NFL Rumors: Tony Romo To Broncos, Bears To Release Cutler And Pursue Garoppolo?
The NFL season has officially come to a close, but that doesn’t mean that football will fade into the woodwork. There really is no offseason in the NFL, and with all of the Tony Romo rumors floating around — not to mention others like Jay Cutler and Jimmy Garoppolo — the NFL trade rumor mill will be going strong all summer long.
Sure, the Super Bowl was a week ago, but it wasn’t until yesterday that it hit die-hard football fanatics when they turned on the television, and for the first time in over seven months there was no NFL football on a Sunday afternoon. The next step towards a new season is the first step towards making you team better, the NFL Draft.
Before all of the hoopla of the NFL Draft hits in April, several key players may be dealt to new teams or released, including Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Chicago Bears signal-caller Jay Cutler.
Romo is obviously the key focus for several teams this offseason, with the Denver Broncos seemingly the best fit.
In fact, even the Dallas News believes that Romo will end up in Denver and lead the Broncos back to the Super Bowl. While it does seem like Romo and the Broncos would be a great fit, the Bears, Jets, and Texans are all rumored to be in on the Romo wish list this offseason.
“At 37, Romo comes with baggage (namely, never-ending back issues) and won’t be cheap”, said SI’s Mellisa Jacobs. “But he has to intrigue John Elway in terms of both talent and his ability to mentor [Trevor] Siemian and [Paxton] Lynch the way he did Dak Prescott. We haven’t seen Romo play in almost a year, but maybe Prescott’s rise was a good thing. Maybe Romo is fully healthy, which of course makes him all the more intriguing. If I have Denver’s defensive nucleus, led by Von Miller and Chris Harris, I’m doing everything I can to win another Super Bowl immediately. Romo gives you the best shot.”
Jacobs makes sense.
Denver has two young quarterbacks that could learn a lot from Romo, who brings knowledge of the game and playoff experience with him.
The window for winning Super Bowls closes quickly, and GM John Elway knows that. With a defense as strong as Denver’s, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Broncos make a pitch for Romo if he is released soon.
How about another hot name on the rumor mill at the moment, New England quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo upped his trade value in a major way in 2016 while he was filling in for the injured Tom Brady. Garoppolo led the Patriots to a 3-1 start, and looked impressive in doing so, but does that mean New England wants to trade him away? You never know when it comes to the Patriots.
Garoppolo’s stock has never been higher, and many teams are looking for a young quarterback. Right now, trading for someone like Garoppolo is even better than drafting a QB in the fact that he already has NFL experience and is only 25 years of age.
So could the Chicago Bears be interested in the New England backup QB?
They should be.
24/7 sports indicates that the Bears are clearly in need for a new signal caller, mentioning that Jay Cutler’s time is all but done in Chicago, and Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley are not a long time solution – but Garoppolo could be.
Garoppolo was a second-round pick out of Eastern Illinois back in 2014, behind names like Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr. At the time of his selection, he was very highly liked by NFL scouts, and he showed flashes of greatness in 2016 when he had the opportunity to play.
“This kid’s got a quick release, good arm and is very athletic,” Mayock said, per NFL.com.
“Tom Brady, at his age, and Ryan Mallett’s uncertain status forces this pick. This is an insurance policy for an unknown future. He’s an interesting quarterback. He makes every throw. The feet and quick release are what stand out.”
Maybe a trip back to the Windy City is what Garoppolo needs to get his shot in the NFL.
Garoppolo was a living legend at Eastern Illinois University where he threw for 13,156 yards and 118 touchdowns in his four years with the Panthers.
While it seems Chicago had all but made it official that they are through with Jay Cutler, don’t be surprised if they make a bid for the native born Garoppolo.
Settle in NFL fans, the fun is just beginning! NFL free agents and trades can officially start taking place on March 9, 2017.
[Featured Image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]
