Dallas Cowboys rumors continue to swirl about the futures of the team’s wide receivers. CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards believes the Cowboys “could start clearing out” the wide receiver position this offseason for financial reasons. The NFL analyst has the Cowboys taking Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka at No. 26 in his latest 2024 NFL mock draft.
“Dallas could start clearing out a lot of salary cap space if its starts consolidating the wide receiver room,” Edwards wrote on November 24, 2023. “The addition of Emeka Egbuka allows the Cowboys to begin that process.”
CeeDee Lamb is not going anywhere as the wideout heads for a massive payday in Big D. This leaves Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks as the primary question marks heading into 2024.
Both players are under contract for next season, but it remains to be seen if the Cowboys will retain the receivers. Cooks has been a bright spot in recent weeks as the speedy veteran as Dak Prescott leans on the playmaker.
Gallup looks to be a distant third among Dallas receivers. A strong argument can made for the Cowboys to look to Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin over Gallup in the team’s offense.
Egbuka would add a lot of speed to the Dallas offense. The wideout ran a 4.42-second time in the 40-yard dash back in 2019.
Cowboys Rumors: Could Dallas Move on From Michael Gallup or Brandin Cooks?
Gallup’s five-year, $57.5 million contract is slated to run through the 2026 season. The receiver’s salary for 2024 rises to $8.5 million with a sizable $13.8 million cap hit.
Dallas can move on from Gallup this offseason, but his release would come with a $13 million dead cap hit. Through Week 12, Gallup has 28 receptions for 357 yards and a touchdown. This is not exactly the kind of production that warrants Gallup’s hefty deal.
Cooks’ two-year, $39 million deal runs through the 2024 season. The veteran has an $8 million salary along with a $10 million cap hit. Cooks’ contract allows Dallas to save about $4 million by releasing the wideout this offseason.
With the way Cooks has played in recent weeks, the receiver stands a much better chance to remain in Dallas than Gallup. Cooks has four touchdowns over the last six weeks as Dallas enters the team’s stretch run.
NFL Draft: Emeka Egbuka Is Labeled as ‘Slant King of the 2024 Class’
Regardless of what the Cowboys do with their veterans, expect Dallas to take a strong look at receiver in the 2024 NFL draft. What would the Dallas offense get with the addition of Egbuka?
The Buckeyes receiver put up gaudy numbers in 2022 with 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games. Through eight appearances, Egbuka has 32 catches for 427 yards and 3 TDs.
ESPN’s Matt Miller labeled Egbuka as the “slant king” of the upcoming class. The analyst had Egbuka as his No. 25 ranked player in the upcoming draft.
“Egbuka is the slant king of the 2024 class, using his frame and positional instincts to shield defenders from the ball,” Miller detailed in a November 2 piece entitled “2024 NFL draft rankings: Matt Miller’s top 50 prospects.” “In fact, 29.2% of Egbuka’s routes this season are shallow or crossing routes.
“He’s not just a possession receiver, though, and has excellent after-the-catch burst and speed. He’s shifty enough to return punts, too. Egbuka has been sidelined with a leg injury in recent weeks, but it shouldn’t affect his draft stock. He profiles as a good WR2 in the pros and a late-Round 1 prospect.”
For now, Dallas is hoping it will be a long time before the team has to address the ongoing Cowboys rumors. Dallas is playing like a team that can make a postseason run into February.
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Cowboys Predicted to Clean House at Receiver in Favor of Speedster