Getty Dallas Cowboys WR Jalen Brooks
The Dallas Cowboys have a wide variety of options at the wide receiver position, but one young pass-catcher could be in danger of being cut. While CeeDee Lamb leads the way and the headlines, players like Jalen Brooks will do everything possible to secure a 53-man roster spot.
In a July 26 article from Blogging the Boys’ Jess Haynie, Brooks is one of the odd men out. Besides Lamb, Haynie predicts Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and Ryan Flournoy to make the team over Brooks.
“There’s no doubt on the first four, so it really comes down to the last spot or two,” Haynie wrote. “Going long here to protect Flournoy or Jalen Brooks is exactly why you don’t keep Cooper Rush on the roster, opening up a spot for a younger asset somewhere else. But that spot may be better used elsewhere and we’ll get to that at our next position. Bumping Brooks is tough but if Flournoy keeps showing up like he did in the spring practices, Dallas will have a hard time putting him at risk.”
It’s a case of picking one young talent over another. That being said, the Cowboys have other pressing questions to answer at WR.
Brooks Looking to Kickstart NFL Career
As a seventh round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Brooks’ first challenge was making the Cowboys‘ roster. Making an impact as a rookie is ideal, but for a late-round selection, just being on the team is a win.
Brooks was able to accomplish that last August before making 7 appearances. According to Pro Football Reference, the 24-year-old caught six passes for 64 yards. The former South Carolina Gamecock was only targeted 6 times, meaning he had a 100% catch rate.
Dallas clearly likes Brooks, but opportunities are limited at the NFL level. The arrival of Ryan Flournoy as a promising UDFA means Brooks may not get another chance with Dallas. That, or the Cowboys may be willing to risk Brooks hitting waivers rather than letting Flournoy walk.
If Dallas makes the right decision with Brooks and Flournoy, they could keep one of them on the practice squad.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Speaks on CeeDee Lamb
As Brooks, Flournoy and others compete to be on the roster, Lamb is looking for his second NFL contract. The 2023 All-Pro had a record-setting season last year, but has yet to sign a contract extension.
Accordingly, Lamb is holding out of training camp while he waits for his new deal to materialize. That’s never an ideal situation, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not worried. According to Dallas’ official website, Jones spoke on Lamb’s holdout on July 25.
“This time last year, was it [Zack] Martin that wasn’t here last year?” Jones said. “Does that happen? Of course it does. Look all over the league. So I don’t flare when it’s happening to us. I’m aware of that. I’m aware that we want to get these guys to camp. Business as usual, as far as I’m concerned. I’m used to this. I can live with this.”