The position classification chain takes each set of positions for Dallas Cowboys Consider the players, their rankings, their contract numbers, and predict the next season for each player.
This transcript is looking at the wide receiver position for Dallas, so let’s jump straight to it.
WR1
Sir Lamb #88
Age: 24
Experience: 4 years
College: Oklahoma
2022 Statistics:
Total shots – 1127
Goals- 156
Receptions – 107
Receiving yards – 1,359
Receiving a TD- 9
The number of reception yards – 12.7
Drops- 7
First Downs- 67
2023 decade:
Capital cost- $4,457,731 (1.9% total cap)
Dead Cap – $4,457,731
Base salary- $2,520,456
Signing bonus- $1,937,275
Drop 2023:
Tom – If Michael Gallup is truly 100% this year, Lamb leads the top three starting wide receivers Dak Prescott has ever known. And this is all to the benefit of Lamb. While his size stats may not be as amazing as if he were the WR’s only real threat on the field, effectiveness will rise. Still, they may be better than the 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns he posted last year, as long as Prescott doesn’t miss five games like he did last season. With Gallup and Brandin Cooks on the field, defenses will have to pick their poison. The production of all three should be up and down from week to week, with different captains depending on how the opponent handles things. And that seems like a totally good thing.
Mike It’s funny to hear people ask if Lamb missed picking Dallas when they could have picked Justin Jefferson. Lamb produced last year as a top 5 wide receiver and that was in a season where the starting quarterback lost a quarter. Expect Lamb production to go up provided nothing major happens in terms of injury. What also helps Lamb is the fact that both Gallup and Cooks can play the outfield which means he can play his natural position as a slot receiver. This will be Lamb’s biggest factor this season and he will be one of the biggest threats in the NFL this year. Lamb will catch over 100 receptions this year, gain over 1,400 yards and score ten touchdowns. Super Lamp season is coming.
WR2
Brandine’s Chef #3
Age: 29
Experience: 10 years
college: Oregon
2022 Statistics: (Houston)
Total shots – 657
Goals- 93
Receptions- 57
Receiving yards – 699
Receiving a TD- 3
The number of reception yards – 12.3
Drops- 6
First down – 29
2023 decade:
Maximum cost – $6,000,000 (2.6% of total maximum)
Dead Cap- $12,000,000
Base salary- $4,000,000
Signature Bonus- $0
Drop 2023:
Tom – Chefs has six 1,000-yard seasons in his nine-year career, and it can definitely be said that he’s never had a quarterback of Prescott’s prowess. Last year, he missed four games and only had 699 receiving yards, but that was the most of any receiver Lamb wasn’t named to the Cowboys roster in 2022. Despite concerns about his age, he’s definitely an upgrade for the team. If defenses focus on keeping Lamb out, then Chefs should be able to pick up the slack effectively. He may not be a 1,000-yard receiver this year, but if he can put in 800 yards and a half-dozen TDs, he’ll be a huge help to the offense. A lot of this depends on how the coaches use him and the rest of the receivers. Yes, we’re looking at you, Mike McCarthy. It can certainly be a valuable chess piece.
Mike – The only thing missing from this crime is the arsonist, who is a deep threat whose defenses need to be explained. Chefs will be the player who makes each wide receiver better. He was forced into other offenses to be the lead receiver, and although he was fine in the role, he was always an elite WR2. Lamb is such a prime target in this offense that he would meet Cooks’ requirements so well he wouldn’t have to worry about the pressure that comes with the role. Another good point looking back on Chef’s history is given his age and skills, he doesn’t have an alarming injury history, so there is nothing at this point in his career that would hinder his abilities. Cooks was set to 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He’ll have a couple of games where he’ll be a more productive receiver, like maybe against the Giants where he catches for over 150 yards and scores two touchdowns.
WR3
Michael Gallup #13
Age: 27
Experience: 6 years
College: Colorado State
2022 Statistics:
Total shots – 832
Goals- 74
Receptions- 39
Receiving yards – 424
Receiving a TD- 4
The number of reception yards – 10.9
Drops – 4
First landing – 25
2023 decade:
Capital cost – $6,773,522 (2.9% total cap)
Dead Cap- $19,000,000
Base salary- $1,600,000
Signing Bonus- $2,000,000
Drop 2023:
Tom Health is everything, but if Gallup really recovers, expect him to have an even better season of chefs. He’s been catching passes from Prescott his entire career, and the chemistry is important. If you’re healthy, the 1,000-yard Gallup will be the second on the list, and it could be the real complexity of defenses to deal with. He has some great ball skills that will make the QB look up to him even more.
Mike Last year Gallup was definitely not the same and a lot of his problems were due to sports. The team needed Gallup and he was likely brought in earlier than he should have been and the results showed. He may have been medically able to play last year but that does not mean he was fully capable. After a year in recovery, Gallup will be more of himself and NFL players have spoken many times about how different they feel a year after their ACL injury. He’s been training more with the first team and Duck, which is only helping his chemistry this year, coming back season. Let’s assume that with everything else going on with the offense, Gallup should be looking to get 60 receptions, 900 yards, and five or six touchdowns.
WR4
Cavontae Turpin #9
Age: 26
Experience: two years
college: TCU
2022 Statistics:
Total shots – 236
Objectives – 2
Receptions- 1
Receiving Yards- 9
carriage return – 29
return yards – 303
Average payback – 10.9
Kick off return – 21
Return yards – 508
Average K/O yield – 24.2
2023 decade:
Maximum cost – $870,000 (0.3% of total maximum)
Meat Cap – $0
Base salary- $870,000
Signature Bonus- $0
Drop 2023:
Tom My heart says use it like a WR4, like Cedric Wilson. The idea of putting him and Deuce Vaughn in the form is interesting, especially in a huddled formation to see if the coverage loses track of one of them. But this may not happen. He’ll be on the team as a kickoff returner (a kickoff return may become very rare with the new faircatch rules) and may see very limited use as a receiver, just as he did last year. But there’s a new caller and offensive coordinator in the house, so we’ll see if that changes.
Mike — that’s tricky to predict, but based on what the team did in the off-season with additions at wide receiver and running back, Turpin will most likely only be used as a return specialist. There are other players on the list now who have the skills and experience to play when the gambling returns so he has some competition. But the fact that he did so well last year in the role greatly enhances the position. If he can flash enough in practice sessions or preseason games as a receiver, he can get additional snaps on offense this year, but for now, it’s a little more wait and see.
WR5
Galen Tolbert #18
Age: 24
Experience: two years
College: South Alabama
2022 Statistics:
Total shots – 142
Objectives 3
Receptions – 2
Receiving yards – 12
The number of reception yards – 6.0
2023 decade:
Maximum cost- $1,167,209 (0.5% total maximum)
Dead Cap – $686,301
Base salary- $938,442
Signing Bonus- $228,767
Drop 2023:
Tom – Tolbert will be the reason why the Turpin isn’t better than the WR5. He had a rocky start to his career, but he should take a huge step forward this year and be the one to fill Wilson’s aforementioned role. He may only see about 400 receiving yards, but with the starting three, that may be all there is to him. The big question is whether he can step up if necessary, and that’s still a lot to see.
Mike Perhaps Tolbert was more unsophisticated than we thought. You can award an allowance in the rookie year to keep up with the level of the game as well as the rules of the game. But when you get the chance and look for sync the way he did, that’s the biggest concern. He will certainly make improvements this year, but it’s not hard to beat last season’s numbers. The bigger question is how much of a jump he’ll make. Until we see more of where he is, it’s hard to know how much of an impact his sophomore year will have.
WR6
Semi Hyoko #81
Age: 25
Experience: 3 years
College: Stanford
2022 Statistics:
Total shots – 79
Objectives – 4
Receptions – 3
Receiving yards – 24
Number of reception yards- 8.0
First drop -1
2023 decade:
Maximum cost- $1,000,038 (0.4% of total maximum)
Dead Cap- $120,076
Base salary- $940,000
Signing Bonus- $69,038
Drop 2023:
Tom – If the team participates with six on the list, Fehoko has a leg up due to his experience. This is not confirmed, it is in the bubble. Even if they roll their own six, Fehoko will have to fend off all the other hopefuls looking to break through in the preseason. There is always at least one that gets everyone excited at camp.
Mike – He’s always had the look and feel of a physically big receiver, and in the red zone on West Coast Mike McCarthy’s offense could be the way he’s been exploited the most this season. His size, athleticism, and ability to win jump balls make him a great target for the red zone.
Additional signals:
Galen Moreno Cropper #16
Mike – He was the best player in UDFA for me, and the Cowboys went out and found him, and he should have pushed the coaching staff in hopes that he would step up during the season to help.
Tom He looks like one of the favorites to be a star in the pre-season. But PS is probably his best bet.
Dennis Houston #17
Mike – Last year, Houston stood out in camp and pre-season making everyone feel a little better after losing Amari Cooper (just a little bit). What was clear though was his relationship with the Duck was his biggest strength, and when the Cowboys lost their starting quarterback, Houston also lost their biggest positive points. It will be interesting to see how Houston starts again this year and if they finish with a Final 53.
Tom – Can he shine again in the camp? Or was it a miracle one? Perhaps the latter. Perhaps his performance in August last year was more about the lack of competition than anything else.
Galen Brooks No. 83
Mike – Brooks is interesting. The Cowboys drafted him with their last pick, which tells you they didn’t want him to hit the UDFA market. He has the ability to win contested ball and high points. It’s always easy to have a jump specialist on the roster and Brooks would fit the role. He has every chance of making it to the Final 53 on an already stacked receiving corps.
Tom – If you’ve been paying attention, you know Brooks will get a chance to show what he can do. Dallas hates giving up draft picks, even in the seventh round. He may not make the 53, but he expects to be on PS at worst.