Dismantling the Dallas Cowboys as currently constructed is not an option. In the NFL, teams that fall apart one year can quickly ascend the next with a bit of luck. The pendulum swung too far on the injury front for the Cowboys to be competitive this year, but next year could be a different story, and this front office knows it, having some recent history to fall back on.
In 2015, it was an utter train wreck in Dallas. Naturally, it was not as disastrous as the 2020 season has been to date, but the similarities are apparent. Both years went up in smoke the moment the starting quarterback was lost for the year. In 2016, however, the Cowboys under Dak Prescott bounced back to 13 wins, a first-round bye and came within sniffing distance of the franchise’s first conference championship appearance since the 90’s dynasty. And that’s why wide receiver Michael Gallup isn’t going anywhere.
A Cowboys official was approached Wednesday about the concept of Gallup possibly being dealt before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. The short but straightforward response clearly closed the door on the notion, dismissing the possibility out of hand. And it is easy to see why the team is so bullish on Gallup.
It would be unwise to tear apart a receiving group as talented as this one with Pro Bowler Amari Cooper and first-round pick CeeDee Lamb.
The team’s passing attack is what will keep it among the best in the league so long as Prescott is standing. Making moves like trading Everson Griffen is one thing, he was a mercenary on a one-year deal. Trading a legitimate asset like Gallup is seldom a good idea.
Those who spend their time box-score scouting may excoriate Gallup at season’s end for not living up to the hype surrounding him. His numbers will be down this year. That’s the side effect from losing an elite quarterback and the majority of an offensive line. For the Cowboys to get where they ultimately want to be in 2021, Gallup will have to be a key cog.
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