As has been discussed at length over the last few months, no position group underwent more turnover in Dallas than the wide receivers. No longer does veteran wide out Dez Bryant loom over the unit, replaced by young up-and-comers like Michael Gallup, Allen Hurns, and Cedrick Wilson.
The Cowboys enter the summer with 11 receivers battling it out for final roster spots. Of those 11 at least 3 (Cole Beasley, Michael Gallup, Allen Hurns) seem just about locked into their spots with others like Noah Brown, Lance Lenoir, Deonte Thompson, and Cedrick Wilson looking to find their roles.
Then, of course, there is veteran Terrance Williams who’s off the field incident last month might have given the Cowboys a reason to cut him this summer.
Regardless, this is now a jam-packed position group with a ton of raw, unproven talent. And while the fans have already decided who their favorites are, the players are going to have to prove their worth to this coaching staff during training camp.
Outside of veteran Cole Beasley, the remaining options for the Cowboys at receiver are unproven in the NFL. Sure, Allen Hurns has had some success with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but injuries have greatly hindered his production the past two seasons. Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson, while popular among Cowboys Nation, are day two and three rookies that must earn their keep in the league.
The Cowboys have been rotating the first team receivers throughout minicamp, with each of the aforementioned wide outs getting some first team reps thus far. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is looking for one or two of these guys to separate from the rest of the bunch, and it looks like they will be given ample opportunity to do so throughout the preseason.
The old saying is that “competition breeds excellence,” and the Cowboys are certainly hoping that is the case when it comes to their wide receivers this offseason.
