WR still remains high on the Cowboys offseason to-do list
Even though the Cowboys have yet to sign an outside free agent, they’ve been extremely busy in this new 2023 league year. Trading for Stephon Gilmore, re-signing Leighton Vander Esch and Donovan Wilson, and cutting ties with Ezekiel Elliott are not minor moves on anyone’s Richter scale.
It’s clear the Cowboys are taking a more active approach this offseason, and lessons from 2022 did not go unlearned in 2023. The question is will that carry over to the wide receiver position as well.
Instead of relying on the draft to fill all their major roster holes, Dallas seems to be filling some in advance. They are checking boxes on their to-do list and making themselves less reliant on the draft. They stood to lose 2,315 snaps in the middle of their defense had Vander Esch, Wilson and Anthony Barr all left in free agency. Retaining the first two allows them continuity and offers opportunity to ease young players like linebacker Damone Clark into the mix.
Adding the veteran cornerback Gilmore reordered their depth chart exactly how they wanted it; with Gilmore and Trevon Diggs outside and DaRon Bland inside. The draft is no longer “CB2 or bust” which gives them level of flexibility.
While the offensive and defensive lines are still mildly unsettling, tight end is up in the air, and running back is suddenly shallow, receiver is a flat-out concern.
The depth behind CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup is ankle deep. Even last season’s emergency piece, Noah Brown, has left the building in 2023. The Cowboys are left with Jalen Tolbert, Simi Fehoko and KaVontae Turpin as next men up on the depth chart, with the flyer taken on Antonio Callaway in the club’s back pocket. Those first three players have a combined six career receptions between them. The latter has caught 10 passes since 2018, none since 2020.
Including the tight end position in the picture makes things even worse. The potential losses of Brown (already signed with Houston) and tight end Dalton Schultz (free agent likely to leave) remove a combined 100 receptions from the ledger. Fehoko, Tolbert, Turpin and tight end Jake Ferguson, could all post career seasons and still fall over 70 receptions short of matching the production of Schultz and Brown.
Ideally, the draft would offer solutions at receiver for Dallas.
Receiver is one of the highest-paid positions in the modern NFL and with Lamb’s next contract on the horizon, getting a counterpart on a rookie deal would be financially ideal. But 2023 doesn’t boast the deepest WR class and many of the prospects in the class fall short (pun intended) of many size requirements held by Will McClay and Mike McCarthy.
As such, banking on the right prospect falling into the Cowboys laps may not be a wise thing to do. Much like last offseason, Dallas needs a player who can slide into a top-three receiver spot immediately. They can’t afford a project player with the way the roster stands right now.
It should be no wonder why rumors are circulating throughout social media about various receiver trades. The Cowboys need a receiver and multiple options are on the trade block.
2x All-Pro WR Odell Beckham Jr. has had positive discussions with the #Cowboys, sources tell @theScore. There are several teams interested, but Dallas would like to make it work. I’m told OBJ is seeking a multi-year contract. pic.twitter.com/tGBihFtzR2
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 16, 2023
Free agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr remains an option as well. He’s held workouts and has declared himself 100 percent. According to reports, Dallas remains interested in the 30-year-old free agent but the numbers have to make sense.
2x All-Pro WR Odell Beckham Jr. has had positive discussions with the #Cowboys, sources tell @theScore. There are several teams interested, but Dallas would like to make it work. I’m told OBJ is seeking a multi-year contract. pic.twitter.com/tGBihFtzR2
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 16, 2023
Much like 2022, the Cowboys have a significant need at the receiver position. While they hope Gallup and Tolbert progress and improve in 2023, the losses around them are likely too big for their progression to cover. Dallas needs a third receiver to add into the top of their depth chart.
If they can find that player, they will have set themselves up wonderfully for the draft next month. If they don’t, there will be enormous pressure for them to pull a rabbit out of a hat on draft day.
