Cowboys' Jason Garrett says team working through Romo situation, praises Leary

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --The idea of Jason Garrett providing a scouting report on a former Dallas Cowboys player on the Broncos moves the needle. But it wasn't that player. 

Nothing has changed with Tony Romo's status. He remains in limbo. Broncos general manager John Elway left the NFL owners meetings for Washington D.C. Tuesday to receive the prestigious Horatio Alger award without talking with the Cowboys. 

"Nothing’s really changed since the end of the season. It’s a situation that we’re working through. He and Jerry Jones are the principal people in working that situation through. It’s really been status quo," Garrett said Tuesday. 

Garrett believes Romo can still play at a high level. However, he turns 37 next month and has started four games over the past two seasons. Durability, Garrett admitted, is an issue. The Texans appear to be the slight front-runner for Romo, who is also being courted as a broadcaster by CBS and Fox.

Garrett did provide a thumbnail sketch of an erstwhile Cowboy in Denver. I asked Garrett to describe the type of player the Broncos landed in guard Ronald Leary, whom Vance Joseph believes was tops at his position in free agency.

"He's tough. He's physically tough, he's mentally tough. He's consistent. He loves the game," Garrett said of the 6-foot-3, 324-pounder. "He doesn't say a whole lot. He just plays the game the right way. He's one of the guys on our offensive line that kind of allowed us to be as physical as we were. He's physical in the run game and pass protection. He showed up everyday ready to go. We will miss him."

The Cowboys haven't had a chance to miss Romo because he remains with the team. Had Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released Romo at the start of free agency it's fair to wonder if the Broncos would have moved aggressively for the veteran. As time passes, the Broncos seem less inclined to go after Romo, though if someone viable becomes available, "We're going to explore it. That's just part of our overall philosophy to never rule anything out," Joseph said.