Raiders take chance on former Cowboys playmaker who could pay off big time

It may not seem like much, but there is a lot to like about this move. Fresh off the 2024 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders decided they were not done trying to add pieces to their roster. General manager Tom Telesco acted swiftly by signing former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup to a one-year contract. It may only be worth $3 million, but there is a lot to like about this deal for the Raiders.

Gallup spent his entire pro career in Dallas after being drafted in the third round out of Colorado State back in 2018. While he only eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards once in a season, Gallup was never asked to be the No. 1 option in the Dallas receiving corps. With the Raiders already having Davante Adams under contract, look for him to slot right in and make plays in Luke Getsy's new offense for Las Vegas.

One of the things that has hurt Gallup in the last three years has been injuries. He has missed 11 games over the last three seasons, whereas he only missed a combined three in his first three seasons out of Colorado State. This has contributed to him going from a 500-plus-yard receiver, to one that has consistently hauled in just a shade over 400 yards in a campaign. Is this the new normal?

Perhaps a change of scenery is the best thing for this former high-end No. 3 wide receiver for Dallas?

The Raiders may not have the quarterback position solved, but they may be able to move the sticks.

Michael Gallup could reinvent himself now with the Las Vegas Raiders

One of the best things the Raiders have going for them is that they can honestly play the "nobody believes in us" card. It served Antonio Pierce initially as their interim head coach, enough to the point where he is the main main in the big chair now. Frankly, Las Vegas can continue to play this card, but once the Raiders start to circle the drain, this tight-knit locker room could become unraveled quickly.

Gallup has been part of a perennial playoff team throughout his Dallas tenure. Unfortunately, Dallas has usually been one-and-done in the postseason, hence the frustration that is emanating out of The Star in Frisco. To me, the Raiders have enough weapons offensively where Getsy could call plenty of good plays to distribute the football around the gridiron. The problem is who will be their quarterback.

For as much as I like Aidan O'Connell as a second-year pro out of Purdue, and how much I adore the long-lost son of Ken Stabler in Gardner Minshew II, this team has a definite ceiling at quarterback, one where maybe they can win nine games tops. Gallup used to catch passes from a guy we thought had a definite ceiling in Dallas in Dak Prescott. Guess who is about to make $60 million annually soon?

It may not be the biggest move of the offseason, but there is a lot to like about Gallup to the Raiders.