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Frisco, Texas — It feels like just yesterday that the Dallas Cowboys were desperately trying to sell themselves on the concept of a WR buy committee, with disappointing results. The post-Dez Bryant era featured a list of personnel decisions that would ultimately lead to a hard reset with the Amari Cooper trade and subsequent use of a first-round pick for CeeDee Lamb.
And just like that, the Cowboys were cooking with fish fat again.
We obviously know they have a Hall of Fame talent in Lamb heading into the 2024 season, but let's understand what the depth will be behind the 88 Club's newest megastar member. It is said that
pastAh, the infamous separate WR approach headlined by Cole Beasley, Terrence Williams, and Deonte Thompson (with rotational depth provided by Ryan Switzer, Allen Hurns, Cedric Wilson, Noah Brown, and Lance).・Lenoir, KD Cannon).
This experiment ultimately led Dallas to reverse course and send a first-round pick to the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders in 2018 in exchange for Cooper. He will earn two more Pro Bowl appearances (four total in his career) in Dallas. But months before the trade, the Cowboys acquired Michael Gallup in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and later signed him to a five-year contract extension.
They added Randall Cobb in 2019, but his hold didn't last long, with the superstar receiver unexpectedly dropping to No. 17 overall before taking Lamb in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. And the trio of Cooper, Lamb, and Gallup set off to race.
Fast forward to 2024 and it was the CeeDee Ram Show, with countless question marks for those around him in the receiver room.
the current: As mentioned earlier, Lamb not only rose to the WR1 crown in Dallas, he also rose to the top at the position regardless of team. It's safe to say that the only wideout who had a more impactful season for their respective clubs was Tyreek Hill, which is why Lamb was named a finalist for NFL Offensive Player of the Year along with his own QB. It is not surprising that
A three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Lamb finished the 2023 regular season with career-highs in yards (1,749), receptions (135), receiving touchdowns (12), touches (149), and touchdowns. finished. Scrimmages (14), yards per game (102.9), catch rate (74.6%), as well as rushing yards (114), rushing attempts (14), rushing success rate (85.7%), and more.
If you also factor in the NFL and the Cowboys franchise record, I think you get the point.
But what about everyone else? The word that comes to mind here is “contradiction.”
It took several weeks for Brandin Cooks to truly integrate as a threat in the new system's offense. He certainly made an impact in some games once he started, but the Cowboys definitely had a lot of meat left on their bones. Michael Gallup has flashed in special ways a few times, but he's also had smaller outings that he'd rather forget.
The needle points directly north of Jalen Tolbert. He was light years better than his rookie self, but more targets heading in his direction would have been welcome, especially when Gallup was struggling — Tolbert almost always went to Prescott. His path in 2023, considering he was giving in return.
Seeing KaVontae Turpin unleashed in Year 2 was a welcome sight, but it wasn't the same as my critique of Tolbert: More please. The speedster wideout has proven he can do more than jet sweep, so should he be sent a little further downfield?
Ultimately, Lamb was even better than advertised last season, but has been inconsistent in both his play and targeting others, especially in a year where the rushing attack took a step in the wrong direction. offset by this.
future: It's time for Lamb and the Cowboys to engage in their first-ever contract negotiations. There is little doubt that he will reset the market or come very close to it in the near future. Because I can't imagine a scenario where he's not in Dallas on his second contract.
My eyes then turn to the rest of the WR corps, specifically Gallup, who will reach a hefty salary cap hit with the Cowboys of $45.55 million by the 2026 season, with $13.85 million of that starting in 2024 if his contract is approved. will be paid to. Leave it as it is.
This is a number that doesn't commensurate with his current role in the offense, so a pay cut or restructuring (no negotiation required), or that would flip a switch and add millions to the team's cap number in 2024. savings will be added.
I'm not in favor of sending packages to Gallup. Because I believe his leadership, skill set and willingness to be a role player will make him the glue for Prescott and McCarthy. But given what it would take to pay other players like Lamb (and Micah, Parsons and others), it makes sense to force the math at Gallup to make more sense. That's true.
Cooks was acquired via trade in 2023 and will enter his contract season with a $10 million cap hit.
Given what Cooks could be going forward and what his guidance would mean to the Rams, I would suggest giving him a two-year extension (with a cap savings of around $500). (potentially an additional $10,000), and would be willing to cut back on his hits. He's a bridge to players like Tolbert and Jalen Brooks. The latter was the star of the 2023 training camp and started in earnest in a limited number of games.
And speaking of Brooks, what an exciting young talent he is. He is a seventh-round pick in 2023 and shows exceptional promise. His presence, along with Tolbert, gives the Cowboys some sensational depth at wide receiver and also makes the conversation with Gallup more realistic.
Looking to boost Brooks this offseason will be Jalen Cropper, David Durden (Darden is returning from a redshirt rookie season spent on IR), Lacey McMath, and a renewed focus on Martavis Bryant. right.
The team liked what they saw in Bryant's development during his short time on the practice squad in 2023, but understood his return to the NFL would require more reps and a longer preparation period. was. And McMath is another big sub-4.4 wideout who could be seen as a direct competitor to what Bryant brings to the table.
Isn't it fun in Oxnard? I'm sure your precious pig will too.
There are a lot of things to keep an eye on when it comes to Dallas' wideout group, but one thing is certain: they are loaded with talent at the position, both now and in the future.
