The Dallas Cowboys are being pushed to trade wide receiver Michael Gallup after an inconsistent 2022 campaign. Given the Cowboys’ addition of Brandin Cooks over the offseason could Gallup be expendable for Dallas? Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder made a case for Gallup as the one player the Cowboys should look to trade ahead of Week 1.
“The Dallas Cowboys had to bring in some reinforcements and that’s why they traded for Brandin Cooks during the offseason,” Holder wrote on August 15, 2023. “That alone puts Gallup’s future with the team in doubt, and Patrik Walker of the team’s website noted that second-year wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has been emerging during training camp.
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“Since Dallas now has two other options to serve as a second or third target behind CeeDee Lamb, Gallup is even more expendable. His contract is also team friendly, as he’s signed through 2026, but it also includes a potential out after this season, increasing his value on the market.”
Dallas Cowboys Receiver Michael Gallup Still Has 4 Seasons Remaining on a 5-Year, $57.5 Million Contract
Gallup still has four seasons remaining on a five-year, $57.5 million contract and is slated to have just a $6.7 million cap hit this season. This number more than doubles to $13.8 million in 2024. The Cowboys have an out in Gallup’s deal next offseason but would take a $13 million dead cap hit to move off of the receiver’s final three years.
Dallas may not be pleased with what they would net in return for Gallup given the wideout is coming off one of the worst statistical seasons of his career. Gallup notched 39 receptions for 424 yards and 4 touchdowns in 14 appearances in 2022. It was a somewhat disappointing season given that he was expected to solidify himself as Dallas’ No. 2 receiver following the team’s decision to trade Amari Cooper.
Dallas Cowboys Wideout Michael Gallup on 2022: ‘My Knee Was Feeling Sore’
Gallup was returning from a season-ending ACL injury and was candid about not being at full strength in 2022, saying the ramifications of his 2021 injury meant that his “knee was feeling sore” throughout last season.
“You go out there, you want to play like you always play,” Gallup told DallasCowboys.com in a May 18 feature. “You know how you’re supposed to play. That didn’t happen for me last year. I was thinking too much. My knee was feeling sore and it was just different.
“I never had a big injury like that, it was different,” he said. “I had to work a little bit harder. I had to do some things that I’ve never had to do. I could normally just walk out on the field and play and I couldn’t do that. I gotta warm my body now. But it was good, though. That’s part of growing pains.”
Do the Cowboys have enough receiver depth to afford moving on from Gallup? Tolbert has a chance to bounce back from an underwhelming rookie season, but Dallas’ wideout group without Gallup would be alarming. Gallup’s trade value has likely taken a hit given his last two seasons, and the Cowboys would be wise to hang on to the receiver for another year.
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Cowboys Urged to Trade ‘Expendable’ $57 Million Playmaker