The Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver group has been the subject of much trade and free agency speculation, but they know at least one name is coming back.
While Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup’s futures remain in the air, the team elected on March 8 to place the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz and announced it will bring back another pass-catcher: Noah Brown.
The team officially announced the roster move on Tuesday alongside the Schultz announcement.
Brown, 26, is a familiar face to Cowboys fans. The former Ohio State star was selected by Dallas in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft and has been a key depth option for the Cowboys.
Of course, he’s playing fifth, or even sixth, fiddle to Cooper, Gallup, CeeDee Lamb and Schultz, all of whom have more prominent roles than Brown. However, keeping the core of the team together makes sense because Brown has shown he’s a great player to have behind the starters.
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Brown’s Cowboys Background
When you draft a seventh-rounder, the idea that they can be a roster mainstay for the next five years is pretty much the best-case scenario. Sometimes a star can be found that late in the draft, but most of the time, a team is looking for a depth player who can contribute behind players like Gallup and Cooper.
Brown getting a one-year deal and completing his initial rookie contract is a bigger factor than some may realize. This is thanks to the 26-year-old receiver answering the call in the times the Cowboys have looked his way.
While Brown did miss the 2019 season, his other four seasons have seen him drop only one pass in four seasons. In that span, the former Buckeye brought down 39 receptions for 425 yards and an average 10.9 yards per catch, with a large majority of those catches and yards coming in 2020 and 2021 per PFR.
As a depth player, Brown has also played about 50% of special teams snaps, and it’s likely he’ll continue to be a name to expect on special teams plays.
Gallup Sends Message to Cooper
As Brown returns to the Cowboys, the national media remains focused on Cooper’s future. Reports and speculation conflict in regard to whether Cooper, who will be 28 when the 2022 season starts, is coming back, but Gallup certainly has a stance on the receiver and Dallas.
Talking with Heavy’s Jonathan Adams, Gallup explained why he can’t imagine Cooper not playing in Dallas next season.
“Since I’ve been a part of the Cowboys, I can’t [imagine Dallas without Cooper],” Gallup said on February 9. “He’s a phenomenal player. He helps all the young kids. He helped me when I came in. He’s always helping CeeDee [Lamb] out, so. He’s the leader in that group. So, I don’t really see him going anywhere anytime soon.”
It would be difficult to imagine the current Cowboys team without Cooper, who joined Dallas in a trade from the Oakland Raiders in 2018. In the time since, the 27-year-old has brought down 3,168 yards and 21 touchdowns, according to PFR.
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Cowboys Re-Sign Free Agent WR to 1-Year Deal