NFL Trade Rumors: Cowboys WR Michael Gallup to move before trade deadline
The Dallas Cowboys are heading into their bye week sitting pretty at the top of NFC East with a 5-1 record. Having succumbed to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, Dallas have ripped through teams in a streak of five consecutive wins.
The LA Chargers, the Eagles, the Panthers, the Giants and the Patriots have all felt the wrath of America's Team. But Mike McCarthy's side have not been without their injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. On the offense, Michael Gallup has not played since Week 1, when he injured his calf against the Buccaneers.
Could the Cowboys trade Michael Gallup?
The thought of trading Gallup is interesting but one that in all likelihood won't happen. But if you delve a little deeper, the idea of moving off Gallup might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
Michael Gallup is going off on the Eagles 🔥
6 catches
121 yards
2 TDs
And it’s only the first half @brgridiron
(via @dallascowboys)
https://t.co/dQBVLiyESn
Without Gallup, the Cowboys offense has not missed a beat and has put up points almost at will. In their last four games, Dak Prescott & Co have scored 41, 36, 44 and 35 points.
In Gallup's absence, Ceedee Lamb has taken over the mantle as the Cowboys' No. 1 receiver. With Amari Cooper getting the attention of the opposing defense's number one corner, Lamb has essentially had a free reign across the field.
Then you add the running back duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, along with tight ends Dalton Schultz and Blake Jarwin, and suddenly, Dallas are already a potent offense without Gallup.
Michael Gallup is a bona fide stud. #CowboysNation https://t.co/E5McNSTTqM
Through six games in 2021 the Cowboys' offense averaged 34.2 points, 164.3 rushing yards with 5.1 yards per attempt, 296.5 passing yards and a total of 470 yards of total offense per game, according to ESPN.
Dallas are putting up these numbers without Michael Gallup. The idea is that the Cowboys could be tempted to trade Gallup away, given he has only played one game so far this year and is in the last year of his contract.
Todd Archer of ESPN stated that while Dallas could get something in return for Gallup, ultimately they wouldn't want to let him go:
“The Cowboys wouldn’t want to do this, but Gallup has not played since the opener because of a calf injury and is in the final year of his contract … Given the talent in the group, the Cowboys might be able to get something in return, but they wouldn’t want to walk away from Gallup.”
Dallas would certainly get some value from trading Gallup, but after the previous season in which he played all 16 games for five touchdowns and 843 yards, it won't be much. Keep in mind that it was without Dak Prescott. With Dak the previous year, Gallup racked up 1,107 receiving yards and six touchdowns and had five catches of 40+ yards.
It may not seem logical for Dallas to trade away such talent, but if they could potentially get a high draft pick or even involve another top defensive player, the prospect of parting ways with their star receiver could be tempting.