Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has made in clear in recent interviews, even on sports-related shows like ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, that he was less than pleased that free agent running back DeMarco Murray was allowed to hit the open market and sign with a division rival. Romo even told a local sports radio station that he would have taken a pay cut in order to keep Murray on the team.
That’s what makes the news that the Cowboys and Romo agreed to a contract restructure this week, freeing up $12.8 million in cap space, so interesting. Adrian Peterson is due $12.75 million this season and that number has been the sticking point for the Minnesota Vikings and any potential trading partner. The Cowboys, it appears, have made room. Now will they do it?
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There are a couple of sticking points and they have to do with two of the players the Cowboys just signed. Both Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain’s contracts are set up in a way that allows the Cowboys to cut ties with them without any long-term cap hit. The problem is, they have to factor that money into this year’s salary cap even though it technically won’t show up until the end of the year if both players stay out of trouble. Hardy alone will count $9.5 million if he plays in all 16 games. Add in McClain’s potential $3 million and the money the Cowboys have to spend on their upcoming draft picks and the space evaporates quickly. Plus, they still need to work out a long-term deal with franchised wide receiver Dez Bryant.
I still wouldn’t put a possible Peterson to the Cowboys trade out of consideration since, frankly, both Peterson and Dallas owner Jerry Jones want it to happen so bad. A trade with a new contract, backloaded with a big signing bonus could make it work, but the Cowboys would have to trust that the 30-year-old Peterson will stay healthy enough to make it worthwhile. Tony Romo is 34 and coming off the best season of his life, but realistically he has six more years of NFL quarterbacking in him, tops. If the Cowboys are going to make a real title run it needs to happen sooner than later and Peterson would immediately put them into contention for it.
But they could possibly get the same value out of drafting Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon or Georgia running back Todd Gurley. So don’t expect any Peterson move, at least with the Cowboys, to happen until after the draft.
Have the Browns moved on from Johnny Manziel?
Speaking on ESPN’s Mike & Mike radio show this week, Chris Mortenen that the Cleveland Browns have all but given up on last season’s first-round draft choice, quarterback Johnny Manziel.
“I think about 90 percent they’ve moved on in their own minds, except that they really don’t know who they’re going to get when Johnny leaves rehab,” Mortensen said. “Which has been an extended stay, a two-month stay. He should be getting out in the first week of April. If they’re satisfied that he’s ready to go out and get into society and whatever deep-rooted problems that he had has been addressed, Ok, now he’s part of your depth chart. You have Josh McCown.”
The Browns signed McCown before free agency began after he’d been cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to add some stability to a volatile quarterback situation. McCown, Manziel and undrafted free agent Connor Shaw are the only quarterbacks Cleveland has under contract. The Browns have been looking hard at adding another QB and offered up one of their two first round picks to the St. Louis Rams and then the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford.
Cleveland has the No. 12 and No. 19 picks in the upcoming draft and if they want to upgrade the position that way, they would find willing trade partners in the top 10 if for some reason the Tennessee Titans don’t take Marcus Mariota (or Jameis Winston) at No. 2. Even if the Browns stand pat, they could land UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley with either pick and he would be a significant upgrade over what they have on the roster now, even with a healthy and fully rehabbed Johnny Manziel.
