Cowboys Could Sign Former First-Round WR in Free Agency Move

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Former Baltimore Ravens WR Laquon Treadwell is a free agency option for the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to several wide receivers recently, and they could turn to a former first-rounder for help. While Laquon Treadwell has not lived up to his draft billing in his career, he is in his athletic prime and looking for a new home.

The Cowboys brought in Zay Jones for a visit recently, but Jones chose to sign with the Arizona Cardinals instead. As they move forward, there aren’t a lot of quality options remaining in the market.

Treadwell is in that group, as the receiver has struggled to hit the field over the past two seasons. But in terms of adding potential reinforcements to the wide receiver group, the Cowboys would struggle to find a cheaper, low-risk option.

Treadwell has been playing on the NFL’s minimum salary or close to it for the past four seasons. In fact, his average salary since 2019 has been less than a $1 million per Spotrac.

Considering he is a former first-round talent, it may be worth adding Treadwell just to see what he’s got in the tank. Worst-case scenario, the Cowboys can still roll with their current WR group.

Laquon Treadwell’s NFL Journey

While at Ole Miss, Treadwell was an exciting talent. After two promising seasons with the Rebels in 2013 and 2014, he exploded for 1153 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015 and his draft stock skyrocketed.

The Minnesota Vikings came calling at the 23rd overall pick and had high hopes for Treadwell. But his rookie season was a complete flop, as Treadwell made 1 catch for 15 yards in 9 games according to Pro Football Reference.

Of course, the Vikings didn’t give up on Treadwell after just one season. But it didn’t get much better for either side, as Treadwell followed up his rookie campaign with a 200-yard campaign in 2017.

Over four seasons in Minnesota, Treadwell caught 65 passes for 701 yards and 2 touchdowns. They let him loose after 2019, and he initially tried to bounce back with the Atlanta Falcons. While that didn’t work, his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 showed what Treadwell can do.

In 12 games, Treadwell caught 33 passes for 434 yards and a touchdown. Those aren’t mind-blowing numbers, but they’re respectable. But Treadwell would leave Jacksonville after that season, and has struggled to get his footing with the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens in the two seasons since.

Cowboys Release Martavis Bryant

While Martavis Bryant never made a regular-season appearance for Dallas, his release on May 8 means the Cowboys potentially have space for a new veteran WR. Bryant was signed last November as Dallas prepared for their end-of-season push, but he is now on the move again just 6 months later.

But while he’s leaving DFW, the Cowboys may still see him twice next year. Bryant worked out for the Washington Commanders on May 15, although they haven’t signed him at the time of writing.

Bryant has not played in an NFL regular-season game since 2018, but worked in the CFL and XFL to attempt a comeback. Just getting back into the NFL has been impressive, but Bryant clearly wants to get back to a regular role with a team.

Evan Reier is a sports journalist covering the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com. He previously covered sports for the Montana Standard and was a managing editor for Outsider. More about Evan Reier