dalas cowboy owner Jerry Jones is never shy in front of the camera, especially when it comes to self-promotion. We often hear from the Dallas head that he is willing to do “whatever” it takes to win. That sounds good to get the fan base excited, but when those opportunities arise, Jones rarely capitalizes on them.
The Cowboys completed the transaction over the weekend, get wide receiver Brandin Cooks from Houston Texas. The Cowboys got the Cooks for a few late-round picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts. Come to find out, the Cooks were essentially consolation prizes for Dallas as the team was scrambling for land. Dancer broncos expand Jerry Jeudy. Jones reportedly didn’t want to give up the first pick for Jeudy.
Hold a first round for?
While it’s understandable not to want to give up that first-round pick, there are some advantages to taking Jeudy to Big D. First, he’s still on his rookie contract and earned much less money than Cooks right now. While the Broncos’ previous first round will soon be renewed, the Cowboys may have had at least a year where his deal cost them zero. Spending extra money on free agents (even your own) is always a good thing.
In terms of production, there wasn’t a big gap between Cooks and Jeudy last year, although the latter is considered to have the greater advantage of being about five years younger. Playing in that Dallas attack may have helped Jeudy thrive as a pro. Having played in Alabama, it was almost expected that Jeudy would become one of the next big threats in the NFL.
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In Jeudy’s first three years in the league, he still hasn’t had a midfielder who can consistently receive the ball for him. We’ve all seen the Russell Wilson/Nathaniel Hackett situation in Denver last season. It would be difficult for some of the greatest players of all time to thrive in that environment. But the lack of production (despite the circumstances) may have been enough for Jones to think hard about Jeudy and choose Cooks.
It’s Jerry, though. He loves his draft picks. Anyway, some drafts assume Dallas will take another receiver, so they could still end up with another pass catcher with a minimal deal. Dallas selected a recipient in last year’s draft, sending Jalen Tolbert from South Alabama into the third round. During his rookie campaign, Tolbert barely touched the court, catching two balls from 12 yards.
