Cowboys viewed as potential fit for bargain WR in free agency

The Dallas Cowboys need a No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, and their attempts at filling the role the past couple of years have not panned out.

The Cowboys tried rolling with Michael Gallup, and he appeared to be the man for the job early on. However, he tore his ACL in 2021 and has not been the same ever since.

Dallas also swung a trade with the Houston Texans to acquire Brandin Cooks last spring, but Cooks disappointed in his debut campaign with the Cowboys, totaling 657 yards through the air.

As a matter of fact, both Gallup and Cooks have been labeled as potential cap casualties this offseason.

So, just what will the Cowboys do in order to bolster their receiving corps in the coming weeks and months?

Well, the problem for Dallas is that it is actually $16 million over the salary cap, so it will have a very difficult time signing any truly impactful players in free agency.

That’s why the Cowboys may need to go bargain hunting, and Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department sees a potential fit for them in that regard: Curtis Samuel.

Samuel has spent the last three years with the Washington Commanders, and this past season, he caught 62 passes for 613 yards and four touchdowns.

Those numbers aren’t any better than what Cooks produced, but keep in mind that Samuel did this on a team with a rather poor quarterback situation. If he were playing in Dallas with Dak Prescott and with Lamb to take some pressure off of him, perhaps he would have posted better statistics.

Plus, Samuel is younger than Cooks, as he is still just 27 years old. While Cooks is clearly descending, there is a chance that Samuel could ascend in the right offense.

Unless the Cowboys do some serious finagling, they won’t be able to sign any of the top wide outs on the free-agent market, so someone like Samuel may be their best bet.