Out of all mid-round QBs, Tony Romo might be the safest one
Tony Romo gets a bad rap in some fantasy circles, but in reality he’s a more than viable QB1 in all formats. Last season, he just missed finishing inside the top-10 among quarterbacks after throwing for 3,705 yards, 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 15 games in what was easily his most efficient season in the pros.
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We pretty much know who Tony Romo is entering his 10th season as the starter for the Dallas Cowboys. However, Romo has one of the better situations when comparing back-end QB1s. First, the Cowboys feature the best offensive line in football, which obviously protects Romo behind center, but also protected him with the best running game in the league last season.
Romo also has one of the most dynamic weapons in wide receiver Dez Bryant. Jason Witten is still an above-average tight end and role players such as Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley chime in occasionally.
Many are concerned that the absence of DeMarco Murray, who walked to division rival Philadelphia during the offseason, will hamper the entire offense. It was a big departure, no doubt. However, Dallas’ offensive line is so good that it doesn’t matter who is running behind it. Whether it be Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden or someone else, the Cowboys will maintain a more than steady running game that will control the line of scrimmage and take the pressure off of Romo’s shoulders.
Just because anyone can run behind Dallas’ line doesn’t mean going from Murray to Randle/McFadden is good for the offense. As a matter of fact, having a less talented back may cause the Cowboys to throw the ball a bit more than last season. Cowboys offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan, had Matthew Stafford (a worse fantasy quarterback than Romo) throw 663 times in 2011 and 727 times in 2012 while serving as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions.
Don’t expect Romo to even get close to those numbers, but don’t be surprised if Romo floats around 550 attempts with a less dynamic run game in front of him. That’s just fine, though, as more chances to throw to Bryant is always a good thing for Romo and his fantasy owners.
Romo will never be a top-five fantasy quarterback, especially at 35-years old. He’s floated around the top 10 the past couple of seasons and is currently ranked as the eighth best quarterback available by our experts’ rankings. His average draft position coincides with his ranking.
Romo’s ranking and draft position seems to be in a perfect spot. He won’t out throw the traditional gunslingers ahead of him to get himself into the top five, but he’s a good bet to put up a good fantasy outing each week. Romo could even present a bit of value if you can get him later than the sixth or seventh round.
There are better quarterbacks out there. But if the two studs (Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck) are gone, Romo is a great option to wait for in the middle of the draft while stockpiling on running backs and wide receivers.
Romo is a valid QB1 in most formats, with some slight upside because of the change in the backfield. He’s a safer bet than quarterbacks ranked around him such as the weapon-less Cam Newton, the unproven Ryan Tannehill and the inconsistent Eli Manning.
So lose the bad rap and go for Romo as your starting quarterback in the mid-rounds of the draft.
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Matt Barbato is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, you can view his archive or follow him @realmattbarbato.
