Tony Romo, Risk or Reward?
The NFL season is officially over. And one of the biggest question marks for the NFL this offseason is the fate of Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo. This past season, a preseason injury sidelined the 37 year-old long enough for Dak Prescott to come in claim the top spot. The rest was history for Prescott’s Cowboys. Meanwhile Romo watched from the sidelines as his team slipped away from him. In a way it was sad to watch. You had to wonder if he’d ever play again. If he’d find a team to call home or if this was it for Romo.
To be honest, we still have to wonder about that. Romo is 37 years old for god’s sake. He’s not the mobile QB he once was. He’s sustained multiple, major injuries in recent years. And there’s no certainty that he’ll get healthier. After all, he’s not getting any younger. He’s no spring chicken anymore, and he’s certainly no Tom Brady (a man who, at 39 years old, is in some of the best shape of his whole career). No, Romo plain and simple is a risk.
And the kicker is that he’ll probably look for a lot of money in free agency. And the Cowboys, too, will look to get value for their long time starter if they pursue a trade. Such teams as Denver, Houston, Chicago, Buffalo, Kansas City and the New York Jets have been mentioned among the contenders for Romo. But what will these teams have to give up to acquire him?
Granted, Romo is quite the temptation for teams searching for a starting QB. All of the aforementioned franchises (with the possible exception of Kansas City) are desperate for a good starter under center. It’s the difference between mediocrity and the playoffs. Thing about Romo is, he’s been considered a top ten QB for years. In his last 16-game season, he led Dallas to a 12-4 record and the NFC East title. Not to mention, he’s been named to four Pro Bowls. Time has shown he can make plays; he’s an acrobatic guy that knows how to move in the pocket and throw the ball long.
But we just can’t look past his injury woes. Back in 2013, Romo began to battle some serious back pain. It culminated in a major injury against the Redskins in week 16. The following Friday, he underwent back surgery and was forced to sit out against the Eagles. The Cowboys ended up losing and missing the playoffs. And honestly, Romo hasn’t been the same since. In 2014, he was listed as probable for 16 straight weeks. In 2015, a fractured left clavicle and a broken left collarbone sidelined him for 12 more weeks. The Cowboys went 4-12, and the only good to come of it was Ezekiel Elliott. After his back fracture in 2016, Romo has missed all but four games over the past two years.
What team would reasonably gamble on such a player? It’s like the football equivalent of eating stale cookies just because they were bought from Mrs. Fields. He’s got the name recognition, sure. But that’s it at this point. Maybe it would be different if the Cowboys had shopped him at the end of 2014. At least then there was hope, but now? I don’t think so.
The Cowboys will no doubt seek to release or trade Romo, thereby freeing up $5.1 million in cap space. My guess is, they’ll try to shop him around, find nothing, and let him go early in the offseason. The question, then, is who will bite? No doubt, Romo will demand a starter’s salary wherever he goes. That’s somewhere around $14 million. But at the most, he’s got to be worth $10 million.
With the Patriots’ Jimmy Garoppolo expected to move elsewhere, teams will no doubt be looking to go in that direction first. After all, QB is the most essential position in the game. It’s not a position you can fill by shopping in the bargain bin. Garoppolo demonstrated in the first four weeks of 2016 that he could lead a team to success. Chances are, the Pats will receive some pretty offers for their young backup. If I were John Elway or any other GM I’d gather my resources to try and snag the fresh and talented Garoppolo before taking a risk on the old, injury-prone Tony Romo.
Then again, this is the NFL. Some team will take their chance on him. And they may just suffer some major disappointment and financial heartache in the process.
