Looking at the current state of the Cowboys’ wide receiver corps

With free agency still in the early stages, the Dallas Cowboys still have a lot of work to do. We are going through the annual clutching of the pearls over the usual deliberate pace. The signing of Gerald McCoy is the one significant move so far, and it looks like a very good one. Most of the holes left are still on the defense, but one fairly big opening remaining is that created by the departure of slot receiver Randall Cobb.

Re-signing Amari Cooper was crucial, and with Michael Gallup still on board, the WR1 and WR2 spots are in great shape. Under Mike McCarthy, we expect this to be a very offensive-minded team. Filling out the slot is very necessary. There is still hope (as of this being written) that Emmanuel Sanders will take care of that little problem. But the Cowboys are not the only team sniffing around him, and there is always the matter of finding a price that both sides are willing to accept.

However, if they miss out on Sanders, things are not at all dire. There are still some other options available on the market, including Tavon Austin. While the team never seemed to find a way to get a lot out of him, the new regime might have some ideas how to do so. He has the advantage of Kellen Moore being familiar with him.

Then there is the draft. To quote Top Gun, this year’s class is a target rich environment. Even if they come up completely empty in free agency, there are good players that should be available all three days of the draft. The focus is probably going to be on the defense (duh) but expect at least one pick to be used on a new weapon for Dak Prescott to throw to.

And there is a real possibility that they might already have the answer under contract. Here is a quick look at the wide receivers they already have.

Noah Brown

He’s a fairly tall (6-2) receiver who may be a very good red zone target. He has been hampered by injuries, but the team is hanging on to him. Hopefully there are good reasons for that. There has also been talk of using him as a tight end at times, which is another place where the team can use an additional body.

Cedrick Wilson, Jr.

Another player who has fought the injury bug. He didn’t get much of a chance in 2019 with the top four spots getting most of the work. He was active for six games and only caught five passes. He will be one where it will be interesting to watch what the coaching staff does with him when and if practices ever start. There were certainly flashes in previous camps.

Lance Lenoir

He’s the bad penny of the group in the sense he just keeps turning up with a roster spot. And he may not even belong in this discussion, because for some reason Over the Cap has him listed as a tight end. At only 6 feet tall and 201 lbs, that seems a bit of a stretch. He may not make it out of camp, or he may claim a spot. Like Wilson, he has had his practice moments.

Tevin Jones

He’s a real unknown, having only notched five games and four catches with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Physically, he is the same size as Brown, which makes it look like he would be competition for whatever role the team may have in mind for the latter.

Ventell Bryant

He just had a DUI arrest, so his status is rather tenuous. He’s tall at 6-3, but a bit light.

Jon’Vea Johnson

Another guy who made some noise in camp, in his case as a UDFA in 2019. Probably has an outside chance at best, and have his best may have his best shot at making the practice squad again. But you never know.

Those are the internal options the team has, and at least a couple are intriguing. Add in a draftee, and the Cowboys may be fairly comfortable with things even if free agency doesn’t offer another solution.