best point differential (plus-88) and third-ranked DVOA backing up its record.

In the event Romo does take the reins back sometime this year – whether through an injury to Prescott or a dip in the 23-year-old’s performance – it would provide much-needed closure to the organization, Robinson writes. By returning to the helm, Romo would answer on the field whether he or Prescott is the better man for the job at present.

Of course, if Prescott continues to thrive, Romo’s playing days in Dallas could indeed be finished. The Cowboys reportedly aren’t considering a Romo trade, but if they do shop him during the offseason and don’t find a taker, releasing him to collect $5.1MM in cap savings would become a possibility. If that happens, it’s conceivable Romo could remain in the state and sign with the Texans, tweets Robinson (links here). However, Robinson notes that the Texans’ cap situation would likely require Romo to take a significant pay cut compared to the $14MM salary he’s scheduled to rake in next season.

The Broncos would also be in the mix for Romo, adds Robinson, though the Texans clearly have the bigger need. While Broncos starter Trevor Siemian has been mediocre in 2016, former Denver passer and current Texan Brock Osweiler has been an abject disaster in his first year in Houston. Osweiler, who received $37MM in guarantees from the Texans during the offseason, ranks last among 33 qualifying QBs in yards per attempt (5.61) and 31st in passer rating (74.1). The Texans have gone 6-3 in spite of Osweiler, which makes one wonder how much better they’d perform with a healthy Romo (not to mention J.J. Watt) in 2017.

Cowboys Have Not Pondered Tony Romo Trade

November 16th, 2016 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Now that Dak Prescott has been anointed as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback, speculation has been rampant about Tony Romo‘s future with the organization. If Prescott’s success continues, it certainly stands to reason that the Cowboys could trade Romo to allow him to start elsewhere and allow themselves to add a draft pick. However, the Cowboys have not yet considered that possibility, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

There’s a strong belief within the organization that they may need Romo around at some point. Meanwhile, one league source believes that the Cowboys will not be able to retain the veteran if Prescott continues to play well. Two other league sources say that Romo will be in high demand this offseason because he offers experience at a notoriously thin position and he comes at a reasonable salary for the next three years.

Of course, the Cowboys have lots of time to ponder the possibility of trading Romo. Now that the trade deadline has passed, Dallas is in no rush to gauge the market and, as Cole cautioned, circumstances can certainly change between now and the end of the season. If Prescott were to falter badly or get injured, that could open the door for Romo this year and make him a necessary piece for 2017.

Tony Romo On Status As Cowboys No. 2 QB

November 15th, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Tony Romo will be active this Sunday for the first time all season, but as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced over the weekend, Romo will serve as rookie quarterback Dak Prescott‘s backup rather than as the club’s starter. In an extremely impressive statement, Romo today acknowledged his new role, and vowed that he would act not as a distraction, but as a mentor.

“[F]ootball is a meritocracy,” said Romo (video link). “You aren’t handed anything. You earn everything every single day single day, over and over again. You have to prove it. That’s the way that the NFL, that’s the way that football works. A great example of this is Dak Prescott and what he’s done.

He’s earned the right to be our quarterback. As hard as that is for me to say, he’s earned that right. He’s guided our team to an 8-1 record, and that’s hard to do. If you think for a second that I don’t want to be out there, then you’ve probably never felt the pure ecstasy of competing and winning. That hasn’t left me.”

Romo, who referenced the difficulty of facing injury for two consecutive seasons, seeing a successor emerge, and hearing whispers that his career may be nearing its end, admitted that this season has been “the darkest it’s ever been” (from a personal level), and confessed that being sidelined can lead one to feel like an outsider. Additionally, Romo conceded that watching the Cowboys succeed without him is “not always easy to watch,” but made clear that he won’t force the club’s hand as they choose their quarterback going forward.