Cowboys Country

Cowboys Camp: Does WR Room Still Need Trade Help?

After the departure of Amari Cooper, some thought the Cowboys needed a veteran presence and more depth at wideout. But is the current group proving that wrong?

Timm Hamm

The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver room was thought by many to be a little thin after the team traded away Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. … adding to speculation that Dallas might trade for or sign a veteran.

The group lacked experience. CeeDee Lamb is expected to be the first option for quarterback Dak Prescott, and he enters just his third season in the league.

Fifth-year wideout Michael Gallup will begin the season watching from the sideline, still nursing his repaired ACL injury suffered in Week 17 last season, but offers the most on-field experience in the room.

And the room gets younger from there. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, as two young receivers are already making names for themselves on the field in Oxnard.

In last April's NFL Draft, the Cowboys thought they got the steal of the third round as South Alabama's Jalen Tolbert fell to them. Skills-wise, he's thought to be very similar to Gallup. Coming off of two straight 1,000-yard seasons in college, he has the tools to keep defenders guessing, and the speed to outrun corners vertically.

He's not a master route runner, but he doesn't need to be.

Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has already been impressed with Tolbert in camp, and discussed his preparation, saying that he's "worked his tail off" and he loves his attention to detail.

Tolbert will most likely be Prescott's third option behind Lamb and Gallup once Gallup makes his way back onto the field. But he can certainly fill in where needed until then.

Another young player in the wide receiver room the Cowboys are excited about is T.J. Vasher. 

Vasher was an undrafted free agent from Texas Tech a year ago but a knee injury suffered in his last season in Lubbock kept him on the injured reserve last season.

Now the 6-5 pass catcher is healthy and ready to contribute.

Vasher will most likely be competing for a spot at the bottom of the roster with players like Brandon Smith and last year's fifth-rounder out of Stanford, Simi Fehoko. 

And let's not forget Dallas just brought in USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin for some further competition.

Vasher is limited when it comes to speed and separation, but he's a great vertical option because of his long strides, as well as an end zone target due to his size.

His biggest assets are his size and catching radius, but the NFL is quite different from the college game. But Vasher seems to be picking up right where he left off with the Red Raiders with a circus catch in camp.

While it's still early, and we're only through one week of Cowboys camp, there does seem plenty to be excited about with the young receivers in Oxnard so far. We'll wait to see if that translates on the field after August.

The Cowboys kick off the regular season against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on September 11.

Follow Timm Hamm on Twitter at @IndyCarTim

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Timm Hamm
TIMM HAMM

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