Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys need to be monitoring the trade market this offseason.
It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys need to add some offensive firepower this offseason. The shortcomings of Dallas’ offense last season were a big reason why the Cowboys underperformed as a team. Outside of CeeDee Lamb, Dallas lacks any other real offensive weapons that strike fear in opposing defenses.
It was reported early last week that the Cowboys are focused on adding a wide receiver in the first two rounds of the draft to pair with their All-Pro.
While, in theory, this does make sense, there are some potential problems with relying on a first- or second-round receiver to be the missing piece in the offense. The 2023 NFL Draft is an excellent example of the risk involved with expecting a rookie wide receiver to come in and make an immediate impact.
In that draft, eight receivers were drafted in the first two rounds. Of those eight, only three recorded 800 or more receiving yards in their rookie year, the type of production the Cowboys would need out of their number two wideout. Two of those players drafted, new Cowboy Jonathan Mingo and Marvin Mims of the Denver Broncos, were busts in their rookie years and provided virtually no positive impact on their offense.
The Cowboys 100% need to find a talented receiver to pair with Lamb this spring; there’s no denying that. But there is a way to do so without taking the risk of relying on a rookie wideout to produce in a big way in year one: exploring the trade market.
In the spring of 2023, the Cowboys went out and made a deal to acquire veteran wideout Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans. That turned out to be an A+ move, as Cooks had a great season during his first year in Dallas. Cooks scored eight touchdowns during that campaign, and Dallas was a perfect 9-0 in the regular season when he recorded 35 or more receiving yards.
Cooks cost Dallas just a fifth- and sixth-round pick, so the deal ended up being a sure win for the Cowboys. With the current state of the Cowboys’ offense, they’d need to be willing to part with more premium draft capital to find a receiver capable of being the x-factor to turn their unit around. Thankfully, there’s a player who seems to be very available that would fit that role perfectly. That guy is Jets’ wide receiver, Garrett Wilson.
Wilson came into the league after being drafted with the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and immediately produced in a big way. Wilson has put up some great numbers in his three years with the Jets despite dealing with mostly poor quarterback play.
Wilson has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and recorded at least 83 receptions in all three of his seasons in the league, serving as the lone model of consistency in a very rocky Jets offense. The former Ohio State Buckeye has also been...
