Getty Images Brandin Cooks #3 of the Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Dallas Cowboys could be on the brink of making significant changes this offseason, following a disappointing blowout loss in the NFC Wild Card Game to the Green Bay Packers.
Given that the Cowboys are projected to be over the salary cap as the offseason begins, and Dak Prescott could be on the cusp of signing a new contract extension that would make him among the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL, Dallas faces some tough decisions in the coming months.
Prescott’s supporting cast of offensive weapons could wind up being an area the Cowboys target to trim and create cap space.
According to The Big Lead, Cowboys star wide receiver Brandin Cooks could ultimately wind up being a cap casualty.
“Brandin Cooks is an attractive option to cut for cap savings,” Kyle Koster writes for The Big Lead. “And this offense doesn’t necessarily need much at wide receiver behind CeeDee Lamb. Especially when it feels like the move is to make the whole offense out of CeeDee Lamb. Dallas should try something different and get a more dynamic player in the Deebo Samuel mold anyway.”
Moving on from Cooks would create a void in Prescott’s target hierarchy.
Only Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson saw more targets in 2023 than Cooks’ 81, which he caught 54 of for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
Dallas Cowboys’ Dire Cap Situation
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones is going to have his work cut out for him this offseason, just to get the Cowboys under the cap.
According to Spotrac, Dallas is currently $11.06 million over the cap, nearly two months before the new league year begins on March 13.
Moving on from Cooks, who signed a two-year contract worth $39 million in 2022, could potentially merely be part of a difficult equation for Jones and the Cowboys.
Dallas would create $4 million in cap savings in 2024 by releasing Cooks prior to June 1, but such a move would trigger a $6 million dead-cap charge. However, if the Cowboys release Cook after June 1, the move would create $8 million in cap space next season, and spread the dead-money charge out across two years with $2 million in 2024 and $4 million triggering in 2025.
The Cowboys could very well look to get younger at wide receiver, by targeting a top prospect at the position in the NFL Draft, which would be a more cap-friendly option for the next three to four seasons than Cooks’ current deal.
A potential NFL Draft Target to Replace Brandon Cooks
If the Cowboys do move on from Cooks, Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka could make sense as an ideal replacement for the veteran’s role and production.
Egbuka, 6-foot-1 and 265 pounds, was still a productive weapon in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ offense, despite the presence of generational wide receiver prospect Marvin Harrison in the same receiving corps.
During the 2023 campaign, Egbuka caught 41 passes for 515 yards with four touchdowns, while averaging 12.6 yards per reception.
Likewise, over the past two seasons, Egbuka added 16 rushing attempts for 112 yards and two more touchdowns. Egbuka’s versatility to contribute through the passing game, and as a runner, could make him an ideal complement to Lamb.