TRAVIS SMITH
SELDEN, KS
I may be wrong here, but wouldn't you think Tony Romo would do all he could to help the team get better players around him. Restructuring his contract would help. Why hasn't he?
Rowan: This is the last major deal Romo's likely to sign. While, yes, it would help open up more cap room for him to get extended right now, why shouldn't he and his agent wait for the deal he's looking for, the same way most people around the world in any profession would do? If both parties can find a fair deal, it'll get done. But I don't blame him for not quickly coming to an extension just for time's sake. This is one where he probably has a number in mind, and the Cowboys have to decide just how far and how long they're willing to go. I assume they'll find middle ground at some point, but it wouldn't be shocking to see him play on a contract year, the same way Joe Flacco did. That worked out pretty well for him.
Ed: Rowan pretty much hit the nail on the head. Tony Romo has a contract, and shouldn't sign an extension until he is confident it's a deal he and his agent are happy with. Football is a business, and to ask a player to rush one of the most important financial decisions of his career is irresponsible. With that being said, I wouldn't bet against a deal eventually getting done this offseason. While a lot of the focus is on free agency right now, the Cowboys still have some work to do to be able to afford their upcoming draft class. A new deal with Romo could clear up the five to six million dollars needed to make that possible.
KYLE COX
EAST DUBUQUE, IL
What is it about the Spencer deal that is making the tag necessary two years in a row? Spencer wants to stay and it is obvious the Cowboys want him to stay. Why can't a long term deal get done?
Rowan: The franchise tag this year works out for both parties. Spencer signing the deal means he's guaranteed $10.6 million this year, unless he finds a deal he likes better elsewhere. But it's also a positive for the Cowboys, who may not know how a switch to the 4-3 will really affect him, even if they think he'll be able to handle it. The last thing the Cowboys need right now is another long extension for a player who's only productive for a year of it, if that. Giving him the one-year deal allows the Cowboys to take a look at him briefly or deal him for players or picks if the right offer comes along.
Ed: The truth is, Anthony Spencer hasn't performed outside of a contract year. It would be a serious risk to sign him to a long term deal at the price Spencer and his agent are surely seeking. Take a look at the cap situation the Cowboys are in at the moment. A $10.6 million dollar hit this season really limits you this year in free agency, but what the Cowboys need to avoid are the cap mistakes that continue to hurt you for five, six years down the road. Anthony Spencer could possible become one of those mistakes.
