Getty The Cowboys could be an ideal trade destination for Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow.
The Dallas Cowboys could be in the market for an upgrade at wide receiver.
As suggested by Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger, the Cowboys could be a potential landing spot via trade for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. Spielberger argues that the Cowboys — along with the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles — could “benefit” from adding a check-down outlet such as Renfrow.
“Adding a player who can separately quickly at the line of scrimmage and provide a check-down outlet for a quarterback is always a benefit, and a handful of playoff contenders — such as the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles — could benefit from adding his skill set,” writes Spielberger.
Why the Cowboys Could Use Hunter Renfrow
The Cowboys could use a player of Renfrow’s skill set. With the exception of CeeDee Lamb, Dallas really doesn’t feature any potent options at the wide receiver and tight end positions. The Cowboys made a notable trade for former 1,000-yard receiver Brandin Cooks during the offseason, but he’s been a major disappointment, producing just nine receptions for 73 receiving yards despite playing 70% of the offensive snaps in games he’s appeared in.
Outside of Cooks, Michael Gallup continues to underwhelm, producing just 15 receptions for 180 receiving yards with zero touchdowns as the No. 2 receiver. According to PlayerProfiler, Gallup ranks 66th in receptions, 64th in receiving yards and 80th in target rate (15.7%) and 71st in target share (13.7%).
Meanwhile, the Cowboys continue to struggle to find someone who can replicate the production left over by tight end Dalton Schultz, with Jake Ferguson producing 20 receptions for 175 receiving yards and one touchdown despite ranking No. 2 among all tight ends in target rate (26.9%).
Meanwhile, Renfrow was one of the better slot options in the NFL not too long ago. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver was a 2021 Pro Bowl selection after posting a 103-reception, 1,038-yard, nine-touchdown season. Not only did Renfrow lead the Raiders in every major category, he ranked sixth in the league in red zone targets, eighth in receptions and 10th in total touchdowns.
Hunter Renfrow No Longer a Primary Option With Raiders
However, recent wide receiver offseason acquisitions in Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers have pushed Renfrow down the pecking order to the point where he’s a complete afterthought. Through six games, the former Pro Bowler has just six receptions for 59 receiving yards on nine targets while playing just 36% of the offensive snaps.
Not only is it clear that Renfrow has taken a backseat to both Adams and Myers, he’s taken a backseat to other receiving options in Las Vegas, including tight ends Austin Hooper and Michael Mayer along with running backs Josh Jacobs and Ameer Abdullah. Renfrow ranks behind in either/both targets and receptions when compared to the aforementioned players.
Spielberger details how Renfrow doesn’t figure into the team’s long-term plans based upon his production and usage since last season.
“Renfrow has effectively been an afterthought in the Raiders’ offense, with nine targets on the season and not many routes run when both Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers have been healthy,” writes Spielberger. “Renfrow recorded 103 receptions for 1,038 yards with nine touchdowns in 2021 but has just 41 receptions for 382 yards and two touchdowns since. His 82.3 receiving grade in 2021 ranked 14th among wide receivers, but his 60.3 mark since 2022 ranks 87th out of 105 qualifying wide receivers over the span. Clearly, he is not in the long-term plans of the Raiders’ new regime.”
Considering Renfrow’s value is as low as it’s ever been, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Las Vegas were to flip him for a low draft pick, maybe even as low as a fifth-round pick. As Spielberger notes, the Cowboys would only owe $3.61 million in salary for the remainder of the 2023 season — he has one year remaining after this season as part of a $32 million deal he signed — which is a reasonable number consider what he can bring to an offense.