Written by Tom Archer at ESPN.com
So Jerry Jones has finally said that there is a timetable for a resolution to the Tony Romo saga: training camp.
Jerry Jones says deadline on Tony Romo decision is training camp. Says they’ve spoken in last couple days. He’s doing great, has options
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 28, 2017
If you think that sounds bizarre, you’re not alone. It is bizarre. Completely bizarre.
There was an expectation Romo would be released March 9, the first day of the league year. Now Jones is talking about mid-July.
When he spoke with local reporters at the owners’ meetings, Jones said there is no waiting game.
“This is the offseason,” Jones said. “We’re not missing doing anything. From the standpoint of the franchise and the Cowboys, nothing is being held up here at all.”
Here’s why that “deadline” does not make much sense.
While the offseason program, which starts April 17, and organized team activities are voluntary, there is nothing stopping Romo from showing up at The Star for workouts, which would put him at risk of injury. If he were to get hurt, the Dallas Cowboys would be on the hook for his $14 million base salary. Do you think the Cowboys would like to see Romo on the squat rack ready to lift some heavy weights?
We’ve heard Jones tell us over and over again that a player’s value is at its lowest before the draft. If you are, say, the Houston Texans, you would want to have Romo on the roster at the start of the offseason program so he can begin to learn the offense, so waiting until after the draft isn’t the best of options either.
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