“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” Well…we all know the answer isn't Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Michael Gallup, but he does have something in common with SpongeBob SquarePants. The Cowboys second-year WR seems to have watched quite a bit of the yellow, porous children's cartoon, because he's become a sponge as well.
Okay, that was a pretty sorry attempt on my part at humor, but it doesn't change Michael Gallup's sponge-like approach so far this offseason. In order to avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump” and also take his game to the next level, Gallup is soaking up as much information as he can from anyone willing to help. He's even trying to get into the head of his quarterback.
“If I came to him, if I didn't, if there was read route or whatever,” Dak Prescott said. “Always coming back to me asking what I'm thinking, when I'll get to him, what number he is in progression.”
“When you have a guy like that who wants to know that, that's allowing him to set up his routes and get open. He's taking the next step.”
You may disagree, but I find this pretty encouraging. Developing a better bond with Dak Prescott and knowing what he's looking for play after play should help Michael Gallup take his game to another level. But, Prescott isn't the only one of Gallup's teammates he's picking the brain of.
The Dallas Cowboys have a couple of wide receivers currently on the roster who seem more than willing to help as well. Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb have four Pro Bowl appearances between the two of them and Michael Gallup counting on that experience to help improve his game.
“We go in there and watch film. I watch what they do,” Gallup said. “Cobb, he's always in my ear trying to tell me something I could do a little bit different. Coop's always trying to give out things for me to do, too. It's definitely exciting to be with a group like that. It's going to be fun this year.”
I don't know about you, but these are the kinds of things I really like hearing about, especially from first and second-year players. To me, it's an indication they aren't willing to rely on their physical talent alone, that they want to improve the mental side of the game as well. This is something often overlooked with these young guys.
Hopefully, Michael Gallup's new sponge-like mentality pays off in a big way. He has all the physical tools to develop into a true No. 1 WR in the NFL, but we've seen far too often how God given talent can get wasted or taken for granted. Gallup seems to have a good head on his shoulders and understands this. This is just one of many reasons why I believe he will have a breakout season in 2019.
