Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Sends Message to ‘Contagious’ Roster Hopeful

Getty Cowboys hopeful Tyron Billy-Johnson

The name Tyron Billy-Johnson is certainly a memorable one. And for the Cowboys, it is one that has increasingly cropped up as training camp has gone on, with speculation now lingering that he might even warrant a roster spot.

For a group that has undergone a rather moribund offseason after the playoff embarrassment against the Packers, with star players bolting, little free-agent money spent, and contract issues looming for holdout CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and even coach Mike McCarthy, Billy-Johnson has brought a welcome infusion of positive energy.

He will have a difficult time sticking with the team’s group of wide receivers, but his performance this summer has gotten attention and could lead to him earning a spot on the 53-man roster. Billy-Johnson was on the Cowboys’ practice squad last year.

Prescott has been impressed, and has a message for Billy-Johnson: Keep bringing the good vibes.

“Yeah, I mean the guy loves the game, first and foremost, and he loves his teammates,” Prescott said, via the Dallas Morning News. “You talk about a guy that has energy, natural energy, natural excitement, joy, and it jumps out and it’s contagious. It can start with a guy like that.”

Tyron Billy-Johnson Has Speed, Raw Ability

The other thing that jumps out about Billy-Johnson is his speed. He is a 6-foot-1, 193-pounder who ran the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds.

The problem has been whether he can perform the finer tasks required of a wide receiver. Raw ability had Billy-Johnson rated as a five-star prospect when he signed with LSU out of high school in Louisiana, but he did not get on the field much and transferred to Oklahoma State. There, he was solid but not great, logging 845 yards in 13 games as a redshirt junior.

That’s why he went undrafted in 2018. Billy-Johnson has been rostered for four teams in his career, first with the Chargers, then with the Jaguars, Raiders and Texans, and has had stints with several other teams as a practice-squadder. He’s been through nine organizations in all.

But he has not seen the field much. Billy-Johnson caught 20 passes for 398 yards and three touchdowns back in 2020, but has just three catches in three years since.

Cowboys Offer Stability

Because he has bounced around so much, one of the difficulties Billy-Johnson has had is simply being in an offense consistently and having a chance to learn the playbook. But the Cowboys have given him the chance to do that by keeping him with the organization all last season and now in training camp.

“You got to think about my journey and what I’ve been through,” he said, via the Morning News. “This is the first time ever having the same playbook twice and the same head coach twice. So I’ve been through a lot of fires and hires and new playbooks.”

He could finally cinch a spot with the Cowboys, who have Lamb at the top of the wide receiver depth chart, followed by Brandin Cooks. It is an open competition from there, though.

Jalen Tolbert will get the first crack at the No. 3 receiver role. Kevontae Turpin will likely stick around for his kick returning ability. If the Cowboys keep five receivers, that would mean Billy-Johnson would have to beat out rookie Ryan Flournoy, second-year man Jalen Brooks and a group of six other free agents.

That’s not an easy task. But Billy-Johnson is, at least, making the most of his opportunity.