The Dallas Cowboys have always been aggressive in their attempts to secure high-end talent as Jerry Jones is never shy to talk about his desire to bring a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy to his team in the Lone Star State.
Unfortunately, as Cowboys fans have seen over the years, those big swings in free agency and on the trade market sometimes do not pay off as the front office had hoped and that was certainly the case for one member of the 2024 roster who has moved on to a new home in the NFL after two seasons in Dallas.
Brandin Cooks Will Not Be Missed by Dallas Fans After Offseason Departure
To say the Brandin Cooks experiment in Dallas was a complete and utter disaster would not be considered a stretch by some as the veteran wide receiver never came close to the type of production fans expected from him after the Cowboys acquired him via a trade with the Texans.
After bringing in 228 receptions over the course of his three seasons in Houston, Cooks only managed to catch 80 passes during the two-year period he lined up on the outside for Dallas. As one would expect, the drop in production in terms of receptions made by Cooks also impacted the number of yards receiving he accumulated with the Cowboys as Cooks went from nearly 2,800 receiving yards with Houston to just over 900 yards receiving in Dallas.
Cooks signed a two-year, $13 million deal to return to the New Orleans Saints as a free agent this offseason and, quite frankly, that is more than he would have been worth for Dallas to retain him. With the NFL Draft less than two weeks away, the Cowboys are more likely to find a difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball across from CeeDee Lamb with one of their first three picks as Dallas owns the Nos. 12, 44, and 76 selections at this time.
When you take into account just how valuable players on rookie contracts can be when they become contributors to the offense, there was simply no reason to entertain the idea of paying Cooks the type of money he was looking for when the results seen by the Cowboys, their front office and the fans were anything but up to par.
For now, Dallas fans will just have to sit back and wait to see which standout collegiate wide receiver is eventually tabbed by the Cowboys front office as their next offensive threat on the outside.