For a period of training camp, the Cowboys' receiving corps appeared to be in dire straits.
Now that the preseason is approaching its final week of game action, owner Jerry Jones feels much better about the team's situation, so much that he's closed the door on potential external additions.
"I really like the entire gambit of our receivers," Jones said, via USA Today's Jori Epstein. "We've got some head-scratching regarding our numbers there. We certainly at this juncture don't have room for an outside receiver."
Dallas shipped out Amari Cooper for a fifth-round pick during the offseason, added James Washington via free agency, and handed Michael Gallup a deserved extension. Then the Cowboys spent a third-round pick on South Alabama product Jalen Tolbert, giving them an encouraging four-man group including the aforementioned trio and headlined by CeeDee Lamb.
Then Washington suffered a fracture in his foot, forcing him out until sometime in October. Gallup is still making his way back from an ACL tear suffered in the Cowboys' Week 17 game of the 2021 season, and Tolbert hasn't exactly impressed through two preseason games.
Still, Jones likes what he's seen on the practice field since the team returned from training camp in Oxnard, California.
Gallup's status is notable, mainly because his knee injury occurred so late in the season. Conventional wisdom would lead one to believe Gallup would start the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, but Dallas declined to place him on it earlier this week, leaving open the possibility Gallup returns before the first month of the season is complete.
It's optimistic, but not a guarantee. Above all, Dallas will remain cautious with Gallup, a player they believe has the potential to make a significant impact after stepping up in key spots last season.
"We just don't want to do anything that would put him in some kind of category that would limit us from getting him in the first game," Jones said, via 105.3 The Fan’s Bobby Belt.
That doesn't mean Gallup will be ready to go in Week 1, but that the Cowboys haven't yet ruled him out. And if they are forced to play without him, they'll use a combination of Lamb, Tolbert and the likes of Noah Brown, Dennis Houston and others. Dallas will also likely have to reserve a roster spot for Gallup in the meantime, meaning he'd occupy a place on the inactives list in Week 1 if he's unable to participate.
Such an accommodation would mean the Cowboys would have to pull off additional roster gymnastics to reach the 53-man limit at the end of the preseason. But if Gallup can return before the end of Week 4, it will have been worth it.
In the meantime, Dak Prescott will continue to spend practice time getting familiar with Tolbert while relying on Lamb, a budding star who could use some help at the position.
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