Dallas Cowboys WRs: Scrap the committee, anoint the trinity

With the addition of Amari Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys would be wise to scrap their failed committee approach and funnel all balls to their top three.

Since dispatching Dez Bryant in the spring, the Dallas Cowboys been trying desperately to convince the team, the fans, and likely themselves, a committee of decent receivers is every bit as good as one No. 1 receiver.

The thinking was this committee of reliable, albeit unspectacular, receivers would run crisp well-timed routes, better tailored for quarterback Dak Prescott’s preferences. This somewhat digestible plan was accepted by many in Cowboys Nation (myself included), but after seven weeks of ballistic failure, we can now safely say that plan sucked (technically speaking, of course).

The Dallas Cowboys have admitted through their actions, playing without a true No. 1 receiver is not an easy blueprint to victory. The rotation of Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson on the outside is about as exciting and dynamic as a peanut butter sandwich. Both players have had trouble creating separation this season and both have failed to make the play in contested ball situations.

Brice Bulter (formerly of Dallas, then of Arizona, then of Dallas again) was no different. Before he handed Cooper his jersey, he barely justified his roster spot.

The Trinity

The Dallas Cowboys struck gold when they dug up Michael Gallup in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. I said it before the draft, I said it during the draft, and I’ll say it again today – Michael Gallup is going to be a great pro. But the rookie WR is…well…a rookie. It takes time to develop into a real NFL receiver and we’re seeing it with Gallup.

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Watching the film it’s plain to see Gallup is progressing wonderfully. He’s still unreliable in some of his routes, but he’s flashing big play skills and improving on the technical end every week. At this time he’s nowhere close to being a No. 1 option but he’s a great No. 3.

Cole Beasley, the Dallas Cowboys No. 1 receiver before they had a No. 1 receiver, is the OG of the trinity.

The seven year vet has become one of the best slot receivers in the game and proves to be virtually unguardable in man coverage situations. But he’s not an option at the X nor is he a threat deep.

When he’s the biggest receiving threat on the field, defenses can bracket him and neutralize him (as has been the case for roughly the past 23 games). But when he’s a complement, he’s a dangerous weapon and one of Dak Prescott’s favorite targets. In other words, Bease is a great “Robin” when someone else is around to play “Batman”

Amari Cooper is that “Batman”.

As I explained on Tuesday, Amari Cooper is a great addition for the Dallas Cowboys. He comes at a high cost but he fills a major need right now. The alternative (waiting three years to find and/or develop someone as good as Cooper) is just unacceptable to anyone who wants to win now or in the near-future. For more on that catch up here:

With Cooper and Gallup on the outside and Beasley inside, the Dallas Cowboys have one of the bester receiving corps in the NFL. For that reason there is virtually no reason to remove them from the field. Sure, Dallas will need to use 12 personnel from time to time, but there’s no reason to remove one of these three for another WR. The falloff in skill is too much.

The trinity of 19, 11, and 13 (remember when those were QB numbers?) must be involved as much as possible this season. With the Dallas Cowboys offense firmly stuck in the mud, they are our best hope of getting pulled out.

The Dallas Cowboys basically admitted they were wrong with their “committee approach” when they traded for Amari Cooper earlier this week. Now it’s time to takeit to the next level and anoint the trinity of Cooper, Beasley, and Gallup, running the entire passing game through Dallas’ most talented receivers. The committee is dead. Long live the trinity.

• Published on 10/28/2018 at 13:00 PM
• Last updated at 10/26/2018 at 12:06 PM