The Dallas Cowboys are likely still in aftershock after Sunday’s sudden, unexpected home loss to the Green Bay Packers, who came into AT&T Stadium with the youngest roster in the NFL as a two-score underdog.
While there is plenty of speculation about the future of Mike McCarthy as head coach, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hasn’t made a move yet.
There have been rumors defensive coordinator Dan Quinn — who is a top candidate for many teams interviewing for its next coach — could be retained and take over McCarthy’s job. While Dan Quinn’s No. 5 ranked NFL defense couldn’t stop first-year starting QB Jordan Love and his bevy of offensive rookies and second year pass catchers along with the dominance of veteran Aaron Jones on the ground — he won’t be judged by one game and is almost certain to become a NFL head coach again.
Then of course there’s rumors about Bill Belichik, who ex Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett confirmed have been friends for a while. Many speculate that would end in a disaster due to egos and personalities, but one ESPN talent evaluator who played for the New England Patriots GOAT believes it’s a perfect fit.
“Bill wants to go somewhere where he has a veteran quarterback, who understands how to play the game on a high level, [and] who maybe needs his kind of tutelage in the postseason to go, ‘Hey, look, this is what we’re going to do. This is how I’m going to help you and protect you,'” Riddick said about linking Belichick with the Cowboys during Tuesday’s edition of the ESPN “Get Up!”
Bekichick would inherit a talented roster that has put together 3-straight (12-5) seasons but choked in the playoffs when it mattered the most.
With McCarthy sitting at (1-3) in the postseason — often losing games the Dallas Cowboys are supposed to win — it’s possible a 6-time Super Bowl Champion could get them over the seemingly mental hurdle.
But what about McCarthy’s immediate impact on Dak Prescott and he Cowboys offense as soon as he fired Kellen Moore as a frontrunner for MVP ranking in the top-5 of nearly every major quarterback metric.
CeeDee Lamb finally emerged as the true dominant No. 1 WR the team has been hoping for, with Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup served as reliable wideouts when teams doubled Lamb.
But Belichick is known for his offensive prowess. Who would he bring in as the new Dallas OC and expect similar results?
The longtime Patriots close is also used to having full control of personnel decisions , which isn’t going to fly in Dallas. Jerry, his son Stephen and VP of Player Personnel Will McClay have handled assembling a roster laden with talent, year after year.
Ultimately Jerry signs off on the final choice, but the duo are his trusted confidants and their track record proves they haven’t been perfect — but drafted well, kept top players in Dallas with extensions and brought in new talent via free agency.
No matter what happens with the coaching situation, that trio has major decisions to make this coming offseason and some unexpected names might be released to free a team in need of cap space.
Dallas Cowboys Urged To Part Ways With Starting WR Michael Gallup
Here’s how Kris Knox of B/R sees the situation for the Cowboys, who are already $16 million over the salary cap (per OverTheCap.com) heading into the offseason and will need to be conscious of every dollar.
Unless something crazy happens and they move on from Dak Prescott as the franchise QB, the starting signal is due for a contract extension. The team’s two other biggest stars, Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb have been playing on their rookie contract and also need to be extended.
So this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys brass will have to find ways to clear up space and make difficult decisions.
Bleacher Report broke down the three players every NFL team needs to move on from this offseason and starting WR Michael Gallup was mentioned as one of the Dallas players who makes sense to release.
Wide receiver Michael Gallup has struggled to meet expectations since the Dallas Cowboys signed him to a five-year, $57.5 million extension in 2022. While he’s still capable of making the occasional big play, Gallup clearly ceded the No. 2 receiver role to Brandin Cooks this season.
Jerry Jones rarely admits to poor investments, but it’s time to either restructure Gallup’s deal or pull the plug entirely. Releasing him with a post-June 1 designation would save $9.5 million in cap space while triggering a dead-cap hit of only $4.4 million,” Knox wrote in the January 16 story.
Could Dallas Cowboys Move Two Starting WRs With Brandin Cooks Too?
While Gallup makes sense despite his past production, surprisingly, Cooks was also mentioned as a possible candidate for the Dallas Cowboys to cut ways with.
In another piece written by B/R writer Kristopher Knox believes it makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys to part ways with Cooks and target a similar wideout in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cooks isn’t scheduled to be a free agent, but Jones needs to decide if the 30-year-old receiver should become one,” Knox wrote. “The potential problem with keeping Cooks is his $10 million cap hit.”
“Such a move could lead Dallas to target a receiver like Oregon’s Troy Franklin or Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka in the draft. Keeping Cooks would make receiver less of a need, but would also help lead to a difficult cap situation.”
While both NFL draft prospects are intriguing, Egbuka possesses all the traits of an NFL standout. At 6’1″ and 205 pounds, he has a physical frame to match reliable hands. But DraftScout credits him with a 4.32 40-yard dash, meaning he can provide a new sense of explosiveness that Brandon Cooks has not.
When Dallas traded for Cooks, it was a big move. Cooks would clearly improve the team, but the question was how much? All things considered, he has been a solid No. 2 option.
PFR states that he caught 54 passes for 657 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. That’s not bad for a No. 2 receiver, but as Knox mentioned, it’s about the cost. Cooks’ contract had a $6 million cap hit in 2023, but will cost Dallas $10 million in 2024.
Saving $8 million is tempting considering the Dallas Cowboys is already over the cap limit for next season. Cooks is two seasons removed from his last 1000-yard season, and doesn’t seem like he’s going to be hitting those numbers again.
However, he is a reliable veteran with tons of playoff success. He was one of the few bright spots for Dallas in their recent 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers, and Dallas may need to keep that kind of trustworthy presence around.
It’s difficult to see the Dallas Cowboys move on from both of their speedy deep threat WRs beyond Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks, but a solid draft strategy or potential trade could replace one, if not both, if that’s the route they take.