Cowboys Urged to Cut Ties With $57.5 Million ‘Poor Investment’
It is anticipated that as the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason progresses, things will turn ugly. That’s what happens to a squad that has another 12-5 season
and another unexpected playoff collapse.A difficult few weeks are ahead of Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff. Jerry Jones, the owner of the
Cowboys, and the front staff are going to have a difficult few weeks. Additionally, the team’s accountants should have a difficult few months, which
implies that some of the Cowboys’ higher-paid players, including wide receiver Michael Gallup, will also have a difficult time.
Gallup was emblematic of all that went wrong for the Cowboys this season. He was a major disappointment during the season, with 34 catches and just 418 yards, the fewest of his career. He posted shiny numbers in the Cowboys’ wild-card loss to the Packers (six catches and 103 yards) but did not make a catch until the Packers were down 20-0, and he had only two first-half catches for 25 yards.
Now, with the Cowboys facing a massive payroll crunch, Gallup could be on the firing line. That’s the sentiment from Bleacher Report this week, which tabbed the Cowboys players most likely to be “cap casualties” and put Gallup at the top of the list.
Michael Gallup Has Not Lived Up to Paycheck
According to OverTheCap.com, the Cowboys are already $16 million above the salary cap going into the offseason and will need to be frugal with every dollar. Here’s how Kris Knox of B/R views the situation.
After agreeing to a five-year, $57.5 million agreement with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, wide receiver Michael Gallup has found it difficult to live up to expectations. Even while Gallup may still produce a huge play now and again, it’s obvious that Cooks won the No. 2 receiver position this season.
“Jerry Jones rarely admits to poor investments, but it’s time to either restructure Gallup’s deal or pull the plug entirely. Releasing him with a post-
June 1 designation would save $9.5 million in cap space while triggering a dead-cap hit of only $4.4 million,” Knox wrote in the January 16 story.
While the Cowboys have one of the top wideouts in the league in star CeeDee Lamb, they’ve struggled to find a player who fits the bill as a second
option. Cooks is solid, but he is 30 years old and better suited to occupy a No. 3 role. Gallup has the speed and downfield ability to be a No. 2, which
is why they got rid of Amari Cooper (who topped 1,100 yards each of the past two seasons), but Gallup has yet to translate his ability into production.
Cowboys Have Expensive Decisions Ahead
The days of the Cowboys letting Gallup get away with underperformance are long gone. They cannot wait on draft picks like 2022 third-rounder Jaleen Tolbert or make blunders like letting Cooper depart.
This is because the Cowboys will no longer be able to enjoy many of the complimentary lunches they have enjoyed over the past few years.
Dallas must pay Dak Prescott, who may still end up with the biggest contract in NFL history this offseason even if he led the recent playoff debacle. The $59.5 million remaining on his backloaded contract after the upcoming season calls for a long-term agreement to be renegotiated.
Additionally, Micah Parsons and Lamb must be paid among the highest salaries for athletes in their positions by the Cowboys. Parsons and Lamb made a combined $9 million last season as members of the roster due to their rookie contracts. Now that the Cowboys are required to provide extensions, that will alter.
Dallas is going to have to make other cuts. Gallup is the front-runner as well.
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