It looks like just a few years ago the Dallas Cowboys started the season with a large receiving squad consisting of Allen Hurns, Cole Beasley and Deonte Thompson. It’s because it was a few years ago. Yes, caramba!
Things are very different now. In the span of two short years, the team grew to an entirely different receiving group in the form of: Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and this year’s first-round pick, CeeDee Lamb. Yowza!
Looking at this trio of talent, the starting unit is poised to be one of the best receiving groups in the league. Here are the prime-time players:
The exterior, receiver of possession
It’s so easy to underestimate Amari Cooper’s talent because he just goes about his business. And it turns out that his business is to create a separation. Cooper is a running specialist who has consistently made the job of wide receiver easier. He wasn’t blown away like another receiver we’ll come back to in a minute, but Coop has been very consistent at camp. And you can’t buy that level of consistency. In fact, yes, you can. It costs $ 20 million a year.
The outside, deep threat
The only thing drowning Michael Gallup’s excitement are his two other first-round teammates. Heading into his third season, the 24-year-old is looking to build on a very strong season last year where he caught 66 passes and received over 1,100 yards. The chemistry with Dak Prescott continues to improve as he had almost the same number of goals last season as Cooper. He’s had a good camp and should continue to be a big part of the Cowboys passing offense.
The slot machine guy
Then there is the tower. Many never really believed Lamb’s landing was a possibility, as talent like his shouldn’t have been available when the Cowboys were in place. And everything he has done since entering camp has electrified observers by playing after the fact. Even amid two more 1,000-yard receivers in camp, Lamb was the best of the best. He’s just a guy who is constantly opening up, and when he’s in space it usually means big things. Of course, this is just a training camp, but maybe we are witnessing the start of something special.
Now that we’ve eliminated those three, which receivers should we expect to join them on the final roster?
The backup
Upon entering training camp, this place was on hold as you could insert a handful of names as candidates. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore as Cedrick Wilson showed a lot of progress in training camp. Last year he was released in the last downsizing but was signed to the practice squad. After Tavon Austin was injured, Wilson was promoted and was active for six games last season before being placed on the injured reserve.
Although injuries have held him back the past two seasons, Wilson is healthy now and he looks good. The timing with Dak is like these guys have been playing together forever. Wilson’s run has been precise and he has shown good hands at camp. If the Cowboys sustain an injury to the Big Three, the versatility of this group (including Wilson) should allow them to continue attacking opposing defenses in multiple ways.
The special teamer
While it’s not a prerequisite for any of the team’s receivers to be required to play special teams, it’s understandable to think that one of the spots would go to a player with that flexibility. Ventell Bryant was that player last season, and he could very well be again this year, but Noah Brown made him a legitimate competition in training camp. Brown is healthy and offers better blocking than Bryant, and his ability as a receiver is also stronger. While Bryant may have a slight edge at the moment, that will come down to over time as Brown’s strong camp made things interesting.
When we broached this issue a few months ago, we felt that the last spots would go like this:
You would have to imagine one of the guys from the special team making the cut.
Get ready for one of your favorite and flashiest WRs to leave in the cold instead of one of those essential workers.
The other place could go to one of the speedsters, depending on which player shows the most at camp. JVJ has greater appeal due to his youth and perks, but right now Smith is the most proven talent.
What if none of these guys wow the coaches, and Cedrick wilson done – that might point her ticket to a last spot on the list.
Outside, look …
A healthy Devin Smith certainly deserves a spot on the list, but even so, he’s only good for one thing: speed. With the Cowboys already having playmakers in the passing game, it’s hard to see Smith win any of those spots. He hasn’t been bad at camp, but he’s not surprised either. With so many contenders on the roster, it will be difficult to see Smith clinch a spot.
We were hoping to see Jon’Vea Johnson take a step forward this year to gift the team with a young speedster on a rookie contract. His consistency in catching the ball remains a problem, and it could be the beginning of the end for JVJ.
One guy to watch is UDFA free agent Aaron Parker. While he’s not a guy to make the roster this year, he’s a prime candidate for the practice squad. He doesn’t have any super athletic traits, but his ball skills get people’s attention. He’s done a few plays at camp, and it should be interesting to see how he plays out.
If the list cuts were right now, it might look like:
- Amari Cooper
- Michael gallup
- Lamb CeeDee
- Cedrick wilson
- Ventell Bryant (with Noah Brown still having a chance to beat him)
