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Tony Romo may still be on the Cowboys roster in 2017. Getty

Despite suffering a tight home playoff defeat to the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys remain one of the top NFC contenders entering the 2017 season. High on the agenda is drafting or signing a lockdown cornerback, but there are also questions about what the front office will do at quarterback.

The emergence of Dak Prescott has opened the door for Dallas to explore trade options for former starter Tony Romo. While no deal is imminent, it wouldn't be surprising if team president Jerry Jones starts fielding offers soon.

The decision to choose Prescott over Romo is mostly an easy one. Prescott is only 23 years old and looked exceptional from start to finish in the 2016 season, completing 67.8 percent of his pass attempts for 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. More importantly, he only accounts for $635,000 against the cap in 2017 and is signed to a relatively low salary for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Romo, on the other hand, has a salary-cap hit of $24.7 million in 2017 and costs Dallas $19.6 million in dead money on the cap whether he's on or off the roster. Jones can use that $5.1 million to bolster the roster in other areas.

Though Romo has battled injuries in 2015 and 2016, the 36-year-old isn't expected to retire anytime soon and still has the skills to compete at a high level for at least two more years. In 2014, Romo completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 3,706 yards and 34 touchdowns in 15 games.

But where will Romo end up? Many teams will be interested in acquiring Romo but it's doubtful that there a right fit available.

While the Cowboys would undoubtedly seek draft picks, Romo's objective is even more straightforward: land on a team that can reach the Super Bowl. He's been with Dallas since 2005 and has started 150 games, but has barely come close to advancing to the title game, leaving one of the top passers of this generation in the same company as Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer as opposed to Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.

The AFC might be Romo's only option if he moves on from Dallas. The top teams in the NFC are all set at quarterback and the Cowboys would probably prefer not to see Romo compete in their conference.

The Broncos seem like the obvious fit. With an elite defense and talented receivers, the Broncos would immediately leap to one of the top teams in the AFC with Romo. But the AFC West is perhaps the league's most competitive division and the New England Patriots are expected to remain a top contender next season, which would hurt Romo's chances of finally advancing to the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, ESPN insider Adam Schefter said in a radio interview that the Broncos are "not inclined" to pursue Romo.

Broncos general manager John Elway seems to like the club's two young quarterbacks, though neither is considered a short-term solution to return to the Super Bowl. Either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch can serve as the primary backup, but it might be a stretch for the Broncos to hold on to both of them if they acquire Romo. Denver likely has more interest in finding help on the offensive and defensive lines than slowing the growth of one of their young quarterbacks.

The next best option, and perhaps the only other option, is the Houston Texans. Though the Texans have a guaranteed $16 million committed to Brock Osweiler next season, Houston may have no choice but to roll the dice and pursue Romo. The Texans may have an even better defense than in 2016, but the offense sputtered under Osweiler. Romo would immediately jumpstart the offense and it would be a relatively easy transition for him to leave Dallas for nearby Houston.

By possibly landing Romo, the Texans would essentially be conceding that signing Osweiler was a mistake. Romo will also need an improved offensive line and an extra wide receiver if the club expects him to be effective.

According to online betting website, Bovada.lv, the Texans have the best odds to land Romo at +300, followed by the Broncos (+475), Buffalo Bills (+500), Chicago Bears (+750), and the New York Jets (+750). It might be hard to envision Romo accepting a deal to go to the Bills, Bears or Jets. All three teams seem to have problems beyond quarterback and should remain longshots to reach the Super Bowl in 2018 or 2019.

There's still another option for Jones and Romo. It might be a wise move for the Cowboys to enter the 2017 season with Romo still on the roster. Dallas could take a wait-and-see approach and survey the league while Prescott performs in preseason and the early weeks of the regular season. If Prescott is fully fit and as effective as he was in 2016, Dallas could then find a burgeoning team with quarterback issues to work out a deal for Romo.

It wouldn't add much to the Cowboys' prospects for the 2017 season, but Dallas could potentially get much more for Romo by being patient.

In other news, star left tackle Tyron Smith said Friday that he won't have back surgery. Defensive tackles Tyrone Crawford and Cedric Thornton both underwent shoulder surgery last week, while defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had back surgery.