The Cowboys ought to think about buying and selling for the Bronco’s Jerry Jeudy

Stephon Gilmore addressed one huge want. A commerce with the Broncos might repair one other.

• By
  
  Tom Ryle
  
• on March 16, 2023 9:30 am

The Dallas Cowboys acquired some actual consideration after they made a really atypical transfer for them and traded for CB Stephon Gilmore. That actually shores up their secondary, leaving them with one much less urgent downside to deal with. Nonetheless, they nonetheless have others, and one of the crucial obvious is broad receiver. After the way in which issues went final yr, they nonetheless have a skinny group. CeeDee Lamb is excellent, however Michael Gallup by no means was fairly what they wanted final season. They signed T.Y. Hilton midseason, however he, too, was not an sufficient reply, and is a free agent now. That leaves WR as one other place the place they should get artistic. Counting on the draft is how they like to do issues, however they must make investments a excessive choose to get somebody that might step in as a right away starter.

However what if there was one other manner to make use of draft capital for an almost sure-fire starter, somebody who would possibly give them one of the crucial potent one-two punches within the league? A participant whose staff is procuring him?

Effectively, now.

Jeudy was drafted with the fifteenth general choose of the 2020 NFL draft, simply forward of Lamb. His profession has not gone as effectively, with yard totals of 856, 467, and 972 yards, and simply 9 touchdowns in all. He missed a part of his second yr on an IR stint, reducing his manufacturing. These should not overly spectacular numbers, however it’s price noting that his quarterbacks throughout these seasons have been Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien, Teddy Bridgewater, and, final season, a clearly struggling Russell Wilson. With these QBs, he was the Bronco’s greatest receiver.

It isn’t unreasonable to suppose he might do quite a bit higher with Dak Prescott. Even when Gallup is 100% this yr, Jeudy would problem for the WR2 spot.

If the Cowboys are occupied with utilizing a excessive draft choose on broad receiver this yr, why not take a look at a veteran slightly than betting on a participant to make the leap from the faculty ranks? With the Denver Broncos “assessing his worth,” that value ought to go down. If a second-round choose might get him, it is likely to be funding. If it goes decrease, then Dallas actually must get entangled. As Matt Holleran discusses in another article here, the staff truly has a nasty historical past with their second-round alternatives. This may very well be a technique to get extra profit with this yr’s.

Since he’s nonetheless on his rookie contract, his value is low for this season, about $2.7 million. Nonetheless, the Cowboys should not more likely to make investments a lot draft capital until they plan to maintain him longer than one yr. They may train his fifth-year possibility, or negotiate an extension that will unfold his cap value out, simply as they’ll with Lamb for a similar results.

And even when he have been to value their second-round choose, they aren’t locked in to him. The chances of him staying with the staff past his rookie deal shouldn’t be worse than any day two choice. It is also price remembering that they spent a first-round choose to commerce for Amari Cooper, who was a lot better as soon as he was on the sphere with Prescott than with the then Oakland Raiders. Jeudy appears no extra a bet than that.

He’s a form of mirror picture of Gilmore, who value little in draft capital however comes with a giant cap hit of practically $10 million. Gilmore was fairly clearly introduced in on a one-year plan. Jeudy may very well be a for much longer reply for the staff, and a second contract could be the objective.

Earlier than the Gilmore deal, this was not likely one thing on the radar for the Cowboys. However even earlier than free company formally started, they confirmed extra aggressiveness this yr in enhancing the roster than we have now seen in a very long time. Buying and selling for Jeudy, if it includes lower than their first-round choose, looks as if a sensible funding.

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