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By Jon Machota Apr 9, 2021
The Cowboys have continued following their plan of not spending big in free agency. They have filled some holes and added depth, but most of the notable remaining roster changes will come via this month’s NFL Draft.
This is the seventh installment of a nine-part series split up among position groups.
Part 1: Defensive line
Part 2: Linebackers
Part 3: Defensive backs
Part 4: Offensive line
Part 5: Quarterbacks
Part 6: Running backs
We moved over to the offensive side of the ball last week. Today we shift our focus to the wide receiver position.
How the wide receivers performed in 2020:
The talk coming into the season was about Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb having the ability to each have a 1,000-yard season. And although Cooper was the only one who did with 1,114 yards, Lamb (935) and Gallup (843) weren’t far away. It’s reasonable to think the three would’ve accomplished that goal had quarterback Dak Prescott and the offensive line stayed healthy.
Cedrick Wilson emerged as a valuable No. 4 wide receiver option and Noah Brown was solid as the team’s No. 5 at the position. Both are also quality special teams contributors.
Considering the Cowboys started four quarterbacks in 2020, the team’s best position group lived up to the expectations.
The future:
Since the Cowboys have one of the NFL’s best wide receiver groups, let’s take a look at their competition for the top spot.
Cardinals: DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, Andy Isabella
Bills: Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, Emmanuel Sanders
Steelers: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, James Washington
Buccaneers: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Scotty Miller, Antonio Brown (if he re-signs)
The Cowboys have Cooper under contract for four more seasons, but there is a potential out in his deal if the team wants to part ways at the end of the 2021 season. Cooper signed a five-year, $100 million deal in March 2020. He is the Cowboys’ No. 1 wide receiver and there currently isn’t any reason why they would want to get out of his deal.
Lamb has at least three years remaining on his rookie contract. The team also has the fifth-year option because he was a first-round pick.
Gallup is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Considering the money the team has tied up in Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Cooper — all are among the highest-paid at their positions — along with significant investments in offensive linemen Tyron Smith, La’el Collins and Zack Martin, it seems unlikely that they will have the ability to re-sign Gallup. There will be plenty of interest in his services in the free agency market next offseason.
And because of that, drafting a wide receiver with one of their 10 draft picks makes some sense.
CeeDee Lamb (Brad Rempel / USA Today)
How things could change this offseason:
There shouldn’t be many changes on the field this offseason. Cooper, Gallup, Lamb, Wilson and Brown are all under contract. As long as the group is healthy, it should be one of the NFL’s best.
Cooper and Gallup are expected to stay on the outside with Lamb working from the slot. Lamb has the ability to create problems on the outside, and he probably would line up there more on another roster. Cooper can be a mismatch on the outside or inside. But continuing to build on what they did last year seems like the best fit for this group.
Having a full year to work together with Prescott, who is returning from ankle injury that caused him to miss 11 games, should mean the possibility of all three going over 1,000 yards, which would be the first time since the 2008 Cardinals (Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston). That doesn’t necessarily guarantee a certain number of wins, it just shows the capabilities of the talented Dallas trio.
Drafting a wide receiver, perhaps on the final day of this month’s draft, isn’t the worst idea. Draft expert Dane Brugler published his annual draft guide “The Beast” this week. He has 21 wide receivers listed at fourth round to seventh round projections. If Dallas is looking to add a bigger receiver to potentially fill Gallup’s role in the future, Auburn’s Seth Williams, Florida State’s Tamorrion Terry, Florida’s Trevon Grimes, Arkansas State’s Jonathan Adams, Wake Forest’s Sage Surratt, Notre Dame’s Ben Skowronek, Charleston’s Mike Strachan and Nicholls State’s Dai’Jean Dixon are all 6-foot-2 or taller and projected to go between Rounds 4-7.
The best player available when Dallas goes on the clock with the 10th overall pick could very well be a wide receiver. LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase, Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle and Alabama’s DeVonta Smith are all projected top-15 picks. But considering all of the Cowboys’ defensive needs and that they drafted Lamb last year in the first round, it’s highly unlikely that they will be taking another wide receiver with their first pick.
