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Dallas Cowboys Offseason: Trading Tony Romo, Draft Speculation

By Carl Daley

Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) walks onto the field after loss against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Cowboys, 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) walks onto the field after loss against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Cowboys, 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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We preview the Dallas Cowboys upcoming offseason from the speculation of trading veteran quarterback Tony Romo to the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Dallas Cowboys will continue to build their roster for the 2017 season and evaluate players whose contracts are about to expire. The Cowboys will need to land a star pass rusher if they hope to make any serious progress building their pass rush.

The defensive side of the football is only a few key pieces away from becoming a very dangerous unit and that side of the ball should get a ton of help this offseason. However, more on that later. First…

More Tony Romo Rumors

Last week I went into some of the possible landing spots for Cowboys veteran quarterback Tony Romo. The location that has picked up the most steam is Houston as there is not only a legit need for a talented quarterback there, they have something the Cowboys want, a star pass rusher.

Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt has been riddled with injuries over the last two seasons and has had almost as many if not the same amount of back surgeries as Romo and it could be argued that Romo is in an easier position to succeed.

Related Story: Could the Dallas Cowboys trade Tony Romo for J.J. Watt?

The quarterback does take a lot of hits however a pass rusher with a crippling back issue could put their career in jeopardy. Landing Watt would not only maximize the Cowboys trade value but could make them the favorites for a Super Bowl run next season.

The Texans would not only get a quarterback who can lead them to the playoffs, they could have a player that keeps their defense off of the field. For an emerging crop of young talent in Houston led by pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney that could mean the difference between an early exit from the playoffs and a deep run at a Super Bowl.

The Cowboys should not necessarily lump their 2017 first round pick into this deal but a pick should be given whether it is a second or third. The bottom line is teams that are in need of a quarterback and are on the cusp of a playoff berth/run should value Romo more than any other player on the market.

The Denver Broncos appeared to be downplaying all of the trade speculation but that is just to lower their price and keep their poker face. Little did they know by doing that, this led the media to explore other options finally landing on the fact that the two teams from Texas could help each other out tremendously by getting a deal done.

The Cowboys need a genuine weapon for a pass rusher and the Texans need a quarterback who can deliver wins, seems like the deal sells itself.

More from The Landry Hat

With the 28th Pick…

I am in now way advocating the use of draft picks in complex trades as we have seen mixed results from that before. One thing that needs to be thought about is the history surrounding the twenty-eighth and just how possible it is to land a top caliber player at that position.

The Cowboys were one of the best teams in football during the 2016 season so they are selecting at the tail end of the first round of the NFL Draft. The problem with this position is that there are not a lot of productive players that come out of this position.

Trading the first round pick for an immediate starter would seemingly be the play here and the obvious position is pass rusher. Dallas could find some help along the defensive line from teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, and Houston Texans.

I would even attempt to trade the pick for a known commodity for the Dallas wide receiving corps or secondary as those will be other positions of need heading into the future.

If the Cowboys cannot land Watt then they should attempt to get Chiefs star safety Eric Berry as he is one of the best locker room guys and in the NFL, a natural leader on defense, and a productive member of any secondary. This could also push defensive back Byron Jones to the outside a position which he could grow into an elite player.

Don’t get me wrong. Jones is fantastic as the Cowboys free safety but he has a shut down ability on wide receivers and tight ends that defensive coordinators love. The Cowboys first round pick would likely be more important to a rebuilding team as they try to stockpile draft picks and build a contender.

Next: Ranking every top-10 pick in Dallas Cowboys’ history

Teams that fit that bill would be the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns and I cannot think of a lot of players that could make a difference from those ball clubs. Still with so many big contracts coming to an end this season it would be shocking if other teams did not make a move to free up some cap space by trading away a starter. 

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