Denver Broncos Players Are Already Calling For Tony Romo
By Erik Lambert
Reaching a Super Bowl is hard without a franchise quarterback. The Denver Broncos understand this better than most NFL franchises.
The year after Peyton Manning put the cap on his incredible career, the defending champions failed to even make the playoffs. Now the team is at a crossroads. When players know the window for a championship is open, they tend to get a little anxious when they know the key position on the roster isn’t settled. Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch are expected to compete for the starting job in 2017 under new head coach Vance Joseph.
At the same time it’s hard to envision either of them can give the Broncos offense the boost it needs to compliment an excellent but aging defense. One that just lost their coordinator Wade Phillips to Los Angeles. The need for an answer at quarterback is growing, and some within the organization believe it might be best to seek out a more proven options.
The name topping most lists is four-time Pro Bowl veteran Tony Romo. It’s clear his time with the Dallas Cowboys is all but over thanks to the rise of Dak Prescott. Presuming he’s cut this off-season, Denver is listed as one of the most likely destinations. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders couldn’t hide his enthusiasm about such an idea. Not entirely anyway.
"“I believe I would benefit. But one thing about it is: I’m always gonna take it back and I’m just gonna put it on John Elway. In John Elway I trust. If he does bring him over, I think Tony Romo will fit good in [offensive coordinator Mike] McCoy’s system. It’s a no-huddle, up-tempo offense. I think that it’s gonna be similar to the Cowboys. I think he has Demaryius Thomas and some receiver No. 10 on the other side. I feel like we will win ballgames with Tony Romo or potentially a championship.”"
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There are some similarities in terms of playing style between Romo and Phillip Rivers, whom Mike McCoy coached in San Diego. The experienced offensive coach would be able to do a lot with him. Of course the sticking point will be money and health. How much will Romo want in a contract and will his body hold up for a full season? Injuries have been literally back-breaking for him the past few seasons. To the point that everybody is certain the next hit he takes will land him on IR.
There is no doubting the risk involved, but it’s also clear that when Romo is on the field, he can still put up impressive numbers. For a team that is Super Bowl-ready like Denver, this is the kind of gamble they can afford to make. It comes down to how much they trust Siemian or Lynch can take that next step.