Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cowboys QB Tony Romo request to be released during the offseason as opposed to being traded to a new team.
Reports have surfaced in the past week that Dallas’ top priority is to trade Romo. However, releasing him outright may actually make more sense for both parties, according to Florio.
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 and his future with the Cowboys as the news is available.
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