Why Cowboys should have an interest in trading for Jaguars WR Laviska Shenault

After reportedly signing wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones to some surprisingly monster contracts in free agency, rumors began to circulate Laviska Shenault will supposedly be put on the trade block by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

For a team like the Dallas Cowboys, who are still very much in need of more wide receiver help after trading away Amari Cooper and losing Cedrick Wilson, a unique player like Shenault should very much be considered if he is on the trade block.

Shenault, the Jacksonville Jaguars second-round pick (42nd overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, is a big, strong wide receiver with a unique skill set reminiscent to that of Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers. He doesn’t possess Samuel’s breakaway speed, but like the 49er superstar, he is extremely difficult to game plan for because he can line up just about anywhere on offense.

As far as the Dallas Cowboys are concerned, Shenault would be an excellent WR3 option behind CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. He could step into the role Cedrick Wilson played in 2021 during Gallup’s injury and arguably be an upgrade. He has the same kind of versatility to play either inside or out and is even more dangerous after the catch.

On top of all of that, he’s just 23 years old and the 6’1”, 220-pound WR still has two years remaining on his rookie contract. His cap number in 2022 is just $2,098,927 and increases to only $2,448,748 in 2023. Those are both very acceptable numbers for a wide receiver who can bring a lot to the table for the Cowboys offense.

If added to the Cowboys WR room, Shenault should also see more favorable matchups in the passing game than he did during his time at Jacksonville. With the Jaguars, he was often treated as their top receiving threat, drawing their best cover man. In Dallas, that won’t be the case with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup getting that attention.

This is a player Kellen Moore can get really creative with. In a copycat kind of league, teams are looking for players who can do the same kind of things Deebo Samuel did with 49ers last year. Shenault may be a poor man’s version, but he possesses the same type of skill set as a runner or receiver, although he’s never really been utilized that type of role on a regular basis as of yet.

As a bonus, Shenault is also a born-and-bred Texan (Irving, Texas). As such, he took part in “Dallas Day” that is held for local prospects who grew up or attended school in the Dallas area prior to the 2020 NFL Draft. Because of that, the Cowboys should already be pretty familiar with him and what he would bring to the table.

All in all, trading for Shenault would free the Cowboys up even more in the 2022 NFL Draft. As things stand right now, even with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup in the fold, WR still remains an underrated roster need. Adding Shenault would be a low risk move on their part to add more depth and shouldn’t cost them anything more than a late Day 3 pick.