ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports the Cowboys are looking to trade Tony Romo with the Texans and Broncos as potential landing spots. This after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Cowboys plan to release Romo allowing him to be a free agent. There was some speculation that Romo has an unspoken agreement with Jerry Jones that he will not land with any rival teams (i.e. Washington Redskins). Dallas does not have much leverage in the trade market with teams knowing the Cowboys cannot afford to keep a backup quarterback with a $24 million cap hit. Secondly, Romo has not played a full season since 2014 and at 36 years old there is concern that his best days are behind him. To encourage teams to take the risk, Romo is reportedly willing to sign an incentive-laden deal that is based on how many games he plays. There is a shortage of starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and Romo has plenty of suitors that are willing to take on the risk. A trade would allow a team the assurance they have the quarterback rather than competing with other teams in free agency. If he becomes a free agent, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Romo will be doing a "Peyton Manning-style tour" and will not be making a quick decision on what is likely his final stop of a long NFL career. Heavy takes a look at the latest news and rumors to rank the teams who are most likely to end up with Romo. Teams are listed in order from least to greatest chance to land Romo. Click the arrow on the right side of the above photo to see Heavy's top five teams in the Romo sweepstakes. (Getty)
No. 5 Chicago Bears
Rumors: The USA Today lists the Bears as one of the teams with potential interest in Romo. The Bears have a better chance in the trade market.
Pros: The Bears are one of the iconic teams in the NFL, but their play on the field has not lived up to the Bears of old. John Fox does have experience working with veteran quarterbacks and has been able to get the most out of them late in their career. Chicago has high draft picks with the ability to bring in several young pieces to pair with Romo.
Cons: Chicago needs more time to complete their rebuild. Romo will likely land with a contender, and Chicago needs more assets to be able to compete. The Bears also have their eyes on former Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon.
Prediction: The Bears could land a visit with Romo, but it is unlikely to move further than preliminary discussion. (Getty)
No. 4 San Francisco 49ers
Rumors: CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported the 49ers are "doing work" to make a run at Romo.
Pros: San Francisco is getting a do-over with GM John Lynch and new head coach Kyle Shanahan trying to give the franchise a face lift. Romo would have a lot of input on the offense and the direction of the team.
Cons: The 49ers are in the beginning stages of a rebuild. Does Romo have the time the franchise would need to put a winning product around him. San Francisco has a few talented pieces but has more holes to fill than any other team on this list. Romo is likely to say "Thanks, but no thanks." If the 49ers do make a run at the veteran quarterback, fans cannot fault Lynch and Shannahan for trying.
Prediction: Romo is looking for a contender and the 49ers need more time to make that happen. (Getty)
No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs
Rumors: NFL Network's James Palmer reported the Chiefs are firmly committed to Alex Smith and have no plans to pursue Romo.
Pros: Plans can change, and the Chiefs make the most sense of any team if the powers at be decided they wanted to make it work. Kansas City has the most talented roster of any team on this list. They have been able to make a deep playoff run under Smith but stopped just short of being a contender. Kansas City would be wise to reconsider their stance on Romo. Depending on the contract he will command, the Chiefs should look at bringing him in on a short-term deal. Smith is not a bad quarterback, but he does not appear to be a Super Bowl caliber signal caller. Kansas City has the defense, receivers and running game to make them a contender with a healthy Romo.
Cons: The obvious con is the Chiefs lack of interest if the reports are true. Nobody wants to go where they are unwanted and all indications are Romo wants to be pursued in free agency. From a personnel standpoint, there is not much to not like.
Prediction: Chiefs would be the instant favorite if they threw their name into the race, but Kansas City looks to be prepared for another season with Alex Smith at quarterback. (Getty)
No. 2 Denver Broncos
Rumors: Broncos president Joe Ellis noted it would be "interesting to see what we do." He also said the team plans to be "aggressive" in free agency. Romo is expected to be in the discussion per a 9News report.
Pros: The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Denver also has two veteran receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. John Elway has experience luring a veteran quarterback to Denver. He was able to get Peyton Manning to sign on the dotted line despite no shortage of suitors for Manning's services. The Broncos are just one season removed from winning the Super Bowl. Denver still has many of the pieces that helped them hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 2016.
Cons: Denver's offensive line is underwhelming which is putting it mildly. In Romo's last two games he has has sustained injuries which forced him to miss the majority of the season. His injuries happened behind what many to consider to be the best offensive line in football. Is he willing to take the punishment that will likely come behind Denver's line? Denver may be able to make some changes, but the team is unlikely to be able to drastically improve it. The Broncos also have Paxton Lynch who they drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft. Lynch essentially red-shirted his rookie season, and it will be interesting to see if he factors in at all with the Broncos decision.
Prediction: Romo will strongly consider the Broncos. If things fall through in Houston, Romo ends up in Denver. As it stands now, Romo passes on withstanding the punishment behind Denver's offensive line. (Getty)
No. 1 Houston Texans
Rumors: Both The Washington Post and ESPN have listed Houston as the leading candidate for Romo. The Texans seem prepared to move away from the Brock Osweiler experiment after just one season.
Pros: Romo and his family get to stay in the state of Texas easing the transition. Although, this factor seems to be a bit overrated. Unless Romo stays in Dallas, he will have to move which means change for his family even if it just a few hours away. What is not overrated, is the Texans made the playoffs despite having an inept offense. Houston already has talent in place for Romo including top receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans defense has pushed this team to the playoffs in recent years. Houston also benefits from playing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL leaving a logical path to the playoffs.
Cons: It would be a crowded quarterback room. Houston just signed Osweiler last off-season. To put it in economic terms, the Texans appear poised to count Osweiler as a sunk cost and move on. How would Osweiler respond to the demotion? Romo is unlikely to give too much thought into how he will impact another quarterback, but it could make for some awkward position group meetings.
Prediction: The Romo family make the three and a half hour move from Dallas to Houston. Romo is wearing a Texans jersey next season. (Getty)
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