The Dallas Cowboys finally solved their Tony Romo issue with the Mark Sanchez contract they just inked. However, reports are pointing to a previous deal that would have made Geno Smith the starting quarterback of the Dez Bryant team. Did the Dallas Cowboys drop the New York Jets star to sign Mark Sanchez instead?

The Denver Broncos dashed the dreams of Mark Sanchez to become part of a Super Bowl contender team including his hopes of landing a starting role. With his fumbles during the NFL preseason, the Von Miller squad opted to go for Trevor Siemian followed by Paxton Lynch. Unfortunately for the former Philadelphia Eagles star, he was not even deemed qualified to be a third stringer. In their effort to build a stronger roster, the Denver Broncos signed Austin Davis, who earlier played for the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. They then released Mark Sanchez.

"We just made a decision to go in a different direction," said Gary Kubiak of their decision to let go of Mark Sanchez. The Denver Broncos head coach added, "Mark's obviously had a lot of experience and stuff, but we went young at the quarterback position so that's why we also brought Austin in here. We have confidence in these guys and we'll go to work. We wish Mark all of the best. He was a true professional and a great person through everything."

Despite completely losing his place in the Denver Broncos roster, Mark Sanchez eventually found a silver lining courtesy of the Dallas Cowboys. In the wake of the Tony Romo injury problems, the Zek Elliot squad has been struggling to find a reliable quarterback to help their Super Bowl dreams. While Dak Prescott has been impressive so far, his inexperience in the league makes him vulnerable. Hence, the Dallas Cowboys went on to search for a veteran star.

Initially, rumors were rife that Jerry Jones wanted Geno Smith to find redemption in his team. Speculations swirled over the trade talks between the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys as the Ryan Fitzpatrick backup was said to be set to take over the lead role from Tony Romo soon. However, rumors hinted that the NFL trade talks fell apart as soon as the Denver Broncos released Mark Sanchez.

Did the Mark Sanchez deal cost Geno Smith his last shot at a starting role? Did the Dallas Cowboys drop the New York Jets star for the cheaper contract of the former Denver Broncos quarterback?

The answers remain uncertain. At this point, no official comment on the matter has been released by the teams and the players concerned. For his part, Geno Smith has been spotted getting busy as he prepares for his backup role behind Ryan Fitzpatrick in the New York Jets. As for Mark Sanchez, the Dallas Cowboys hope that he can be a helpful mentor to rookie Dak Prescott in the upcoming regular season.