Dallas Cowboys: A sleeper at wide receiver to watch
With the Dallas Cowboys receiver corps in flux, could this veteran wideout be a sleeper to sneak onto the active roster and have a big impact this season?
This offseason, the Dallas Cowboys signed a 29-year old veteran free agent who is a Super Bowl champion, a BCS national champion and someone who reportedly ran a blazing 4.23 forty during his pro day back in college. Yet, this player is not a lock to even make the Cowboys active roster come the regular season.
The veteran in question is wide receiver Deonte Thompson. The undrafted wideout out of Florida signed a one-year, $2.5 million with the Cowboys back in March. In fact, the ink was barely dry on his contract when Dallas signed fellow free agent receiver Allen Hurns the very next day.
Thompson spent the majority of his first three seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, earning himself a Super Bowl ring during his rookie year. Primarily a special teams returner, he would only record a total of 15 receptions for 147 yards during his time with the Ravens.
The speedster would go on to spend three seasons with the Chicago Bears, slowly developing as a route-runner and receiver. But last year, with the Buffalo Bills, Thompson would post the best numbers of his career recording 38 catches for 555 yards and two touchdowns.
Coming to Dallas on a one-year deal this offseason, Thompson has a chance to win a significant role in Dallas. With Dez Bryant no longer on the roster, Terrance Williams still recovering from a foot injury and an offseason arrest combined with Cole Beasley coming off a down season; the Cowboys depth chart order is now up in the air.
It’s the perfect time for someone like Deonte to earn himself a spot on the active roster. In a recent DallasCowboys.com mailbag, football analyst Bryan Broaddus mentioned Thompson as a potential sleeper for Cowboys fans to watch during training camp.
"“A sneaky guy to keep an eye on for me is Deonte Thompson. There is something about his route running ability alone, along with that ability to finish plays, that gives me a little hope they might have found one.”"
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The Dallas Cowboys need a wide receiver or two to step up this summer and earn significant roles within this positional unit. Coming off a career season, Deonte Thompson is in perfect position to do just that. He is a sleeper player all Cowboy fans should keep a close eye on throughout training camp and the preseason.