ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter spoke this week about his part-time role as an NBA sideline reporter, Tony Romo’s future and the Giants’ free-agency plans with The Post’s Justin Terranova.
Q: Why was it important for you to get some NBA sideline gigs in your new contract?
A: It wasn’t important to me. They kind of volunteered it as a little perk to everything, but it was something that wasn’t going to make or break the entire situation. It was more of just a fun throw-in. It wasn’t like I demanded to cover the NBA, but I am ready. I talked to J.A. Adande, Doris Burke. I am a fan of the sport and have experience with NFL sideline work.
Q: So, you are just doing it during lulls in the NFL offseason schedule?
A: Exactly. I am not going to compromise my real job. For all I know, I’ll be reporting on Wednesday night [during his NBA debut during Knicks vs. Thunder] about how Victor Cruz has found a new home [it turned out to be the Jets releasing Ryan Clady]. That’s how the NFL works. It moves so quickly. You just never know.
Q: What do you think the Cowboys end up doing with Tony Romo?
A: My guess is they end up releasing him because it’s going to be difficult to trade the contract. Either way, he’s going to pick where he plays because they aren’t going to trade him to Cleveland without him signing off on it. He and Jerry Jones are too close. He’s going to say, “Tony, where do you want to go?” And, by the way, if Tony knows what team he wants to go to, he could tell that team, “Don’t trade for me. I’ll sign with you.” And that’s another reason why I ultimately think he gets released. Chicago, Houston and Denver would all make sense as destinations.
Q: What becomes the Giants’ first priority now that Cruz and Rashad Jennings have been released?
A: They have so many unsigned free agents who they’d like to bring back, starting with Johnathan Hankins and Jason Pierre-Paul. They are going to need money to do what they need to keep their own players, let alone improve the roster. And so when they looked at it, they are just making moves that they think makes sense right now.
Q: There was a recent story about a dispute between you and Trent Dilfer. Is it weird to see yourself in the news?
A: It is odd, and it’s not something that I am entirely comfortable with or something I planned. Certain people have certain takes on certain issues, and if that’s turned back on me, I am not going to hide and not answer it. That was a strange one, but Trent called me up and apologized, and he didn’t mean to challenge me publicly.