INDIANAPOLIS — A week at the NFL’s annual scouting combine was sure to provide some Cowboys news. I put together a notebook last week that covered several topics from Dak Prescott’s recent shoulder surgery to the team’s overall approach to upcoming free agency and the draft.
Here are some other notable items from my final few days in Indianapolis.
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Wide receiver: It was one of the most popular combine topics. As of Monday morning, Amari Cooper remains under contract and Michael Gallup is still an unrestricted free agent. But it’s now even more likely Gallup will be on the 2022 roster. Unless Cooper is willing to take a notable pay cut, he’s expected to be playing in a different uniform next season. No one should be surprised if Gallup, who could be starting next season on the physically unable to perform list because of a season-ending knee injury, ends up agreeing to a somewhat team-friendly deal before the start of free agency. Even if that happens, wide receiver will still be a priority in the upcoming months. There are plenty of talented options in this draft class. The Cowboys can still add an immediate impact player without using a first-round pick. Re-signing veteran Cedrick Wilson is also a possibility.
Cooper’s $20 million-per-year-average salary is the fourth highest among NFL wide receivers. Gallup’s next deal isn’t expected to be anywhere in that neighborhood. Pro Football Focus projected a deal for Gallup around four years, $55 million with $33 million guaranteed.
Dallas was never going to have Cooper, Gallup and CeeDee Lamb together for the 2022 season. Either Cooper or Gallup was likely headed elsewhere. It just now appears that Gallup will be the one staying.
Franchise tag: Tight end Dalton Schultz, who finished second on the team in receptions (78) and tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions (8), is on track to hit free agency as the top player available at his position. That probably means a long-term deal that averages more than $12 million per year. The Cowboys have talked about possibly using their franchise tag. DE Randy Gregory or Schultz would be the most likely candidates. A franchise tag on Schultz would pay him around $11 million next season. That number would be around $20 million for Gregory.
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The Cowboys haven’t been shy about using the franchise tag. They most recently did so with Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence. A couple of weeks ago, I thought the best plan for Dallas would be to let Schultz walk, get Blake Jarwin back in the starting lineup and draft a tight end in the second or third round. But with the uncertainty surrounding Jarwin’s future after having recent hip surgery, using the tag on Schultz makes a lot more sense. Without Schultz and Jarwin, the next tight ends on the Cowboys’ depth chart would be Sean McKeon and Ian Bunting. McKeon has four receptions in 23 NFL games. Bunting has played only three offensive snaps in his NFL career.
Offensive line: Left guard is Dallas’ biggest need up front on paper. Connor Williams is a free agent, and Connor McGovern didn’t run away with the job when given the opportunity last season. That could mean drafting an interior offensive lineman in the first few rounds. But don’t rule out the Cowboys potentially drafting a tackle who they believe can play inside next season. Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay mentioned the position flex at tackle during a recent interview on the DallasCowboys.com Draft Show.
“I think the depth of the offensive tackle group makes the interior offensive line (class) better because you can move those guys down,” McClay said. “Typically, they’re better athletes than guards, and with the athleticism of defensive linemen and length and all of that other stuff, I think the depth of the tackle (class) makes the interior depth better.”
McClay added that the position flex has become even more important because of the limited roster numbers on game days.
“The flexibility gives you flexibility on your team in case of injuries and all those things,” McClay said, “which is very valid now when you talk about a (salary) cap and you talk about 10-12 players taking up so much of your cap. It’s the flexibility of players that helps you have depth and consistency on your team.”
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Combine coming to Dallas? It would make travel easier for the Cowboys’ coaches and scouts, but it’s tough to find anyone outside of Dallas who wants the combine to leave Indianapolis. Everything is located within walking distance, from the hotels and restaurants to the convention center and stadium. Dallas would not be able to provide a similar atmosphere. The Ford Center isn’t large enough to host the event in Frisco, and there aren’t enough hotels in Arlington to provide a similar environment near AT&T Stadium. But the Cowboys will gladly take the opportunity to play host if possible.
“Indy has been a great host,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “And if the league so chooses to move it, which it sounds like they might, then we certainly want to be at the top of the list if we can. We’ll be competitive and we’d love to host.”
Why do they want to host?
“I just think it’s great for our fans to have it in our market and let them have the experience of being around it,” Jones said. “I think it’s a positive thing. I think people can’t get enough of the NFL and football and I think it’s great for them to see these young players in our market, and think it would be a great experience for them.”
No comment: For the first time in as long as anyone covering the Cowboys can remember, Jerry Jones didn’t meet with reporters in Indianapolis. Usually, the Cowboys owner and general manager hosts local reporters aboard the team’s luxury bus for roughly an hour to address any and all offseason topics. But Jones was never seen by any reporters in Indianapolis this year. Local reporters weren’t told he would be unavailable until Friday afternoon. It was originally said to be because of a medical issue, but Stephen Jones assured that his father is doing well. Jerry Jones has also been recently involved in a project with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
(Photo of Michael Gallup: Mark Goldman / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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