Like most people following this situation, you might be unimpressed with how the Cowboys have been managing their offseason. NFLCertainly, the team made significant improvements in the NFL draft, adding talent on both offense and defense. However, the offensive linemen haven't generated much excitement. Cowboys Tony Pollard and Michael Gallup have left, and the team has yet to find adequate replacements for them. Ezekiel Elliott is back in Pollard's place, but finding a replacement for Gallup is an internal matter at this point. The Cowboys receiver corps will be led by CeeDee Lamb. Brandin Cooks is the second in line, but he will be 31 and is entering the final year of his contract. Last year’s No. 3 was Gallup, who is now with the Raiders after a very disappointing season. So this year’s No. 3 is uncertain, with Jalen Tolbert, a 2022 third-rounder who hasn't met expectations so far, being the favorite replacement.
The team may need to throw the ball more due to regressing in the running game. Despite his inconsistency, there is a free-agent player with a strong postseason record who could be acquired at a reasonable price: former Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling has the credentials of a Super Bowl winner. CeeDee Lamb Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox suggested Valdez-Scantling as one of the three remaining players the Cowboys should pursue in the remaining NFL free agency. Valdes-Scantling, a six-year NFL veteran, spent his first four seasons with the Packers and then joined the Kansas City team. Although he has struggled with drops, he remains a high-quality outside speedster who can stretch the field. In 2020, he led the NFL in yards per catch, at 20.9. Additionally, he has 11 playoff games under his belt, with 24 catches for 406 yards and four postseason touchdowns. He has won two championships with the Chiefs, and caught a 16-yard touchdown from Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl 58. “Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a prominent name remaining on the market, and his skill set aligns well with the Cowboys. When he's on form, this speedy receiver can play on the perimeter or in the slot. His addition would give Dallas another strong deep threat to force opponents' defenses to play further back,” Knox expressed.
“Valdes-Scantling had his share of ups and downs with the Kansas City Chiefs over the last two years but made a significant impact in the 2023 postseason. … For a Cowboys team that hasn’t progressed beyond the divisional round since 1995, Valdes-Scantling’s Super Bowl experience could be extremely valuable if the Cowboys can sign him to a favorable deal.” Chiefs receiver The Cowboys are seeking contracts that are favorable to the team as they are dealing with the decision of extending Dak Prescott's contract and likely needing to offer Lamb a deal of about double the $18 million he is expected to make in 2024..
The Cowboys have made little headway on both of these fronts, as reported recently.
The Cowboys are striving to have contracts that are easy on the budget as they navigate an offseason where they have to decide whether to extend Dak Prescott's contract and will likely need to offer Lamb a deal of about double the $18 million he is set to make in 2024. There has not been much progress on either front, according to recent reports. Talks with Prescott are, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “ Lamb has not shown any sign of attending training without a new contract. He did not participate in voluntary workouts last month.
However, the Cowboys are still determined to keep Lamb on the team, perhaps even more so than Prescott. When asked about it by TMZ in April.
, Lamb responded, “Yes, I will be in Dallas!”
The Cowboys require more wide receiver depth and could consider signing Super Bowl champion Marquez Valdes-Scantling as an affordable option.
“Valdes-Scantling had his fair share of ups and downs with the Kansas City Chiefs over the past two years, but he came up big in the 2023 postseason. … For a Cowboys team that hasn’t advanced past the divisional round since 1995, Valdes-Scantling’s Super Bowl experience could be quite valuable—if Dallas can land him on a team-friendly deal.”
Cowboys Looking for Team-Friendly Contracts
Team-friendly is the name of the game for the Cowboys these days, as they attempt to navigate an offseason in which they have to decide whether to give Dak Prescott an extension and likely will have little choice but to offer Lamb a payday of around double the $18 million he is slated to make in 2024.
The Cowboys have made little progress on either front, according to recent reports. Talks with Prescott are, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “nonexistent” and Lamb has shown no indication of reporting for camp without new deal. Lamb missed voluntary workouts last month.
But there is still a determination–more than with Prescott, perhaps–for the Cowboys to keep Lamb in place. And asked about it by TMZ in April, Lamb said, “Yeah, I’ll be in Dallas!”
