NFL Rumors: Cowboys tipped to land Tom Brady's former teammate to assist Dak Prescott
The Dallas Cowboys are looking for more receiver help for quarterback Dak Prescott, and one option is a former member of the team they beat in last year's Wild Card Round.
Last week, Tyler Greenwalt, an NFL columnist for Yahoo Sports, outlined the areas in which he believed every NFC team would need to improve on heading into the 2023 season. He wrote this about the Dallas Cowboys:
The Cowboys are one injury away from being in the same wide receiver predicament they were a year ago when they had to sign T.Y. Hilton off the street. CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks are a solid trio, but there isn’t anyone behind them that can play meaningful snaps in a pinch. There are plenty of veteran options in free agency who could be a better stop-gap than Hilton was in 2022.
One of the options Greenwalt floated around was Julio Jones. Last season, Jones had a career-worst performance while playing with Tom Brady and the Tampa Buccaneers, as he had started only five out of 10 games played and caught only 24 passes for 299 yards, both career lows, and two touchdowns.
Other options mentioned by Greenwalt include one-time Super Bowl champion Sammy Watkins and Pro Bowlers Jarvis Landry and Kenny Golladay.
How could Julio Jones help the Dallas Cowboys?
Despite his career-low stats, Jones is still a high-quality receiver who can provide immediate depth to the Dallas backfield. With Amari Cooper having left for the Cleveland Browns, the Cowboys lost a key receiving piece last season and were forced to have Prescott throw more to CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, allowing defenses to predict his movements.
Jerry Jones made a smart move when he traded for Brandin Cooks, and adding the former Super Bowl runner-up will surely help to relieve pressure from Lamb and Gallup.
Which teams besides the Cowboys need more wide receivers in 2023?
The Cowboys are not the only NFC team who need to bolster their passing game, according to Greenwalt. The Green Bay Packers desperately need a proven receiver after losing Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb to the New York Jets, and Greenwalt suggested going after Landry or DeAndre Hopkins.
And speaking of Jones, his former team in Atlanta is severely bereft of pass catchers besides Drake London. Greenwalt floated the ide of bringing him back or pursuing Landry.
In the AFC, Greenwalt mentioned the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs as the three teams that need a wideout the most. The Bills were in fact once linked to Hopkins, but are said to have priced themselves out of his plans.
As for the Titans, their gamble on Landry and Robert Woods failed, as the team missed the playoffs. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have lost JuJu Smith-Schuster to the New England Patriots, leaving them with a dearth of people who can lure defenses away from Travis Kelce.