Last Saturday, Jerry Jones said a decision on Romo’s future has not been made and he hasn’t had recent discussions with the quarterback, but that doesn’t mean things can’t come together quickly. By now, Romo’s cap figure ($24.7 million) and cap savings if he is released ($5.1 million) are seared into the brains of every Cowboys fan. They should already know the difference between a June 1 cut and an outright release, which would save the Cowboys $14 million in cap space in 2017 but have him count $8.9 million against the cap in 2018.

If the Cowboys go the release route with Romo, it won’t happen until March 9 at the earliest. That’s the first day they can use the June 1 designation.

For those wondering about a potential trade, Jones has often said a player’s value is at his lowest around the draft, which could hamper a deal. While Romo’s base salaries from 2017 to 2019 are not guaranteed, the $14 million he’s due this year could make a deal difficult. Plus, Romo has a de facto trade veto because he can simply say he has no desire to go to Team X, which would tighten his market.

All of this is difficult, but not impossible.

What happens either on the Cowboys’ bus or in their hotel suite this week will go a long way in determining Romo’s future.

How much will Prescott, Elliott preside over this combine?

The 2017 running back class is a strong one, with the likes of Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara considered first-rounders. Do any of them grade as well as Elliott did at every aspect of the position, from running to catching to blocking? The Cowboys took Elliott that high — which went against conventional wisdom that says a runner can be found anywhere — because he was a three-down back.

Prescott’s ability to prosper right away was surprising to many, if not himself, and his success could help in the evaluations of other quarterbacks from spread offenses such as DeShaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes and Davis Webb.

Framing their needs

Teams are allowed 60 official interviews of prospects at the combine and unlimited unofficial interviews. A year ago, the Cowboys spent time with all of the top quarterbacks, save for Carson Wentz, whom they worked with for a week at the Senior Bowl.

Quarterback will not be nearly the focus this year as it was last year. The focus this year figures to be on cornerback and pass-rushers, which is considered two of the deeper positions in the draft. The Cowboys use the combine to help the coaches get to know the prospects, better and they then use the information gathered in Indianapolis to formulate their top 30 draft visits.

The Cowboys do not window dress their draft visitors. If a player visits, there is a strong likelihood the Cowboys are serious about drafting him. Since 2004, the only first picks not to visit the Cowboys before the draft were DeMarcus Ware (2005) and Morris Claiborne (2012).

At No. 28 overall in the first round, the Cowboys will be at the mercy of the draft board when they pick, but they will land a player they covet.

Free agency talk

The shopping officially starts March 9, but teams can talk with free agents starting March 7, although they are not supposed to come to terms on a deal. The legal tampering period is a nice touch, but the real work in free agency is laid out mostly at the combine.

For the Cowboys, they will meet with the agents of their 18 unrestricted free agents and get a better feel for what is being offered and what they can afford. The chances of re-signing a player to a deal this close to free agency are difficult, but, like a potential Romo trade, not impossible. With so much cap room available to teams, players are normally better off waiting to see what’s on the open market.

If the Cowboys get anything done, however, it will be at their prices. They have displayed a discipline in free agency the last few years that they had not always shown.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley recently said Ingram will be a good fit in his system as a Leo defensive end, as the Chargers switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive alignment.

“With his production and his effort, he’s just been a highly productive player,” Bradley said. “I just think for him it’s the opportunity to rush more and be on the line of scrimmage more.

“He’ll have his times when he has to drop, but the percentage is going to change to where it’s going to lean more towards giving him the ability to rush.”

Beisides keeping Bosa and Ingram together, the Chargers did not have much choice because there’s no one on the roster that can replace Ingram’s production. The Chargers like the potential of young pass-rushers like Jeremiah Attaochu and Chris Landrum, but neither has shown that they can put up double-digit sacks over a full season like Ingram.

The Chargers also reap the benefit of all of the years they have put in developing Ingram into one of the more polished pass-rushers in the game.

Selected No. 18 overall in the 2012 draft, Ingram struggled to stay healthy his first three years in the league, which included ACL surgery on his left knee in 2013 and a hip issue in 2014.

However, after shedding 20 pounds and committing to a better nutrition plan during the 2015 offseason, Ingram finally began to play to his potential. And it appears the Chargers are in line to benefit, with Ingram’s best years in the NFL potentially ahead of him.

In the last three years, the Chiefs lost to free agency five offensive linemen they had drafted to free agency: Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah, Rodney Hudson, Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson.

When it came time for those players to get paid big money, they had to leave Kansas City to get it. Dorsey and the Chiefs kept Albert around for one season as the franchise player in 2013 before he left for a lucrative contract with the Miami Dolphins. They tried to re-sign Hudson in 2015 but were outbid by the Oakland Raiders.

They filled in mostly with draft picks playing on their rookie contracts or lower-priced veterans. What the Chiefs collectively paid their linemen in 2014 and 2015 was among the lowest in the league.

That’s changing now. Between Fisher, Schwartz and now Duvernay-Tardif, the Chiefs are no longer among the league’s lowest spenders for their linemen.

It’s also notable that the Chiefs signed Fisher and Duvernay-Tardif before they had to. Each had another season left on his contract when he agreed to an extension.

As a result, the Chiefs can have some much-needed offensive line continuity in 2017. Their starting lineup projects to be the same next season as it was the last. All five except for left guard Zach Fulton are signed at least through 2018 and one of last year’s draft picks, Parker Ehinger, could compete with Fulton for the starting job next season anyway.

Good times look to be ahead for the Chiefs’ offensive line. They suddenly have the money to throw themselves one heck of a party.

Free agents: Tyrunn Walker (starting DT), Devin Taylor (starting DE), DE Armonty Bryant, DT Stefan Charles, DT Khyri Thornton (restricted), DL Kerry Hyder (exclusive rights), DE Brandon Copeland (exclusive rights).

What are the chances the Lions bring back their own free agents here: It would seem like there are few matches here. Hyder and Copeland should be back as exclusive rights free agents who had roles with Detroit in 2015. Bryant and Thornton are intriguing as both performed well and could end up returning on smaller deals. Detroit would likely be wise to explore options beyond Walker, who was largely ineffective in 2016, and Taylor, who didn’t have the breakout season many projected. Charles is another question mark and his return could be tied to price.

What do the Lions need between free agency and the draft: Considering how Detroit likes to rotate its defensive linemen, the Lions have a lot of work to do here, possibly needing somewhere between 4-6 players. Figure this will happen in a combination between the draft and free agency and the interior of the defensive line is a spot Detroit could choose to spend massively as there are multiple talented options out there, especially if Carolina defensive tackle Kawann Short, Arizona’s Calais Campbell and Baltimore defensive tackle Brandon Williams all end up reaching free agency.

Three free agents to look at besides the three names mentioned above:

Johnathan Hankins, DT, New York Giants: He’ll be 25 at the start of the 2017 season and entering the prime of his career. He’s a high-level run-stopper and had 43 tackles and 10 quarterback hits last season according to Spotrac. If he doesn’t return to the Giants, he is likely to have a large market and would fit well in the middle of Detroit’s defensive line as a future long-term pairing with A’Shawn Robinson. Plus, the 6-foot-2, 320-pound Ohio State product grew up in Detroit, so he understands what the Lions culture is.

Jabaal Sheard, DE, New England: If the Lions are looking for more of a rotational player on the outside, he could be the guy. GM Bob Quinn has familiarity with Sheard from the Patriots days and he has been a somewhat consistent pass-rusher with 13 sacks total over the past two seasons in New England. He also won’t be a high-cost free agent, so Quinn could sign him and spend big elsewhere.

Nick Fairley, DT, New Orleans: Yes, this might seem unlikely, but the Lions at least have to kick around the idea of it. The 29-year-old Fairley has played well since leaving the Lions, including the best season of his career last season with the Saints, where he had 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits (according to Spotrac). The coaching staff knows him, which could both hurt and help, and he knows the area well. It would be an interesting decision, but Fairley was always well-liked in the locker room and had immense potential. Now, he’s finally starting to show that.

Three combine rookies that could get considered:

Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan: If Charlton is available at No. 21, he would have to be looked at by the Lions. At 6-foot-6, 272 pounds, he would be a perfect complement to Ezekiel Ansah at defensive end. He also has length and would be a fit as a pass-rusher. Charlton got better every year at Michigan, including a 10-sack, 13.5 tackle for loss final season. If he has a good combine, he might end up gone well before the Lions pick.

Chris Wormley, DT, Michigan: The Lions love to have a player or two who can play inside and outside to give Teryl Austin diversity in his defensive line packages. They have one player who can do that in Hyder. If the Lions grabbed Wormley in the second or third round, he could potentially offer that as well. At 6-foot-6, 302 pounds, he has the height and length to be an end but the size to get kicked inside to tackle. He had 122 career tackles with 32.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks — good production for a lineman on a very deep defensive line.