Former Cowboys WR Available Through Trade: Report

Getty Miami Dolphins WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. runs onto the field before an NFL game.

Should the Dallas Cowboys still feel the need for another option at wide receiver, one of their former pass-catchers is apparently available via trade. After just one season with the Miami Dolphins, WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. is on the trade block.

According to SI.com’s Mike Fisher, the Dolphins have explored trade options with Wilson over the past few weeks. The 27-year-old has only spent a single year with Miami, but was a non-factor during the 2022 season.

“A source tells CowboysSI.com that the Dolphins have made exploratory phone calls in an effort to rid themselves of Wilson’s contract,” Fisher wrote on June 3. “Wilson left Dallas and signed a three-year, $22 million deal with the Dolphins last season, but soon after, Miami traded for the Chiefs’ Hill, and Wilson quickly found himself buried on the depth chart as far as QB Tua Tagovailoa targets.”

Wilson was never a household name with Dallas, but became a reliable and frequently-used target for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during his three seasons with the team. If he’s available for cheap, Dallas could consider him as an option although he is due a sizable $7 million salary in 2023.

Wilson Struggles to Make Mark with Dolphins

The expectation for Wilson coming into the 2022 season was for him to provide Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa with a consistent target who could pick up those additional yards after the catch as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle stretched the field.

Waddle and Hill were the No. 1 and No. 2 that Miami expected, but Wilson ended up having the ninth-most receptions on the team, behind names like RB Jeff Wilson Jr., TE Durham Smythe and WR Trent Sherfield.

In total, Wilson caught just 12 passes during his 15 appearances. He totaled 136 receiving yards and scored zero touchdowns according to Pro Football Reference. 

Compared to his final season with the Cowboys (45 receptions, 602 receiving yards and six touchdowns,) it was a major drop-off. The former sixth-round pick will have another opportunity to prove that 2022 was an anomaly, but it could end up being with a different team than the Dolphins.

Former Cowboys WR Wants to Stay in Miami

While reports and rumors swirl around Wilson’s future, the wide receiver has made it clear that his only goal is to get better this offseason and take on a bigger role with Miami in 2023.

During a recent interview with the Miami Herald, Wilson was adamant that he is not listening or focusing on what could happen in the future. Instead, he’s locked in on the present moment.

“I work out every offseason to perform when the games come,” Wilson said. “I want to be here. I’m here right now. That’s what it’s granted to be, so I’m going to give it my best… I’m not sure what they talk about, the agent and the [front office]. But for me, I just told them, like, ‘Let me know whatever goes on after the fact. I’m at work, so don’t bother with it every day.’”

It’s clear what the former Cowboys receiver wants, it is now a matter of whether he will get what he desires.