The idea of an accomplished quarterback like Tony Romo joining a two-win team makes very little sense. The Dallas Cowboys’ current backup quarterback deserves to go to a team that has an opportunity to hoist the Lombardi before he calls it quits or his body quits on him.
It’s common sense. Why would Romo want to prolong his career with a downtrodden organization that has no reasonable opportunity to contend over the short term? That would be akin to Peyton Manning deciding to join the Cleveland Browns when he left Indy.
But as we have seen in recent NFL history, things often change on a dime. Romo’s own Cowboys turned a four-win 2015 campaign into the No. 1 seed and a 13-3 record this past season. They did so with rookies starring at both quarterback and running back.
When we look at the 49ers’ roster makeup, there’s a lot to like here for someone of Romo’s ilk. The team boasts an elite-level left tackle in Joe Staley who has earned five trips to the Pro Bowl over the past six seasons. Right tackle Trenton Brown also stepped up big time as a sophomore this past season, performing well in both pass protection and in terms of run-blocking.
With Colin Kaepernick expected to opt out of his contract, the 49ers will have a projected $100 million to spend in free agency. Even with Romo’s $24.7 million cap hit for next season, that’s a whole heck of a lot of cash.
It could enable general manager John Lynch and Co. to add a player like Alshon Jeffery in free agency to help Romo out in what has been one of the league’s worst passing attacks over the past two seasons. The idea of Romo teaming up with Jeffery would automatically improve the 49ers’ offense. Add in the presence of talented young running back Carlos Hyde, and there’s something to build on.
Though, the biggest draw for Romo would have to be the presence of Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. He was just recently named the 49ers’ new head coach after leading the league’s top-scoring offense as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator this past season. Shanahan has led four top-10 offenses over the past five seasons and has worked well with strong-armed quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Matt Ryan in the past.
Romo and his strong arm is a perfect fit for Shanahan’s offense. He can get the ball out to the boundaries in a hurry and boasts strong intermediate accuracy. This is what defined Romo’s often successful tenure in Dallas. It also helped both Cousins and Ryan ascend to the level of the game’s best quarterbacks. That surely won’t be lost on Romo as he makes his decision here.
All this is extremely hypothetical. But there’s a point to be made here. The 49ers’ talent-stricken roster we saw during a two-win 2016 campaign will be revamped this upcoming offseason. That’s not really in question. Now that the 49ers seemingly have a solid front office in place, they can go out there and target players that fit Shanahan’s offensive scheme to a T.
Defensively, the 49ers were a downright disaster this past season. This doesn’t mean the team lacks young talent on that side of the ball.
2016 first-round pick DeForest Buckner had a tremendous rookie season, leading the team in sacks with six while finishing among the top-10 players at his position in quarterback hurries. Add in fellow first-round pick Arik Armstead, and the 49ers already have more to build with on the defensive line than what the Cowboys possessed this past season.
Depending on how he’s able to come back from an Achilles injury, NaVorro Bowman is still one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL. Team him up with talented young pass rusher Aaron Lynch, and there’s a lot to like there.
This doesn’t even take into account a secondary that includes former Pro Bowlers Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea as well as former top-round picks Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt.
Surely the 49ers will have to add talent on defense. They’re also going to have to figure out what type of defensive scheme to run. But there’s not a lack of talent on that sides of the ball.
In no way are we saying that San Francisco will suddenly morph into a division championship contender with Shanahan on board this upcoming season. It’s going to be a process. And the 49ers handing him a six-year deal proves that they are willing to be patient here.
But there’s definitely reason for optimism. Shanahan was the best head-coaching hire of the cycle this season. San Francisco did a tremendous job rebuilding a disastrous front office. It has $100 million to spend in free agency and the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Add in the fact that Romo fits Shanahan’s offensive scheme to a T, and this seems to be an under-the-radar fit for the former Pro Bowler.
It’s now all about the 49ers showing interest, Romo willing to come to a non-contender and the team itself showing Romo its committed to being competitive over the short term. Should that happen, Romo to the 49ers actually makes sense.