Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Michael Gallup was pegged as a breakout candidate by many prior to the start of the 2019 regular-season and he without a doubt delivered on the nomination. He had a fantastic sophomore season in the NFL and capped it off by finishing strong in the season finale against the Washington Redskins this past Sunday.
Michael Gallup caught five of his seven targets for 98 yards and three touchdowns against the Washington Redskins in the 2019 season finale. For the season, he has hauled in 66 receptions for 1,107 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He also averaged an impressive 16.8 yards per catch. I don't know about you, but I'd consider that a breakout season.
If you were to compare Gallup's statistics from his rookie season to this year, you probably would've noticed he doubled his production. Take his 33 receptions, 507 receiving yards, and two touchdowns and multiply it by two (66 receptions, 1,014 receiving yards, four TDs) and you may have even noticed he did better than double his numbers. That's a pretty impressive Year 2 jump.
I don't know if you noticed the way Michael Gallup played this season, but I personally believe he was the Dallas Cowboys most consistent wide receiver in 2019. Yes, he did suffer from the occasional drop, but he didn't disappear almost entirely like Amari Cooper did at times. Cooper's disappearing act isn't something you want to see, especially from the “supposed” No. 1 WR.
With the arrival of the 2020 offseason, questions are going to have to be answered about Amari Cooper's future with the Dallas Cowboys. His numbers suggests he should be paid as one of the top WRs in the NFL, but his reliability and consistency don't exactly live up to that billing. To further complicate matters, Michael Gallup could throw a wrench into Cooper's ideas about an extension.
The Dallas Cowboys would be wise to weigh all of their options in regards to handing out a contract extension for Amari Cooper. With Michael Gallup now playing at a No. 1 level, the Cowboys could have reservations about keeping Cooper around long-term, especially as one of the top paid WRs in the league.
Personally, I've always had reservations about Amari Cooper and that was before the Dallas Cowboys acquired him via trade from the Oakland Raiders. What we saw from him in 2019 is exactly what the Raiders had been putting up with since they drafted him in the first-round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the fourth overall pick. It's understandable now why they decided to part ways.
If it were me, I think I'd postpone giving Amari Cooper a contract extension and use the franchise tag on him instead. To me, that's a win-win situation. It would allow Gallup time to prove he is ready to be the Cowboys No. 1 WR and also give them time to determine whether or not Cooper is worth the long term commitment. Make sense?
Honestly, this is a great situation for the Dallas Cowboys to be in and they have Michael Gallup to thank for it. If not for his strong Year 2 finish and consistency throughout the season, the Cowboys might've been forced to commit to Amari Cooper even if they did have some reservations.
