Getty The Cowboys could target Chargers WR Keenan Allen if he becomes available.
The Dallas Cowboys could find their next star receiver through an unexpected route.
As proposed by Jerry Trotta of Fan Sided, the Cowboys could be a landing spot for Los Angeles Chargers receiver Kennan Allen. Allen could be a potential cap casualty due to Los Angeles’ current salary cap situation, as noted by Daniel Popper of The Athletic. The Chargers will enter the 2023 offseason $20 million over the salary cap, ranked 26th in the league.
Trotta urges the Cowboys to pursue Allen if he does become available due to their lack of depth at the wide receiver position.
“Even on the wrong side of 30, Allen is still one of the NFL’s premier possession receivers,” said Trotta. “The Cowboys undoubtedly need to add a vertical dimension to their passing game, but they need receivers to get open for Dak Prescott first and foremost (CeeDee Lamb notwithstanding), and that’s Allen’s speciality.”
Keenan Allen Remains Productive WR at Age 30
The 30-year-old Allen — he’ll turn 31 years old in the offseason — remains a productive receiver as he enters his 30’s. The 10-year veteran is coming off of a 2022 campaign in which he appeared in just 10 games, but posted 66 receptions for 752 receiving yards and four touchdowns. His 75.2 receiving yards per game was actually his highest mark since the 2017 season while his 74.2% catch rate was at his highest since the 2016 season.
By comparison, CeeDee Lamb was the only Cowboys receiver to post a higher yards per game average than Allen at 79.9 receiving yards per game. Meanwhile, outside of Simi Fehoko — who only caught three passes this season — not a single Cowboys receiver exceeded Allen’s catch rate.
In other words, there’s plenty of juice left in Allen’s tank.
According to Spotrac, Allen can be released for a dead cap hit of $6.9 million. As Popper mentions in his piece, the Chargers can save $14.8 million on the cap if they release Allen before June 1 or they can save $17.5 million if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut.
That’s a whole lot of money to save for a team that’s in a bad salary cap situation. The problem is, Allen remains a productive receiver and is still the team’s No. 1 receiver when healthy.
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco gave a revealing quote about Allen’s future with the team — which makes it sound like Los Angeles isn’t going to cut the veteran receiver.
Via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
“Liked this quote from #Chargers GM Tom Telesco, talking about Keenan Allen’s cap hit (but could’ve been talking about any player): ‘I mean, good players make money and I’d rather have a lot of good players on our roster than a lot of cap space.'”
With that being said, the idea of saving anywhere from $14.8 million to $17.5 million by cutting/trading Allen can’t be ignored. While the Chargers could certainly upgrade their receiver room, they do have receivers who can play in Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer. That may make it easier to part with Allen.
Why Cowboys Should Target Keenan Allen if Available
It’s no secret the Cowboys are lacking receivers after CeeDee Lamb. It was arguably the biggest reason why Dallas experienced another quick exit in the playoffs. It also likely played a role in Dak Prescott throwing a league-high 15 interceptions despite playing in just 12 games. Receivers who are not creating separation on their routes often force quarterbacks to make ill-advised throws.
The Cowboys have already revisited the idea of signing Odell Beckham. In other words, Dallas has made it clear that they’re looking for an upgrade at the No. 2 receiver position behind Lamb.
While Beckham might be a nice addition, he is also 30 years old and coming off of a serious ACL injury. He also missed a full season last year. In Allen, you’re getting a receiver who turned in a quality campaign in 2022 while on a playoff team.
If Allen does become available — and that’s a big if — the Cowboys could find an absolute “gift” in the five-time Pro Bowl receiver.