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The Cowboys addressed the bulk of their needs in the past week, using five of their eight picks to fill in the depth chart along the offensive and defensive lines and expending just one pick—a sixth rounder on Ryan Flournoy of Southeast Missouri State—on a skill-position player. But adding Flournoy is an acknowledgement, however minor, that Dallas needs help at wide receiver after jettisoning Michael Gallup in March.
The Cowboys’ Top 2 receivers are pretty well set—CeeDee Lamb is the No. 1 target and Brandin Cooks is No. 2. But how the hierarchy fills in after that is anyone’s guess.
That’s why it would make good sense for the Cowboys to go sniffing around other NFL rosters to look for useful players who might have lost their spots in team rotations in the past few weeks. And one such guy might well be Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall, who is a bit of an NFL rarity: a highly drafted LSU wide receiver who has been a bust in the NFL.
At SI.com this week, they’re urging the Cowboys to take a gamble on Marshall with a low-cost trade that would set him up as a long-ball threat for Dak Prescott.
Terrace Marshall Underwhelmed After LSU Star Turn
In an article titled, “Post-Draft Trade Targets That Make Sense for Dallas”, writer Dustin Mosher argues that the Panthers are restocked with receivers after trading for Diontae Johnson from the Steelers, then using a first-round pick on receiver Xavier Leggette. That means the Cowboys are in prime position to pluck Marhsall.
“With the recent selection of Xavier Legette and the (trade for) former Steeler Diontae Johnson, the Carolina Panthers receiving corps is crowded, and Terrace Marshall Jr. could be the odd man out.
“While his first three seasons were marred by drops and overall disappointment, his potential as a deep threat is undeniable. The Cowboys lack a depth behind Ceedee Lamb and Brandin Cooks and Marshall’s boom-or-bust skillset could be worth a low-round pick gamble for Dallas. If he thrives in Mike McCarthy’s offense, the Cowboys add a dynamic weapon. If not, the cost is insignificant.”
In three seasons, Marshall has only 67 catches for 767 yards, with just one touchdown to his credit. He had a grade of 54.8 at Pro Football Focus, making him the 108th-rated receiver out of 128. He was part of an exciting trio of receivers at LSU, with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, but obviously has been the only one of the three unable to transition to the NFL.
Cowboys’ WR3 Role Still Up for Grabs
As things stand, it’s most likely that the WR3 role will fall to Jalen Tolbert this season.
Tolbert was the team’s third-round pick in 2022, and while there were points in the season that it appeared he might be ready to step into a No. 2 wide receiver’s role, he never consistently gained the trust of Prescott and finished the year with 22 catches on 36 targets and 268 yards.
Tolbert had a Pro Football Focus grade of 56.5 this season, which was just 103rd out of 128 graded receivers.
There will be other candidates, too. Flournoy will get a look, as will Jalen Brooks, a seventh-round pick in 2023. Longshot comeback candidate Martavis Bryant, who is returning to the NFL after a five-year drug suspension, has a chance to be a crowd favorite if he can flash the skillset that made him one of the league’s best long-ball threats in his first two NFL seasons back in 2014 and 2015.
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