Dallas Cowboys: Cowboys sign Allen Hurns
By Carl Daley
The Dallas Cowboys have signed one of the biggest wide receivers available during the 2018 free agent period. What does this mean for the draft and beyond?
The Dallas Cowboys have made one of their biggest moves of free agency in recent memory. The team has announced that Allen Hurns (formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars) has signed a two year deal with the team that is reportedly worth $12 million. While Hurns was rumored to be considered to be a replacement for Dez Bryant it appears he will act as a complementary receiver to number 88.
Hurns was a constant fixture in the Jacksonville Jaguars offense and was one of Blake Bortles top targets. Even with Bortles accuracy issues hampering what the Jaguars offense could do he still managed to put up some impressive numbers.
His 2015 season was by far his best as he recorded 1,031 receiving yards, 64 receptions, and 10 touchdowns. That is one of the more elite seasons we have seen from a wide receiver in recent memory.
During his rookie season, he recorded six touchdowns and came close to 700 receiving yards. Over the last two seasons injuries and the emergence of Marqise Lee has hindered his production some however now that he is at full health he should make an immediate impact with the Cowboys offense.
The Dallas Cowboys were truly missing a number two wide receiver and that is something Hurns has been for a few seasons now. Hurns has lined up next to Allen Robinson pretty much every season he was in Jacksonville and played the part of a complimentary wide receiver perfectly.
He may even be able to take over as the number one in an offense if necessary. While it is still puzzling to see the Dallas Cowboys sign two wide receivers this week it shows their dedication to rebuilding their wide receiving corps.
The Cowboys clearly do not want what happened last season to become a habit and signing Hurns really changes the dynamic of this offense. No longer can you seriously consider Terrance Williams the second wide receiver on the depth chart and that is probably a good thing.
Williams has never had the success he was supposed to have on a consistent basis. He has the potential to be the third wide receiver in the Cowboys offense but does not win battles enough with defensive backs to be considered the second primary threat.
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There is likely zero chance Brice Butler returns to this group but I would not be surprised if he was the only departure this offseason. The Cowboys could see at the very least two wide receivers from this current group depart in some fashion and that is not even counting what happens if Dallas drafts a wide receiver at some point.
Adding Hurns gives the Dallas Cowboys much-needed flexibility in the 2017 NFL draft as now they can focus on drafting the best player at their most pressing area of need. The team will likely only carry five wide receivers on the main roster during the season so camp battles should be fierce.