With the draft fast approaching, the Dallas Cowboys have needs all across the board. Over the next two weeks we will offer up a position-by-position review of the roster and match up the best available in the draft at those positions.
WIDE RECEIVER
On the roster: Dez Bryant (signed through 2019), Terrance Williams (signed through 2016), Cole Beasley (signed through 2018), Devin Street (signed through 2017), Brice Butler (signed through 2016), Lucky Whitehead (signed through 2017), Vince Mayle (signed through 2017), Rodney Smith (signed through 2017)
Cap status: Bryant $13 million, Beasley $3.356 million, Williams $1.85 million, Butler $675,000, Street $650,493, Whitehead $528,333, Mayle $450,000, Smith $675,000
Best available in draft: Josh Doctson, Laquon Treadwell, Corey Coleman.
Down the line: Will Fuller, Tyler Boyd, Michael Thomas, Sterling Shepard, Rashard Higgins, Kolby Listenbee
Position review: Last season was a tough one for all of the receivers. But was it the receivers or was it the quarterback play during Tony Romo's absence?
Bryant was limited because of a broken foot suffered in the season opener and was not the dominant receiver many came to expect. A return to health should return him to elite status, but the Cowboys have to be smart with how he comes back from January foot surgery.
Williams set career highs in catches (52) and yards (840) but he was unable to step into the No. 1 role created by Bryant’s absence. But was it him or the ineffective quarterback play? Beasley is one of the better slot receivers in the NFL and is a trusted target of Romo. So much of the game is played inside now and the Cowboys believe Beasley can win one-on-one matchups.
The Cowboys picked up Butler in a trade after Bryant got hurt but he suffered a hamstring strain that limited him. He had 12 catches on the year. Street had seven. Whitehead had six. If something were to happen to Bryant or Williams this year, the Cowboys would need help. Then again, a healthy Romo would make them all better.
Draft need: MEDIUM: In Bryant the Cowboys have one of the best receivers in the league. In Williams they could have a player motivated as he enters the final year of his deal. But they need to add speed and big-play ability here to help maximize Tony Romo.
The wide receiver scene: Treadwell, Doctson and Coleman are big-play wide receivers and can bring points to any offense. That’s something the Cowboys need but not at No. 4 overall. If the Cowboys move down in the first round, that would open up the options at receiver.
Treadwell visited Valley Ranch before the draft. The Cowboys hoped Doctson and Coleman would take part in their Dallas Day visits but their schedules did not allow for it. Doctson, if healthy, has a high upside. He has tremendous body control and can make difficult catches. He has two of the three 1,000-yard receiving seasons in TCU history.
Notre Dame’s Will Fuller was among the Cowboys’ visitors. He can run by defenders and make big plays. Does he have consistent hands?
Shepard is a crafty route runner and can make something out of nothing. The only knock on him would be his size at 5-foot-10. The Cowboys like bigger receivers outside to handle the physical play. A personal favorite was UCLA’s Jordan Payton, who showed at the Senior Bowl the ability to pluck the ball.
The best guess: Losing Bryant last year showed the Cowboys how thin they are at wide receiver. Williams did not make the jump they hoped. Neither did Street. Butler wasn’t much of a factor. How much of that had to do with the quarterback play? Still the Cowboys need to think of a receiver at some point and they can do that starting in the second round.
The series: