DALLAS — Even before the NFL’s official new league year, the Dallas Cowboys had a lot on their plate to digest this offseason. Dallas’ initial ideas started to come to light as the team was busy making moves over the weekend. With the hopes of re-signing a plethora of their own free agents, while also navigating the salary cap, the Cowboys started doing some of the heavy lifting.
Dallas first cleared some cap space by releasing five players to save money, which will allow them to operate when free agency opens. The weekend's transactions ended with a highly-anticipated new deal for wide receiver Michael Gallup that calmed the waters after the Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper in a move that will have ramifications in 2022 and beyond.
Here’s how it all went down:
Late Friday afternoon, the Cowboys let go of a handful of players. Highlighting the group was kicker Greg Zuerlein and tight end Blake Jarwin.
Zuerlein’s release shouldn’t be a shock. Most Cowboys fans have been calling for the move for some time and the team finally obliged. By ridding themselves of the inconsistent veteran kicker, the Cowboys saved almost $2.5 million in much needed cap space.
Even without the monetary considerations, it was likely time to move on from Zuerlein. The former All Pro kicker had the worst extra point percentage amongst qualifiers in the league last year and missed 12 kicks total. Zuerlein’s issue with making routine kicks contributed to at least two losses and the Cowboys could no longer rely on his leg.
The more unfortunate news came with the release of Jarwin, who underwent hip surgery in February, leaving his football career in doubt. After earning a new contract before the 2020 campaign, and being poised to take over as the No. 1 TE for the Cowboys, Jarwin couldn’t stay
healthy and was passed on the depth chart by Dalton Schultz. When Schultz received the franchise tag earlier in the week, the writing was on the wall for Jarwin
Considered a perennial breakout candidate, Jarwin tore his ACL in the first half of the first game of the 2020 season and played in just eight games last year. For their investment, Dallas got just 12 catches, 108 yards and two touchdowns after Jarwin signed his extension but will now save $3.85 million in cap space.
The most notable among the other players that the Cowboys waived was cornerback Reggie Robinson. As a fourth-round pick in 2020 out of Tulsa, the team moved Robinson to safety in his rookie season before placing him back at CB during the 2021 offseason.
Robinson never made his mark with the Cowboys, playing in just five games as a rookie before landing on the injured reserve list with a season-ending toe injury in training camp last year.
Of course, the biggest moves that the Cowboys made over the weekend involved two players from their 2021 trio of top receivers. On Saturday, Dallas moved on from Amari Cooper by trading him to the Cleveland Browns. The Cowboys followed that up on Sunday by handing four-year veteran Michael Gallup a new five-year, $62.5M deal to keep quarterback Dak Prescott’s favorite deep threat away from free agency.
As the top receiver for the Cowboys since they acquired him from the Las Vegas Raiders for a first-round pick in 2018, Cooper was sent packing with the franchise accepting a fifth and sixth-round pick – and sending a sixth-round pick back to Cleveland - in return for his services.
It wasn’t a surprise to see Cooper traded, as the Cowboys had all but telegraphed the move since the 2021 season ended and time was running out to either trade or release the four-time Pro Bowl performer. Ultimately Dallas decided that it was better to accept the late round picks rather than to give Cooper away by outright cutting him.
The trade provides the Cowboys with a savings of $16 million on the cap and will allow Dallas to maneuver in free agency. Meanwhile, bringing back Gallup is another piece of the puzzle as the Cowboys basically made it a choice between Cooper and Gallup and picked Gallup.
Though the 2018 third-rounder had an injury-filled season in 2021, Gallup is nearly two years younger than Cooper and was a 1100-yard receiver for Dallas in 2019. Gallup produced 445 yards on 35 catches with two touchdowns in nine games for the Cowboys before his season ended with an ACL tear in Week 17.
Despite losing Cooper, Gallup’s role should be a familiar one as the second outside target with CeeDee Lamb assuredly ascending up the depth chart to become the team’s top receiving threat after he led the team in catches (79) and yards (1,102) in 2021.
The weekend showed that there are difficult decisions ahead but the Cowboys are not shying away from making their choices as they set their sights on more than just an NFC East title in 2022.
Are you happy with how things are shaking out for the Cowboys thus far in the offseason? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
