The Dallas Cowboys could target the NFL’s most talented receiver.
Brian Martin from Blogging the Boys lists three potential free agents that would make “great fit” for the Cowboys. Martin mentions Julio Jones, wide receiver. After his March release from the Tennessee Titans, Julio Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowler as well as a five-time All-Pro selection, is still a free agent.
Martin mentions Dallas’ “unproven depth,” behind CeeDee lamb, as one reason why Jones should be pursued by Dallas.
Martin says that “Julio Jones has had two of the most disappointing seasons in his professional career,” but Martin doesn’t think it should stop the Cowboys bringing him on board. “Aside from CeeDee Lamb they have a lot unproven depth at receiver until Michael Gallup comes back to the starting lineup. Jones’ addition would not only improve the position but also allow them to get through until Gallup returns.
Entering the 2022 season, the Cowboys have serious concerns about wide receiver. The league’s No. 1 offense in 2021 had the best receiving corps, Lamb, Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson. The team’s depth is now a weakness after the departures of Wilson and Cooper.
Gallup’s injury, which he is still recovering from after sustaining an ACL injury, is complicating matters. Stephen Jones , Cowboys executive, previously stated that Gallup will miss the first two to three games of the season because of the injury.
Jones is undoubtedly the best free wide receiver. The 33-year old is coming off his worst season but could still be a valuable secondary player. Although the 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver was restricted to 10 games due to injuries, he still managed to post a very high offensive grade. Pro Football Focus reported that Jones had a 74.2 offensive rating, placing him 34th of all receivers who played at least 40 snaps.
Jones’ 2021 grade isn’t as elite as the ones he earned with the Atlanta Falcons between 2014 and 2020 — between 86.3 to 91.9 — but his offensive grade was higher than any Cowboys receiver other than Lamb.
There has not been much interest from any team to sign the veteran receiver as of the beginning of July. With Jones’ former quarterback Matt Ryan currently there, the Indianapolis Colts could be an attractive landing spot. The Green Bay Packers could also be a destination, as Matt LaFleur was the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach during the 2015-2016 season.
The Cowboys currently have more than $21 million in cap space, and Jones isn’t even close to signing a similar deal to his last ($22 million per year). Dallas could sign Jones to an incentive-laden contract, with the Cowboys allocating $16.5million of their salary cap to their receivers. This is 24th in league.
The Cowboys are trying to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, who have added A.J. Jones could be a key move in the future, as the Cowboys seek to hold off the Philadelphia Eagles — who added former Pro Bowl receiver A.J.