Report: Cowboys’ No 1 Priority Will Be To Trade QB Tony Romo This Offseason

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Cowboys’ No. 1 priority this offseason will be to try to trade veteran QB Tony Romo.

Rapoport mentions that the Chiefs, Texans, Bears and Bills as teams who may have at least some interest in trading for Romo.

Meanwhile, Mike Garafolo suggests the Jets as a potential landing spot this offseason, given that they could really use an upgrade at quarterback.

This past weekend, Rapoport reported that the Broncos are Romo’s preferred destination. However, Rapoport added that the Broncos are not inclined to trade for Romo next year, despite some questions about their quarterback position moving forward.

“It’s no secret that his No. 1 spot would be the Denver Broncos, but from what I understand that is not something the Broncos are not inclined to do,” Rapoport said. “Then you start to think about where can he go? Maybe the Bills, maybe the Bears, maybe the Texans. All of those things would have to be a perfect fit. And from the people I’m talking to, trading Tony Romo would be a lot harder immediately this offseason than anyone really anticipated.”

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported a month ago that Romo may actually prefer to be released by the Cowboys, as opposed to being traded during the offseason.

This makes sense from Romo’s perspective, as he could maximize his options and sign with a team of his choosing instead of playing for whoever offers the Cowboys the best return package.

It’s worth mentioning that some reports have said the Cowboys are likely to do what they can to help Romo land in the best spot for him next year if they do, in fact, choose to move on from him.

Romo is shaping up to be one of the top storylines of the offseason, so you can expect to see several more updates posted in the coming weeks/months.

Romo, 36, is in the third year of his seven-year, $119.5 million contract that included $55 million guaranteed. He stands to make base salaries of $8.5 million (2016), $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.