The Dallas Cowboys are roughly $20 million over the salary cap right now with the penalty handed down by the NFL last season one significant reason why.

The club needs to move and move quickly before free agency opens March 12 to have the room to operate. Dallas could be in the market for a number of different players, perhaps some defensive players to help complete the transition to a 4-3 front.

The Cowboys will be able to clear considerable room if they can extend the contract of quarterback Tony Romo, who has a cap number of $16.8 million for the coming season.

Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said negotiations with Romo have yet to begin, according to the Dallas Morning News.

“These things happen fast when they happen,” Jones said. “We’re in good shape.”

Jones admitted the Cowboys will be in a tough spot if they cannot make a new deal for Romo happen.

“We have to have alternative plans,” Jones said. “We have them. They’re not as pleasant and he’s aware of it. He’s pretty aware of that. It’s pretty clear. When you have a great quarterback — and we’re fortunate to have one – they take up a significant amount of your cap space. Tony has been a great partner to us but he also understands it has ramifications in terms of what we can and can’t do with the cap.

“That’s not totally fair to Tony, but it can impact it.”

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune