Simi Fehoko, the Cowboys soon-to-be third year receiver from Stanford, has had a tough time getting on the field in Dallas. Since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, he’s logged just a combined 43 offensive snaps and based on the WR room heading into 2023, the outlook ahead for the 25-year-old WR doesn’t look much brighter.
Sometimes the road less traveled is also the path of least resistance. In this way, Fekoko’s best path to the Cowboys active roster may be the same untraditional route Noah Brown took in locking down his spot in Dallas five years ago.
Prior to 2022, Brown served a fairly specialized role on the Cowboys. In a position group headlined by multiple pedigreed and accomplished pass-catchers, Brown was cast into a complementary role.
Rarely a target in the passing game, Brown was used primarily as a blocker, both at the line of scrimmage and downfield. Lining up inside, outside and even blocking on-the-move, Brown was the blue collar worker of the of the Cowboys’ flashiest unit.
Clearly, that all changed in 2022, when Dallas began the season disturbingly understaffed at WR and was essentially forced to elevate Brown into a WR2 role. Statistically, it resulted in Brown’s best season as a pass-catcher but it left a void in his previously held role on the org chart.
With Brown off to Houston cashing in on his career season, the role he held for the 4+ campaigns prior to last, sits unfilled. Kellen Moore certainly missed Brown in that role in 2022; does Mike McCarthy share the same feelings? A blue-collar receiver could be exactly what the Cowboys need to reinstall an efficient running game as a complement to his west coast offense.
If that’s the case, Dallas may have an internal candidate who could be well-suited for Brown’s old role.