Tony Romo Suffers Broken Bone In Back
3:26pm: Romo’s path back to the field will be a longer process compared to when he played through broken bones in his back. Whereas that injury featured two fractured transverse process, this one involves an actual fractured vertebra, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports (on Twitter).
3:22pm: A return date for the injured passer could loom Oct. 30, which features a Sunday-night game between the Cowboys and Eagles. A source informs Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Week 8 likely will be Romo’s season debut. Dallas’ bye comes in Week 7.
1:49pm: The Cowboys once again are looking at the prospect of Tony Romo missing potentially significant time this season. The team announced today, via Adam Schefter (on Twitter), the 14th-year quarterback suffered broken bone in his back during the Cowboys’ third preseason game on Thursday night.
Dallas expects Romo to miss between six and 10 weeks, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Although Jason Garrett isn’t prepared to rule out the franchise quarterback for Week 1, La Canfora reports (via Twitter) Romo will likely be out beyond that date.
Romo suffered two broken bones in his back in 2014 but played anyway that season and underwent back surgery in 2013. The Cowboys are not revealing a timetable on Romo after his latest setback, only saying he’s not out for the season, per Schefter (Twitter link).
An MRI Friday revealed the diagnosis, one that could well turn Dak Prescott from preseason wonder to opening-day starter. The Cowboys looked into backup quarterbacks this offseason and discussed signing Nick Foles but opted to go with Prescott after news of Kellen Moore‘s broken ankle surfaced earlier this month.
A Cliff Avril hit forced Romo out of the Cowboys-Seahawks game Thursday after three plays, but the signal-caller walked off under his own power, threw passes on the sideline and lobbied to return to the game. Jerry Jones said on Thursday night Romo would be fine for Week 1. The latest revelations here appear to have adjusted that timeline.
The 36-year-old passer underwent collarbone surgery this offseason after seeing his 2015 season defined by collarbone maladies. This one could well be defined by a play that occurred before the regular season began. A return between Weeks 5-9 looks probable, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
The Cowboys’ starter since October of 2006, Romo is signed through 2019. The four-time Pro Bowler inked a six-year extension in March of 2013 and has cap numbers of $20.8MM and $24.7MM in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Jones has previously stated he envisions Romo playing a few more years with the Cowboys, but the owner did publicly lament not doing enough to trade up to acquire Paxton Lynch in the first round this April.
Romo guided the Cowboys to the playoffs in 2007, ’09 and ’14, but the team slunk to last in the NFC East without him for most of last season. Dallas, of course, waited to address the position until the fourth round by taking Prescott. The Mississippi State breakout star has accounted himself well this preseason, throwing for five touchdowns and rushing for two without throwing an interception, but was viewed as a developmental prospect coming out of school.
If the Cowboys now at long last want to acquire a veteran backup, Jimmy Clausen and Tarvaris Jackson remain on the market. The team did not express interest in Michael Vick despite his interest following the Moore injury.
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Latest On Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott
Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott was spotted in a Seattle marijuana shop before Dallas played the Seahawks in a preseason contest last week, according to a TMZ report, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t pleased with the No. 4 overall pick, as Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes.
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“Well, I think that, in and of itself, the reason we are talking about it is in a way part of the learning process,” Jones said. “But it’s not good. It’s just not good. It’s just not good.
“Again that’s a part of just really getting the big picture here,” Jones said. “No matter if you played at whatever level there is a picture here of interest. So again, I’m aware of it. I heard the report and I would know how he is. And he needs to look at that and the other thing is it’s just not good. I don’t want to say anymore. I do want us do things that in general while it may not be wrong it’s just not good.”
Of course, while marijuana is not approved in the NFL, the substance is legal in the state of Washington, so technically Elliott was doing nothing wrong (and, per the TMZ report, Elliott didn’t purchase anything at the store). So while Jones may be disappointed in Elliott’s trip, the league is not concerned with the matter, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com.
However, a source tells Werder that some are worried about a “pattern of behavior” exhibited Elliott, who is still under investigation by the NFL after domestic violence accusations surfaced last month. Additionally, Elliott has reportedly been “partying” quite a bit since being drafted in the spring, leading the Cowboys organization to wonder about the former Ohio State running back’s maturity level, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter video). Finally, Bryan Broaddus of the team’s website says (Twitter link) that Elliott isn’t currently in “football shape.”
Clearly, some of these issues are more concerning than others, and not being in the proper shape or visiting a marijuana shop can’t be compared with rumblings of domestic violence. But for the Cowboys, it all adds up to a distraction that they don’t need, especially when so many of their players have already run into trouble this offseason. Rolando McClain, Demarcus Lawrence, and Randy Gregory, for example, are all facing suspensions of varying lengths for drug-related offenses.
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Cowboys Sign Dan Buchholz
- The Cowboys are signing offensive lineman Dan Buchholz, a UDFA out of Duquesne, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Dallas also announced that they’ve waived/injured guard Jared Smith.
Jeremy Mincey To Retire
Veteran defensive end Jeremy Mincey announced his retirement on Instagram, posting a picture of hung-up cleats along with a detailed message thanking his previous teams and supporters.
“I just want you all to know: family, fans, and supporters gave me the hope to make it this far, to inspire those who will come behind me,” said Mincey. “I played the game with love, passion and relentlessly (sic) to prove to people your heart will take you as far as you want it to go. Trust me. I had half the talent a lot of guys had in this league.What separated me from the others was my will for victory.”
Mincey had free agent offers on the table, but is instead opting to follow through with retirement, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. It’s not surprising that Mincey had generated interest, as even in his age-32 season he was productive, appearing in 14 games for the Cowboys (six starts) and grading as the No. 61 edge defender in the league, with exceptionally high marks against the run, according to Pro Football Focus. Dallas, however, was not open to a reunion with Mincey, whom PFR recently ranked as the 10th-best free agent defender.
Just a year ago, Mincey posted even better results, managing six sacks for the Cowboys while starting all 16 games. In eight NFL seasons, Mincey, a former sixth-round draft selection, appeared in 96 games and put up 26 sacks, eight fumble recoveries, and 158 tackles. The Florida alum spent time with the Patriots, Jaguars, and Broncos before signing with Dallas prior to the 2014 season.
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Latest On Travis Frederick's Contract
- It’s a safe assumption that the Cowboys will convert some of Travis Frederick‘s $14.221MM base salary for 2017 into signing bonus money for cap purposes, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets.
Cowboys (Again) Rule Out Greg Hardy
The Cowboys front seven has been decimated in recent weeks thanks to off-the-field issues. Linebacker Rolando McClain – once viewed as a great comeback story – is reportedly battling an addiction to codeine cough syrup and has been handed a ten-game suspension. Defensive lineman Randy Gregory is in a treatment facility and could be suspended for 10-14 games if his longshot appeal is not successful. Also, star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will be suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Notes: Frederick, Hanna]
So, what will the Cowboys do to help fill the void? Could they be desperate enough to tackle this rash of suspensions by welcoming back troubled defensive end Greg Hardy?
“I don’t see that happening. We certainly had that experiment, and unfortunately it didn’t work out,” Cowboys VP Stephen Jones told Mike Florio of PFT. “We’ve moved on and we think we’ve got some good football players on our defensive line that should only get better. They’re young. I’m certainly not naive, I know we don’t have proven production on that defensive line as we sit here today, but I do think we have some good athletes that are only going to get better.”
Jones did say the Cowboys would keep their “eyes peeled” with regards to adding a veteran to their defensive line. However, that lineman will not be Hardy.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus claims there is “substantial” interest in his client, though the Jaguars are the only team to have auditioned him so far.
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Cowboys Make Three Roster Moves
- The Cowboys placed tackle Cameron Bradfield (knee) on injured reserve and waived/injured defensive tackle Gerald Dixon (pectoral). Dallas has also signed wide receiver Richard Mullaney, who worked out for the club earlier today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Cowboys Working Out Richard Mullaney
- The Cowboys are working out former Alabama wide receiver Richard Mullaney, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Mullaney was originally signed earlier this year by the Texans as an undrafted free agent, but was waived last month.
Cowboys Notes: Frederick, Hanna
The biggest advantage for the Cowboys in the Travis Frederick deal comes in the length of the pact, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Dallas locked Frederick in at ~$10MM in for the sixth year (2023) while other centers with comparable deals are free agents after five. If he maintains his level of play, that 2023 salary should be a discount of a few million if the cap continues to rise. Centers generally have long careers, so there’s a good chance that Frederick will still be a solid player at that point. Ultimately, if Dallas is able to get through 2017 without restructuring Frederick’s deal, this will be a great contract for the Cowboys as Dallas will have virtually no future risk, Fitzgerald writes.
- Cowboys tight end James Hanna will have knee surgery which could cause him to miss time during the regular season, multiple sources tell Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Hanna was placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp which means that he can go on the PUP list when final cuts are made. If Dallas goes that route, he’ll miss the first six games of the season and return for the Oct. 30 contest against Philadelphia. Hanna, the No. 2 tight end behind Jason Witten, inked a three-year deal to stay with the Cowboys this offseason. If Hanna is not ready for the season opener, Gavin Escobar and Geoff Swaim could have improved chances of locking down a spot on the 53-man roster.
- After watching rookie Dak Prescott perform well on Friday night, the Cowboys say they are content with their backup quarterback situation.
Cowboys Content At Quarterback
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones liked what he saw out of the quarterback position against the Rams over the weekend. After watching rookie Dak Prescott and third-stringer Jameill Showers succeed under center, Jones tells Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram that he is not looking to acquire a veteran to support Tony Romo. 
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“He is a long way from Canton, a long way from Canton,” Jones said of Prescott. “But it was certainly a great start. It was just good to see the coaching staff and everybody get behind the promise of what he might be able to be as a player. Certainly the way he and Showers played, I wouldn’t consider a backup quarterback situation at all. I wouldn’t want to, by any way, deter the progress and the excitement that he can bring to the building of the team and the future.”
Jones also indicted that Cowboys coaches and execs are in agreement with him on Prescott and his NFL readiness. Indeed, head coach Jason Garrett pointed out a few mistakes by the Mississippi State product against L.A., but offered up similar praise overall. In total, Prescott completed 10-of-12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
When backup Kellen Moore suffered a leg injury, the Cowboys quickly became linked to Browns QB Josh McCown. However, Cleveland is looking for a fourth-rounder to part with the veteran, a price tag that is too rich for Dallas. For now, they’re content with their rookie understudy.
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