Reading the room: CeeDee and the No-Name receivers

While the Cowboys wait to see which quarterback emerges as the long-term answer – and the running back room scares no one – there is one big question:

Who is going to be catching the ball in Dallas?

CeeDee Lamb – assuming he doesn’t hold out for a contract extension – is the clear WR1 in Dallas. After that it gets murky.

The same goes for the tight ends too for that matter, after Jake Ferguson.

The Cowboys elected to pass on Xavier Worthy in the first round. The Texas speedster will likely be lifting a Lombardi Trophy in February.

That’s because the Kansas City Chiefs understand the concept of identifying the critical weaknesses in their own team and addressing them in the draft.

The Cowboys drafted two offensive linemen – addressing a high need. But followed that up with an unneeded edge rusher and a project linebacker.

They could have had Worthy, Trey Benson, Cooper Beebe, and true left tackle Walter Rouse with their first four picks.

That would have given them a solid WR2 opposite Lamb, along with a true RB1 and two solid offensive linemen. But they didn’t do that.

And now we’re left to sort out a weak wide receiver room with no clear WR2 and a tight end room that is dismal after TE1.

Good times.

Hey, since we’re bringing back former players this spring, anyone check to see if Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are feeling up to a comeback?

CeeDee Lamb

Lamb is in his final year of a contract that pays him just under $18 million this year. If he lands an extension he’ll get significantly more.

And he has earned every penny.

Lamb hauled in 135 passes for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is one of the, if not the, best receivers in the game.

He may hold out for more money now, rather than risk the Earl Thomas “get injured before the extension” situation.

Can you blame him?

But if he is on the field he is the No. 1 target. The problem is, there’s not a dominant WR2 – or a solid run game — to take the double teams away.

Brandin Cooks

Brandin Cooks is a solid WR3. But can he step up and be WR2?

I’m not so sure.

But right now Cooks will likely be the WR2 unless someone else steps up. The problem there is, there really isn’t anyone lower on the depth chart that looks capable of getting that done.

Jalen Tolbert

Jalen Tolbert, as of today, is the leading candidate to be the WR2/3 in Dallas. He had 268 yards and two touchdowns on 22 catches in 2023.

But, can he produce in a full time role?

We may have to find out the hard way.

Jalen Brooks

Jalen Brooks showed flashes of promise, but that is still all he brings: Promise.

He did catch all six passes that were thrown his way in 2023 for 64 yards.

But, like Tolbert, he remains mostly an unproven player. The Cowboys really need more certainty from the WR2 and WR3 positions.

KaVontae Turpin

KaVontae Turpin did catch 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns in 2023. But he is more important in the return game.

Especially with the new kickoff rules coming this fall.

Martavis Bryant

Martavis Bryant hasn’t played a down of NFL football since 2018. Five NFL seasons have been played since.

He will turn 33 in December.

Could he be a wildcard and somehow secure the WR2 slot? Sure he can.

At least that’s what the little Leprechaun riding the silver unicorn out in my backyard says.

Five-plus years removed from his last NFL game – along with the baggage he had while playing back then – begs the question of how much he actually has left in the tank?

Jake Ferguson

Then we get to the tight ends.

When Dalton Schultz departed to Houston, everyone in Cowboys Nation panicked. Except Jake Ferguson.

Ferguson hauled in 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns.

For those keeping score at home, Schultz had 59 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 for the Texans.

The Cowboys kept the right tight end. Unfortunately, Jerry Jones also panicked and reached for an old tight end with foot issues in the draft.

Speaking of…

Luke Schoonmaker

Luke Schoonmaker’s rookie year was dreadful.

He finished with eight catches and 65 yards with two touchdowns. He also managed to get tackled inches short of a touchdown in a loss to the Eagles.

Making the second-round reach for Schoonmaker even worse was Dallas signing an undrafted free agent TE out of Minnesota last month who already looks better than Schoonmaker.

And he hasn’t even reported for OTAs yet.

Peyton Hendershot

Peyton Hendershot might be a casualty of too many tight ends in the room, especially if the Cowboys UDFA tight end out of Minnesota pays off.

Dallas can’t keep four on the roster. And Hendershot’s numbers aren’t all that impressive.

Since Schoonmaker’s contract hits harder, Hendershot is probably looking for a new team before the end of August.

The New Kids In Town

Frankly, Ryan Flournoy does not impress. The sixth round pick played for a school in a conference that 99 out of 100 football fans never heard of.

I’m not expecting big numbers from him in the NFL.

At least Brenden Rice, who Dallas should have selected in the sixth round, played for a school in a Power 5 conference.

Brevyn Spann-Ford is a bruising tight end who not only can block in the run game, he can catch the ball too.

I’m even willing to bet that he knows to run into the end zone on his route so that he doesn’t get tackled short of the goal line on a fourth and goal play.