Dallas Cowboys: Teammate praises rookie receiver Michael Gallup

Following the forced exodus of Dez Bryant, the Dallas Cowboys need someone to step up within their wide receiver corps. Could a rookie be the answer?

Although many in the NFL seems to regard the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver corps as potentially one of the worst in the league this year, it is undeniably stocked with talent. Much of the negative press surrounding this unit nationally comes from the release of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys top wide receiver for several years.

Combined with the sudden retirement of future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten in early May, many seem to believe the Cowboys passing game will be near unrecognizable come the regular season.

In fact, even Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan recently confessed the team has no real idea just what they have at receiver yet. What they do have is an abundance of talent. On top of veterans like Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley, Dallas still has up-and-coming prospects like Noah Brown and Lance Lenoir.

This offseason, the Cowboys front office also added talented free agents Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson, plus veteran Tavon Austin via a trade to the mix. But the biggest addition to the wide receiver corps might be third-round selection Michael Gallup. Entering into his first training camp, Gallup is the biggest wildcard of the bunch.

With veterans like Hurns, Williams, and Beasley likely ahead of the rookie on the current depth chart, some believe the 22-year old Gallup has the talent to leapfrog them all this summer.

According to a report by NFL.com’s Herbie Teope, Hurns had nothing but glowing things to say about the Cowboys talented rookie receiver.

"“I’ve been very impressed. Since [Gallup’s] come in, he’s been making plays non-stop. I know he’s not like a 6-5 guy, but he plays like it. He’s a guy who goes up and gets the ball. He plays aggressive. He’s going to help this offense out a lot with his aggressive style.”"

During his two seasons at Colorado State, Gallup recorded an incredible 176 receptions for 2,685 yards and 21 touchdowns. One of the rookie’s top attributes through OTA’s has been his ability to gain separation from defenders. It is a trait that was severely lacking from this unit last season.

The bottom line is that this wide receiver corps in Dallas needs someone to take the reins following the exodus of two of their best players. The Cowboys certainly hope a receiver steps up in the next couple of months to assume that role. And I’m not sure many would be surprised if that player was Michael Gallup.