The Dallas Cowboys lost a few free agents in the offseason, and these four players could end up finding a lot of success in their new homes
It was an interesting offseason for the Dallas Cowboys, to say the least.
For a brief moment, it looked as though they could be losing at least one of their coordinators as both Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore were hot names in the head coaching searches.
They did get them both back but then, they lost some key players in free agency. Here we look at which four are ready to have a huge impact on their new clubs.
Former Dallas Cowboys to thrive No. 4: La’el Collins, G
At one point, La’el Collins looked to be one of the best young prospects on the Cowboys line. But then when Mike McCarthy came to town in 2020, it was as though he started to trend in the wrong direction.
He also had a suspension last season, which led to him fighting with Terence Steele to get his old job back.
Once the season was over, Dallas decided to move on and save some money against the cap. Collins landed on his feet, however, as he signed on with the Cincinnati Bengals — the AFC representatives in the Super Bowl.
Collins joins a re-made line that includes Ted Karras and Alex Cappa. In fact, if these players were on the Bengals in 2021, they might very well have won it all.
Now, they look like a much better group and as long as they keep Joe Burrow upright, they will continue to have success. As for Collins, the new team will likely prove to be exactly what he needed to rediscover the player he was a few years ago.
Former Dallas Cowboys to thrive No. 3: Cedrick Wilson, WR
The Dallas Cowboys rightfully have been getting a lot of praise in recent years for their drafting ability. They have found talent in mid-to-late rounds including Michael Gallup, Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard, and Dalton Schultz.
Another player who they hit on late was Boise State wideout Cedrick Wilson. Selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Wilson missed his rookie season and made nearly no impact in 2019. Then in 2020, he started to flash with 189 yards and two touchdowns — with most of that damage coming in one game against Seattle.
By 2021, he was one of Dak Prescott’s favorite targets. With Michael Gallup dealing with injuries, Wilson stepped up in a big way. The fourth-year pro had 45 receptions for 602 yards and six touchdowns. He was also nearly automatic with a 7.8 percent catch rate — only 16 passes thrown his way went incomplete all year.
In the offseason, Dallas was unable to retain him and Wilson signed a multi-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. After he was added, Miami traded for Tyreek Hill which means Wilson will battle for targets with Hill and Jaylon Waddle.
While it could lead to him not getting as many passes as he expected when he originally signed, he could also prove to be a highly effective weapon. He might not put up 600-yards but he should be a player who comes up big for an improving AFC team.
Former Dallas Cowboys to thrive No. 2: Randy Gregory, EDGE
For a brief moment, it appeared the Dallas Cowboys were going to re-sign Randy Gregory. But then, they muffed the punt and Gregory bolted for Denver, where he will play for the Broncos.
After he left, words were exchanged as Gregory felt disrespected by the team, and Jerry Jones did his typical fake outrage where he told the fans how mad he was — even though he was likely involved every step of the way.
Now in Denver, Gregory has some pretty big shoes to fill since the Broncos traded away Von Miller last season. Miller went to the Los Angeles Rams and won a Super Bowl (the second of his career) and then signed with the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.
As for Gregory, he has been a solid player when on the field but he has yet to truly break out. One major issue has been health as he continues to miss time — including five games this past season.
Still, he has proven to be quite the pass rusher, racking up six in 12 games last season. And while six is still his high mark (he had the same number in 2018), there’s a lot of hope that he can do even more damage as a stand-up pass rusher in the Denver scheme.
Look for Gregory to really thrive this season and make Dallas regret not closing the deal when they had the chance.
Former Dallas Cowboys to thrive No. 1: Amari Cooper, WR
Releasing La’el Collins to save some money wasn’t the only cap-related move Dallas made this offseason. It wasn’t even the most impactful one.
That distinction belongs to their decision to trade Amari Cooper for a mere fifth-round pick. Make no mistake about it, this was a bad move by Dallas.
Dallas went from having four capable receivers with NFL experience (Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, and Cedrick Wilson) to just two. They did use some of the money saved on Cooper to retain Gallup and franchise tag Dalton Schultz at tight end, but they lost Wilson.
And the only way they could have remotely justified this move is if it led to keeping all three of their free agents.
Now, they have Lamb, Gallup — who is coming off a torn ACL — rookie Jalen Tolbert, and James Washington who didn’t ever live up to his second-round draft status in Pittsburgh. Yes, there’s hope that Tolbert can be a key contributor but with Gallup coming back from a serious injury, he might be relied upon right out of the gate.
As for Cooper, he ended up in a pretty good spot since the Cleveland Browns where he’s going to work with Deshaun Watson — although he is possibly facing a suspension. Even if Watson is out for an extended time, Jacoby Brissett is capable of getting the ball to Cooper.
And Cooper is also the only proven star in this receiving corps. Donovan Peoples-Jones has yet to hit 600-yards and David Njoku at tight end is full of potential but hasn’t put it all together.
Add all this up and Cooper could very well have a phenomenal season in Cleveland.