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Does added cap commitment to Romo decrease chances of QB in draft?
Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter
IRVING, Texas -- On Thursday, I wrote about the salary cap ramifications with the Dallas Cowboys restructuring Tony Romo's contract.
To boil it down: the Cowboys need Romo to play the next three years of the deal from a cap standpoint before they can feel good about possibly moving on. If he plays just one or two more years, the Cowboys will be in a pickle because of the dead money that would come about if he can't play at a high level or can't play at all.
Had they not restructured Romo's deal, the Cowboys could have saved $8.5 million in cap space in 2016 and taken a $10 million in 2017 if they wanted or needed to make him a post-June 1 cut. (By the way, I am not advocating getting rid of Romo at all. I'm just laying out scenarios that would be better financially for them.)
Those numbers are not the best, but they're certainly better than what would happen now.
In addition to the cap ramifications, I wonder if there is football ramification to the restructuring of Romo's contract as well.
For the last couple of years some have wondered when the Cowboys would look to the draft to find Romo's successor. To me, the odds say a team needs to take a quarterback in the first two rounds or possibly get lucky with a third rounder (Russell Wilson) to find a franchise quarterback. It's my belief that when the Cowboys are ready to move on from Romo or Romo is ready to retire, then that is the time to find his successor. The days of drafting a quarterback, letting him watch and develop off to the side are largely over.
So with the Cowboys making even more of a cap commitment to Romo with the restructuring of his deal and the need to see him play the next three years, does it make sense to draft a quarterback in 2015 past the second or third rounds?
It all depends on philosophy. I've laid out my philosophy. The Cowboys have drafted one quarterback since Romo has been the starter – Stephen McGee in the fourth round in 2009 – and he did not develop.
Past failings should not preclude a team from taking a player at any position, but value has to be considered.
So if you're thinking the Cowboys should draft Bryce Petty or Garrett Grayson or any other quarterback, maybe it's time to think again.
Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter
IRVING, Texas -- On Thursday, I wrote about the salary cap ramifications with the Dallas Cowboys restructuring Tony Romo's contract.
To boil it down: the Cowboys need Romo to play the next three years of the deal from a cap standpoint before they can feel good about possibly moving on. If he plays just one or two more years, the Cowboys will be in a pickle because of the dead money that would come about if he can't play at a high level or can't play at all.
Had they not restructured Romo's deal, the Cowboys could have saved $8.5 million in cap space in 2016 and taken a $10 million in 2017 if they wanted or needed to make him a post-June 1 cut. (By the way, I am not advocating getting rid of Romo at all. I'm just laying out scenarios that would be better financially for them.)
Those numbers are not the best, but they're certainly better than what would happen now.
In addition to the cap ramifications, I wonder if there is football ramification to the restructuring of Romo's contract as well.
For the last couple of years some have wondered when the Cowboys would look to the draft to find Romo's successor. To me, the odds say a team needs to take a quarterback in the first two rounds or possibly get lucky with a third rounder (Russell Wilson) to find a franchise quarterback. It's my belief that when the Cowboys are ready to move on from Romo or Romo is ready to retire, then that is the time to find his successor. The days of drafting a quarterback, letting him watch and develop off to the side are largely over.
So with the Cowboys making even more of a cap commitment to Romo with the restructuring of his deal and the need to see him play the next three years, does it make sense to draft a quarterback in 2015 past the second or third rounds?
It all depends on philosophy. I've laid out my philosophy. The Cowboys have drafted one quarterback since Romo has been the starter – Stephen McGee in the fourth round in 2009 – and he did not develop.
Past failings should not preclude a team from taking a player at any position, but value has to be considered.
So if you're thinking the Cowboys should draft Bryce Petty or Garrett Grayson or any other quarterback, maybe it's time to think again.
