FRISCO, Texas — While the Cowboys weren't exactly quiet during free agency this spring, there is still plenty of work to do for this team that finished 7-9-1 in 2025.
Not only did they add some key players in free agency and via trades, but they also re-signed some of the core depth as well.
Still, there are other guys on this team that must take that next step in order for the Cowboys to be successful in 2026.
Today, we'll continue the Next Man Up series with wide receiver Ryan Flournoy.
- Name: Ryan Flournoy
- Position: Wide receiver
- Experience: 2 years
- Games Played/Starts: 27 games, 5 starts
- Years Left on Contract: 2
- How Acquired: 2024 Sixth-round pick (216th-overall)
- Key Stat: 475 receiving yards, 4 TDs, 11.9 YPC in 2025 (all career highs)
The Past: The moment Flournoy got the call out of Southeast Missouri State, he made it clear he was on a mission to prove he was worth far more than a sixth-round pick. A diehard studier of Jerry Rice, he wanted to make an instant impact for the Cowboys, but things didn't play out that way his rookie season. Flournoy was forced to learn and wait behind Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks, along with the trade for Jonathan Mingo providing added resistance.
The Present: That all changed, and in a big way, in 2025. The blockbuster trade for George Pickens meant an all-out war on the depth chart for the role of WR3. With Brooks released and Tolbert struggling to be consistent, and Mingo battling injury, Flournoy seized the opportunity and never let it go. His explosiveness, physicality, catch radius and ability to shed defenders made him the definitive WR3 that could, at times, step up as WR2 when needed.
The Future: There is no longer a question about WR3 in Dallas — the answer is Flournoy. His coming out party against the Jets to the tune of 114 yards (averaging 19 yards per catch in that contest) was eventually surpassed by his efforts to take down the Lions with a 115-yard outing, and it ultimately was the writing on the wall for every other receiver in Dallas vying for that role. With Pickens and Lamb still together for 2026, Flournoy should benefit from single coverage that he routinely made a meal of in 2025. It truly feels as if he's just getting started heading into Year 3.
