The Dallas Cowboys are wrapping up their disastrous 2024 season on Sunday when they host the Washington Commanders. This has been a season to forget for the Cowboys, who will finish with a losing record after three straight 12-win seasons.
The underwhelming on-field product means that there will be significant changes in the offseason. This includes roster improvements and coaching staff shakeup.
Therefore, there will be a few players who will be putting on a Cowboys uniform for the last time in Week 18. Veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks is almost certainly one of them.
Cooks will be a free agent this offseason and it's hard to see the Cowboys re-signing the 31-year-old playmaker.
The former first-round pick has had a fascinating career. Despite being the most traded player in NFL history, he has been a very productive wideout everywhere he has played. In fact, he has a 1,000+ yard season for all four teams he played for before joining the Cowboys. In Dallas, however, he has a total of 901 receiving yards in two seasons.
Cooks missed seven games this season with a knee injury. In nine games, he has 23 catches, 244 yards, and three touchdowns. For a player who was the WR2 for most of the season, that is not good enough, even with injuries considered.
Even though the Cowboys' need for a running back receives a ton of attention, their need to revamp the wide receiver room goes under the radar.
CeeDee Lamb put together another solid season with 1,000+ yards and six touchdowns, and Jalen Tolbert finally had his breakout season. Besides them, however, the Cowboys need to add another reliable pass-catcher in the offseason. Cooks is not that guy anymore, but he will surely get another chance in free agency.