The Dallas CowboysThe team's plan for the receiver group is slowly becoming clear after a recent report revealed their intention to trade a veteran wide receiver. It's not surprising to learn that Michael Gallup is not part of the team's plans for 2024, but the possibility of a trade makes his departure more interesting.
On March 9th, Dallas Morning News reporter Calvin Watkins stated that the team has allowed Gallup to seek a trade.
@dmn_cowboys”
Just because the Cowboys want to trade him doesn’t mean he will be. Gallup has struggled to regain the form that initially earned him his second contract in Dallas. Since he is due a substantial salary in 2024, other teams may prefer to take their chances elsewhere.
However, if the Cowboys can arrange a trade, that would be a significant win in the offseason. Letting players go for nothing is never ideal, so getting the most value possible is crucial.
Michael Gallup's Contract Makes Trade Challenging
After joining the Cowboys as a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Gallup quickly became an important weapon. He peaked in his second season, accumulating 1107 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. After following up with another solid, 843-yard season in 2019, Dallas awarded him a five-year, $57.5 million contract.
In the three seasons since, Gallup has failed to surpass the 500-yard mark in a season. The Cowboys tried to be patient, but 2023 being another bit-part campaign for Gallup means it’s time to move on.
For one, he is set to earn a $8.5 million salary in 2024 according to Spotrac. His salary only increases in 2025 and 2026, jumping to $10.5 million. For a player that can’t seem to crack 500 yards in a season, that’s not good value.
The rising salary cap and costs of contracts means this deal isn’t aging quite as poorly as it was a year ago, but it’s still not a contract most teams would want to take on. Really, the Cowboys’ best hope for a trade to happen is that interested teams want his services bad enough to avoid a free agency bidding war.
Could Cowboys Trade Another WR Too?
The report on Gallup has given insight into the Cowboys’ plans, but they may be looking at another WR trade. All offseason, speculation around Brandin Cooks being dealt elsewhere has been a constant.
One of the latest trade ideas came from Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. Knox suggested a deal where the Cowboys send Cooks to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for fourth-round and seventh-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.
Cooks had a significantly more productive season than Gallup in 2024, catching 54 passes for 657 yards and 8 touchdowns. However, he is set to make $8 million in salary and also has a $3 million roster bonus for 2024.
That’s slightly pricey, but Cooks offers experience that the Cowboys don’t have in the group. The veteran has won a Super Bowl and played with some of the best modern QBs ever (Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matt Stafford) in his 9-year career.
