The New England Patriots aren’t the only team that will have to trade away a quarterback this offseason. While QB Jimmy Garoppolo will certainly be a desireable option for many teams, the crown jewel of the offseason is now expected to be Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo.
The Cowboys are moving forward with Dak Prescott as their franchise quarterback, which means that Romo has become expendable. Romo will have some say in where he winds up, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and he wants to go to the AFC.
“Romo, I'm told, already has eyes on the Broncos as a possible destination,” Rapoport reports, “if general manager John Elway decides Paxton Lynch needs another year and that Trevor Siemian isn't the guy. Other options, depending on a variety of factors, include the Bears, Jets, Cardinals, and Bills. When the Cowboys do trade him, they'll still have to deal with about a $20 million salary-cap hit. Romo will have significant say in the matter given that he will need to renegotiate his deal. He, essentially, could veto any move.”
The Broncos, Jets, and Bills are three of the top landing spots for Romo, especially since Cardinals QB Carson Palmer just signed an extension in August and the Cowboys will likely be more reluctant to trade Romo inside the conference.
The Broncos spent a first round pick on Paxton Lynch this past draft, but Denver has never shied away from making a splash if they believe it will help the team win. That said, it’s hard to see the oft-injured Romo wanting to play behind the Broncos terrible offensive line.
The Jets and Bills are other options. The Jets have a large collection of aging players and the Cowboys showed interest in DL Sheldon Richardson prior to the trade deadline; maybe there could be a player-for-player deal. The Bills have the best offensive line of the potential landing spots and Romo could play within a good offense that features WR Sammy Watkins, TE Charles Clay, and RB LeSean McCoy.
I could also see the Patriots sending Garoppolo to the Bears, which would limit the landing spots for Romo. It’s been a long time since there’s been a good quarterback other than Tom Brady in the division- pay some respect to Chad Pennington. Maybe Romo could make the twilight years of Brady and Bill Belichick more competitive than at any other point in the past fifteen years.