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Why the Cowboys couldn't trade Tony Romo in 2016, even if they wanted to
No team in the NFL has a quarterback situation quite like the Dallas Cowboys. With that being said, there probably isn’t a team out there that wouldn’t love to have the depth and talent at the position the Cowboys have.
You’ve heard the narrative before, and it’s a story line that won’t be going away any time soon: Tony Romo is sidelined with a back injury, while his replacement, Dak Prescott, is lighting it up for the 5-1 Cowboys and playing like an MVP candidate. He’s led Dallas to five straight wins and has his team sitting atop the NFC East, but Romo’s inevitable return is sure to happen in the next few weeks – assuming the Cowboys opt to go that route.
It would seem wise for coach Jason Garrett to reinsert the guy who led Dallas to a 12-4 record and a playoff win two years ago into the lineup, but that may not happen. There’s a chance Prescott remains the starter for the remainder of the year, especially if he beats the Eagles on Sunday and goes on to top the Browns two weeks from now.
Should the Cowboys opt to stick with the hot hand in Prescott, where does that leave Romo? Well, put simply, as the most expensive backup quarterback in the NFL. His cap hit this season is $20.835 million, which is $15 million more than the league’s costliest backup at the moment, Philadelphia's Chase Daniel. Having your second-string quarterback – who you should hope never has to see the field – account for 13 percent of the cap is not ideal, but it’s what the Cowboys have to deal with in 2016.
Why don’t they just trade Romo to the Jets, you ask? It’s not exactly financially possible, nor is it going to happen before next Tuesday’s trade deadline.
If the Cowboys were to somehow find a trade partner for Romo before next week, here’s how it would work in regard to their cap. According to OverTheCap.com, a trade of Romo this season would cost the Cowboys an additional $11.1 million in dead money, essentially bumping his cap hit from $20.835 million to $31.935 million. That would force the Cowboys to create more than $11 million in cap space, which isn’t exactly feasible.
A deal would accelerate his financial hit into this season’s cap, and the Cowboys can’t afford that. It’s not impossible, but it would take some significant restructuring and reworking on Dallas’ part.
On the other hand, trading him next season is very possible.
Should the Cowboys strike a deal in the offseason, sending Romo to another team, it will free up $5.4 million in cap space for Dallas next season. His cap hit would go from $24.7 million to $19.6 million, which wouldn’t be a bad idea. He’s going to make at least $19.6 million regardless in 2017, so why not free up some money on the books rather than paying him to be a backup?
Of course, this only works if Prescott is unequivocally ready to be the starter going forward. The Cowboys have to be completely convinced Prescott is the guy for the job, and that very question will probably be answered in the coming weeks. If the coaching staff and front office are confident enough in Prescott’s ability, causing them to keep him as the starter the rest of the way, we’ll get a good look at what the future holds for Dallas.
Prescott could easily lead the Cowboys to the playoffs and likely deep into them, which would likely all but end talk of Romo playing another down in Dallas. Cutting him next offseason is still a possibility, but the Cowboys would be foolish to not seek compensation in a trade.
A quarterback-needy team like the Jets, 49ers, Bears or Browns could use Romo’s services next season, and it wouldn’t require a king’s ransom to land him. If he doesn’t play a single snap this season, his trade value (as a result of his questionable health) will take a significant hit. If he’s put back into the lineup and leads the Cowboys to an NFC title game or beyond, Dallas could easily fetch a first-round pick, and possibly more.
After all, Sam Bradford netted the Eagles a first- and fourth-rounder; Romo is head-and-shoulders above Bradford on a hypothetical “QB hierarchy.”
The Cowboys have options with Romo, but almost none of them is conceivable this season. He’ll remain on the roster all year, even if he never steps foot on the field in 2016. That’s the reality Romo doubters have to deal with, but the upcoming offseason opens up a wealth of possible moves.
