Cowboys’ offseason strategy centered around these two players

The Dallas Cowboys had an offseason plan on offense and executed it to near perfection. The team’s belief in wide receiver Michael Gallup and tight end Dalton Schultz provided a blueprint to what the Cowboys were going to do in constructing the offense moving forward. Dallas’ faith in both players will prove to be a wise, or foolish, decision beginning in September.

It was no secret the team was set to move on from wide receiver Amari Cooper, that they were going to try and trade him for whatever they could get and turn to CeeDee Lamb as their No. 1 WR. Trading Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick, as well as the swap of sixth-round selections, didn’t excite the fanbase.

That frustration was further enhanced while watching the price other teams paid to acquire a top-tier WR this offseason. The Cowboys were never going to get the high round drafted picks fans coveted, and the team’s bigger goal was to shed salary. Getting anything for Cooper was a bonus in the organizations eyes because the Cowboys just wanted to recoup the cap dollars to spend elsewhere.

The money saved on Cooper went to two players. Fellow wide out Michael Gallup was signed to a new five-year, $62.5 million deal, with $27 million guaranteed, and the breakout TE Dalton Schultz was given the franchise tag at a cost of $10.9 million for his 2022 services. The goal remains to get Schultz a long-term deal before the deadline closes in July, but it’s clear the Cowboys think highly of their new No. 1 TE.

Cowboys fans can argue about the merits of the strategy, but it seemed to work out how the organization wanted. Cooper’s deal when it was signed in the 2020 offseason was essentially a two-year deal the team could get out of, and when they drafted Lamb, for all practical purposes, it all but assured Cooper would be playing elsewhere in 2022. Before Lamb, Dallas was hoping Gallup would turn into a consistent receiver and he would take the reins. With Lamb now in the fold, and Gallup, the Cowboys felt it was time to move on from Cooper.

Michael Gallup

That’s a lot of faith to place on Gallup, who has just one 1,000-yard year to his name. In his sophomore season with the Cowboys, Gallup showed what he was capable of, catching 66 passes for 1,107 yards and six scores. Those numbers were put up as Gallup was counted on to be the No. 2 receiver in Dallas, just as he’ll be moving forward. Gallup’s also averaged 15 yards a catch throughout his first four years in the league, so the ability to be a very good receiver is there.

However, Gallup will be coming off a torn ACL and likely won’t be available for the early part of the upcoming season. For a team that is short on quality receiving options to begin the year, where it looks like the toughest part of the Cowboys’ schedule resides, not having one of their best receivers is an issue. Even when Gallup returns, much will be expected from him as he recovers from the major injury.

Gallup’s worth is obviously more than just one season, but he’ll have to be a consistent WR over the next few years to prove the Cowboys right for ridding themselves of Cooper and keeping his services.

Dalton Schultz

The same can be said for Schultz, who enjoyed a breakout 2021 season. Dallas hasn’t had a TE achieve the numbers Schultz put up (78 catches, 808 yards and eight scores) since prime Jason Witten and the Cowboys wanted to make sure they kept the emerging receiving option around. Schultz clearly became one of quarterback Dak Prescott’s favorite targets in the passing game and that played a role in keeping Schultz around.

Last season’s success wasn’t just a one-year wonder for Schultz. When he was asked to take on a larger role after starter Blake Jarwin’s torn ACL in Week 1 of the 2020 season, Schultz responded with 63 receptions for 615 yards and four scores in his first extended playing time in the NFL.

Schultz isn’t the athlete that some of today’s star tight ends are, but in Dallas’ offense, the veteran out of Stanford gets open and produces. There isn’t a comparison to be had, but the same could’ve been said for Witten throughout the course of his career.

Conclusion

Retaining Gallup and Schultz, while losing Cooper was the biggest part of the offseason plan for the Cowboys at the skill positions on offense. The organization probably would’ve liked to keep Cedrick Wilson as well, but he was in high demand and the Cowboys weren’t going to pay the cost to bring him back.

Otherwise, the Cowboys kept the receiving options they wanted to retain and got rid of the player that was deemed too expensive to keep. It played out how the Cowboys imagined it, the team is paying two players for the price of one.

In the draft, the Cowboys covered themselves by drafting South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert in the third round and tight end Jake Ferguson in the fourth to ensure the team has depth. Both rookie additions should be solid contributors in the near future, but neither are as good as Gallup or Schultz yet.

The strategy and reasoning has been debated, and it has been argued the team could’ve kept all three, but the organization didn’t see it that way. The Cowboys have put their faith in Dalton Schultz and Michael Gallup for the near future. Only time will tell if the team made a wise decision, but it’s clear Dallas executed their plan.

For better or worse.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

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