Cowboys could be tortured if offseason prediction comes true

The Dallas Cowboys have virtually exhausted their 2024 payroll, putting them in a difficult position to bolster their receiving corps beyond All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. The team will desperately rely on veteran Brandin Cooks as a second option. Yikes.

Albeit a proven commodity in the league, Cooks is past his prime. So, this is a harsh reality for a franchise with Super Bowl aspirations, even if he is a bounce-back candidate.

Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus labeled Cooks as his choice for the most likely Dallas player to rebound in 2024 after a down year. But even if he does improve and the prediction comes true, the Cowboys cannot rely on him to be the No. 2 pass-catcher on a contender.

Cooks had respectable counting stats this past season. He caught 54 passes for 657 receiving yards (his lowest total since 2019) and eight touchdowns. But Locker points to the "deeper metrics" not being "on par" with numbers we've seen from the vet during his time as a pro.

Cowboys could be tortured if offseason prediction comes true

"Cooks’ 2.3 yards after the catch per reception was the worst mark of his career, as was his 1.19 yards per route run figure," Locker said. "From 2020 to 2022, Cooks never had a campaign of earning a sub-71.9 receiving grade or going below 1.64 yards per route run," he added.

Despite the substantial dip in noteworthy advanced stats, the Cowboys leaned further into Cooks by releasing former 1,000-yard receiver Michael Gallup in April. But why?

Dallas cutting Gallup as a cap casualty and failing to replace him adequately puts Cooks and the passing attack in a tough spot. The latter had arguably the worst showing of his 10-year NFL career in 2023, and the Cowboys are now likely to put more on his plate. That is a daunting task and a losing proposition for a team with lofty expectations, especially as he enters his age-31 campaign. 

Brace yourselves, Cowboys fans. Cooks and the passing attack could have their work cut out for them this upcoming season at this rate.