FRISCO, Texas – Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones told reporters following the conclusion of the NFL Draft that "the train has not left the station" in regard to the thought of trading for a wide receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb.
That's still one of the options that lie ahead for the Cowboys, but it certainly isn't the only one.
Let's outline everything on the table for the Cowboys at wide receiver following the first draft since 2020 in which they didn't take draft a player at the position:
Keeping things in-house
The names that come to mind for the Cowboys that're already on the roster are Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy and newly signed Parris Campbell.
Tolbert is the name that rises to the top of the list if Dallas elects to not add to the room any more, as he's coming off of a career-best year with 49 receptions, 610 yards and a team-leading seven receiving touchdowns.
Mingo and Turpin are two wildcards of sorts, with a lot of unknowns around Mingo given limited playing time in 2024 after being acquired for a fourth-round pick from the Panthers. His imposing 6'2, 220-pound frame makes him a deep threat target that was on film plenty during his days at Ole Miss but hasn't shown in the NFL just yet. The Cowboys are high on Mingo, saying they had a second-round grade on him coming out of college. Perhaps getting to play more under Brian Schottenheimer and alongside Dak Prescott can peel back some of his true potential.
Turpin on the other hand has had flashes of ability at the wide receiver position, namely on his 64-yard catch and run for a touchdown against the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football last season. That said, he also still hasn't gotten as many reps at the wide receiver spot and may not have the frame to handle an increased role there.
All in all, there are a lot of unknowns in the room, which is a big reason why there is a large conversation surrounding external help for a second wide receiver option.
"Those guys have potential to be a No. 2, but they're not there yet. They haven't done it," Cowboys COO and co-owner Stephen Jones said following day two of the draft. "They haven't hit that level yet, and that's why we have had an interest in upgrading that room."
"Substantive trade" or free agent addition?
The external options lie in the aforementioned "substantive trade" that Jerry Jones hinted at earlier this month, or looking at the remaining free agents on the market and seeing if there is a name available that Dallas believes could fit the role better.
Could a reunion with Amari Cooper be on the horizon? It's definitely one of the options on the table for Dallas, where Cooper spent four years from 2018 through 2021, catching 292 passes for 3,893 yards and 27 touchdowns, the most successful four-year stretch of his career.
Cooper will be 31 by the time next season starts and will be headed into his 11th season in the NFL, but has familiarity with playing alongside Prescott as well. Last season, Cooper played for the Browns and Bills, combining for 547 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games.
Or maybe the Cowboys decide another veteran free agent like Keenan Allen is a better fit. Allen is widely regarded around the league as one of the more sure-handed, reliable receivers out there and would fit what Schottenheimer is looking for in the locker room too. He'll be going into year 13 of his career after his one-year stint under now Cowboys defensive coordinator and former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus last season, where he caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns.
Other free agents at the position are still on the market, such as DJ Chark and Tyler Boyd, but Cooper and Allen seem to make the most sense given what the Cowboys are looking for.
Can a UDFA rise to the occasion?
While the Cowboys didn't draft any wide receivers in the NFL Draft this year, they did pick up two undrafted free agents in Oregon's Traeshon Holden and Texas Tech's Josh Kelly.
Holden reunites in Dallas with his collegiate position coach Junior Adams, who coached him to a career best year in 2024 with the Ducks. Holden caught 45 passes for 718 yards and five touchdowns, finishing second on the team in receiving behind Tez Johnson
Kelly transferred to Texas Tech from Washington State for his final season of college football and also had a career best year in receiving, with 89 catches for 1,029 yards and five touchdowns. He earned second team All-Big 12 honors in the process.
It's a longshot for both of them to ascend to a wide receiver two role in the offense that quickly, but the Cowboys have a long history of success with undrafted free agents that includes Hall of Famers like Drew Pearson and Cliff Harris, and other starts like Tony Romo.
