Mike Klis of 9News reports the Broncos could show interest in veteran QB Tony Romo in the event the Cowboys cut him loose at some point this offseason.
A source in the Broncos’ football department didn’t rule out the possibility of bringing in Romo should he be available.
Klis mentions that the Cowboys would most likely prefer to trade Romo based on how this would impact their salary cap. However, Klis adds that the Broncos would probably only express interest in Romo if he’s released, as this would leave them in a better situation to negotiate a better contract with him.
Recent reports have said that the Broncos plan to have Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch compete for the job this summer, but it sounds like they’ll at least consider bringing in someone who can help them win now.
Last year, the Broncos had trade talks with the 49ers about a deal for Colin Kaepernick but nothing came of the discussions and Kaepernick spent the 2016 season with San Francisco after agreeing to a reduced contract.
If Romo is granted his release, he could choose his next team and prevent them from giving up assets that could be used to build a contender around him as part of a trade. On top of that, Romo may actually be able to negotiate a better contract with his next team, as compensation for him wouldn’t be factored in.
From the Cowboys’ standpoint, they would actually have more flexibility in terms of how they would manage the $19.6 million cap hit. Florio points out that if the Cowboys designate Romo as a post-June 1 release, they would incur a $10.7 million cap hit in 2017 and another $8.9 million in 2018.
Romo, 36, will be entering the fourth year of his seven-year, $119.5 million contract that included $55 million guaranteed. He stands to make base salaries of $14 million (2017), $19.5 million (2018) and $20.5 million (2019).
According to OverTheCap.com, releasing or trading Romo would free up $5.1 million in available cap space while creating a staggering $19.6 million in dead money, which figures to be a huge consideration for the Cowboys.
In 2016, Romo appeared in one game and completed three of four passing attempts for 29 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys.
We’ll have more regarding Romo as the news is available.
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