NFL teams are preparing for OTAs (organized team activities) to begin next week, specifically May 21-23 for the Dallas Cowboys.
OTAs are voluntary programs. It’s important to remember that when star WR CeeDee Lamb doesn’t show up because he has yet to sign a contract extension.
Rookie minicamps passed us by late last week, and HC Mike McCarthy had several good things to say about the rookie and undrafted free agent class. The word he used most was “impressed”.
Last week I started a series of identifying positions on the roster where the Cowboys could use more experience or an influx of talent.
Then I explore depth charts around the NFL to see which teams have a surplus of talent in one position room and could be interested in a trade.
The first exercise in this series featured the New York Jets and their running back room. The next position stays on the offensive side of the ball.
Wide Receiver
After CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, there aren’t any players that have consistent production on an NFL field.
As I wrote about yesterday, the young wide receivers in the room need to develop quickly and make an instant impact on the offense.
Michael Gallup was released and has since signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving only Jalen Tolbert as the de facto WR3.
Tolbert showed flashes of better play last season, mainly taking snaps away from Gallup as he fell further out of favor with the coaching staff near season’s end.
I would still stop short of declaring him the top option for WR3 on the roster. Write it in pencil, not in ink because things could change.
KaVontae Turpin could play a larger role and keep Tolbert off the field in 11 personnel (1RB/1TE/3WR) as both a receiver and a rusher.
Second-year player Jalen Brooks, who was active for seven games last season and caught six passes for 64 yards, will also be a factor.
But what if the confidence level in those players isn’t high enough for the Cowboys to feel comfortable heading into training camp?
I have a solution, and it will take a phone call to The Volunteer State.
Tennessee Titans WR Room
The Tennessee Titans are under new coaching after former HC Mike Vrabel was relieved of his duties after seven seasons and 6-11 record in 2023.
New HC Brian Callahan brings with him an offensive system predicated on the passing game, a stark contrast to the Titans pounding RB Derrick Henry into the line for eight years.
He was hired away from the Cincinnati Bengals where he served as the team’s offensive coordinator for four years.
Callahan’s offense will feature a more dynamic passing game and their offseason moves show that.
Henry was released and has since signed with the Baltimore Ravens. Wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd were both added in free agency. They also drafted Jha’Quan Jackson in the 6th round.
Looking at the Titans’ depth chart, they have a surplus at wide receiver and with only four total picks in the 2025 draft, they may be open to a trade.
Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd just signed and would be unlikely to be moved. That leaves three other possibilities.
DeAndre Hopkins
What a treat it would be for the Cowboys to dip into this well again after reported interest last offseason.
Hopkins started his career in Texas as a member of the Houston Texans before departing in free agency to the Arizona Cardinals.
As a free agent last offseason, the Titans were able to strike a deal with him and he rewarded them with a 75-catch season totaling 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.
Tennessee looks to get younger at the position to grow with second-year QB Will Levis, and a 32-year-old Hopkins could be expendable.
The Titans have just four total 2025 draft picks and only one in the top three rounds. Dallas should offer a 5th-round pick in exchange for Nuk.
Execution of this trade would require the Titans to take on some of his 2024 salary. Stephen Jones will scoff at his current cap hit of $18 million.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was just signed by the Titans to a one-year contract extension worth just $2 million with $750k guaranteed.
However, the later signing of Tyler Boyd to the team can make Westbrook-Ikhine expendable. He is a bigger body receiver, standing 6’2″ 211lbs.
The Cowboys currently lack that type of receiver to potentially be a redzone threat. Westbrook-Ikhine has never caught more than 38 passes in a single season but a fresh start in Dallas with a better quarterback can change that.
His cap hit of just $1.293 million is what’s most appealing. Will the Titans take a 7th-round pick? Pick up the phone, Jerry.
Treylon Burks
Perhaps the most intriguing of the three options from Tennessee, Treylon Burks will forever be tied to WR AJ Brown from the Eagles.
Brown, unhappy with his role in Tennessee, was traded on draft night to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Titans used the pick on WR Treylon Burks, but have yet to see the return on investment they were expecting.
Now a new coaching staff is in Tennessee. Could Burks become available for trade behind a crowded depth chart?
The Cowboys showed interest in Burks during the draft process, and if what Stephen Jones says is true about talent acquisition being a 24 hour job, they should give Titans GM Ran Carthon a call.