Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
The Dallas Cowboys‘ plan for the receiver group is slowly coming into shape after a recent report detailed their intention to trade a veteran WR. It isn’t a surprise to see that Michael Gallup isn’t in the teams’ plans for 2024, but a potential trade makes the departure all the more interesting.
On March 9, Dallas Morning News reporter Calvin Watkins reported that the team has given Gallup permission to seek a trade.
“Cowboys have given WR Michael Gallup permission to seek a trade a source said,” Watkins wrote on X. “Situation is tough because teams expect Gallup to be released. @dmn_cowboys”
Just because the Cowboys want to trade him doesn’t mean he will be. Gallup has struggled to find the form that initially earned him his second contract in Dallas. Considering he is due a sizable salary in 2024, teams may rather take their chances elsewhere.
However, if the Cowboys can make a trade happen, that will be a big offseason win. Letting players walk for nothing is never ideal, so getting whatever value possible is a must.
Michael Gallup Contract Makes Trade Difficult
After joining the Cowboys as a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Gallup quickly became an important weapon. He peaked in his second season, totaling 1107 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. After following up with another solid, 843-yard season in 2019, Dallas handed him a five-year, $57.5 million contract.
In the three seasons since, Gallup has failed to cross the 500-yard mark in a season. The Cowboys tried to be patient, but 2023 being another bit-part campaign for Gallup means it’s time to move on.
For one, he is set to earn a $8.5 million salary in 2024 according to Spotrac. His salary only increases in 2025 and 2026, jumping to $10.5 million. For a player that can’t seem to crack 500 yards in a season, that’s not good value.
The rising salary cap and costs of contracts means this deal isn’t aging quite as poorly as it was a year ago, but it’s still not a contract most teams would want to take on. Really, the Cowboys’ best hope for a trade to happen is that interested teams want his services bad enough to avoid a free agency bidding war.
Could Cowboys Trade Another WR Too?
The report on Gallup has given insight into the Cowboys’ plans, but they may be looking at another WR trade. All offseason, speculation around Brandin Cooks being dealt elsewhere has been a constant.
One of the latest trade ideas came from Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. Knox suggested a deal where the Cowboys send Cooks to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for fourth-round and seventh-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.
Cooks had a significantly more productive season than Gallup in 2024, catching 54 passes for 657 yards and 8 touchdowns. However, he is set to make $8 million in salary and also has a $3 million roster bonus for 2024.
That’s slightly pricey, but Cooks offers experience that the Cowboys don’t have in the group. The veteran has won a Super Bowl and played with some of the best modern QBs ever (Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matt Stafford) in his 9-year career.