Tony Romo: Peter King sees Houston, KC; trade still open for another reporter

Houston makes the most sense for family guy Tony Romo if he’s released from the Dallas Cowboys, SI.com’s Peter King reports on his Monday Morning Quarterback website.

King looks at how the quarterback dominoes may fall in the NFL offseason, and sees Romo as the most compelling domino and that Houston is his best fit. Kansas City, however, is also in King’s Romo picture.

The Texans, of course, watched Brock Osweiler fail at starting QB last season. Tom Savage had been given the starting job over Osweiler late last season, but Savage suffered a concussion.

King writes that “Houston coach Bill O’Brien would likely rather have [Jimmy] Garoppolo” and “the buzz around the team is that Savage will have every opportunity to win the job.”

Garoppolo is speculated as a huge trade piece, if the New England Patriots decide to trade him.

Then, too, as ESPN’s Bill Polian has said, Romo needs a place with a good backup. And King writes: “Seeing that [O’Brien has] thought all along Savage would probably be his guy this year, why not upgrade there?”

King notes that “Houston’s a 40-minute private-plane ride from Dallas. Kansas City’s double that. Romo’s got his third child on the way and loves the Dad life.”

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid wants to break out of the final eight of the NFL playoffs and get into the final two, and Romo could take them there, is King’s thinking, and incumbent starter Alex Smith would be a team guy about it.

CBSsports.com’s Jason La Canfora weighs in that Romo “isn’t dictating or demanding anything to the Cowboys, nor does he intend to do so.” That may be a counter to ESPN’s report last week that Romo expects to be released, not traded.

La Canfora writes that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys would be foolish not to explore Romo trade options when general managers gather for the NFL Scouting Combine (Feb. 28-March 6), suggesting a third-round pick is possible.

King doesn’t see anything more than a conditional draft pick, based on Romo’s results with a new team, as the best Dallas could hope for in a trade.

Waiting out the process is fine with Romo, La Canfora writes, “and in the meantime he is working out like a demon.”

Neither King nor La Canfora sees Romo as likely to stay in Dallas.

If a trade is possible, the acquiring team would pick up his base salary for three years (the

Cowboys’ salary cap would load up with Romo’s remaining bonuses and bonuses from his past contract restructure).

Spotrac.com lays out how Romo’s contract could be restructured for a new trade after a trade:

This story was originally published February 20, 2017 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Tony Romo: Peter King sees Houston, KC; trade still open for another reporter."