3 WR Cowboys should not sign to replace Michael Gallup

The Dallas Cowboys are about to be hit hard in free agency, thanks to a lot of players becoming free agents and not a lot of cap space with which to retain them. One of those players is wide receiver Michael Gallup. Gallup is one of 2022’s top free agents, but there are a lot of other amazing receivers on the list as well.

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones has already said that he hopes Gallup is in Dallas next year despite his season-ending ACL injury. But can the Cowboys afford to keep the acrobatic player?

According to Spotrac, the Cowboys have the third-worst amount of cap space in the entire NFL. They are currently projected to be $11.4 million over the cap. As teams do every season, Dallas will position themselves to be under by the time it’s time to make moves. But it isn’t looking great at the moment.

So, who should the Cowboys sign if they can’t keep Gallup? We hope they keep him, despite the injury. But if they don’t, here are three players they should not sign in his absence.

3 wide receivers Cowboys should not sign to replace Michael Gallup

3. Antonio Brown, (Formerly) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As much as we would like to think that teams around the NFL will avoid signing Antonio Brown, he is still technically a free agent with skill. But, if you ask me, you have to have better than Tom Brady-like skills to outweigh the amount of drama, scandal, and illegal conduct.

It is also extremely important to mention that many people (including Brady) have speculated about the cause of Brown’s recent behavior; Brady bluntly said this week that friends should “do what they can to help [Brown] in the ways he really needs it.” You’d hope teams would want Brown to prioritize his mental and physical health before returning to the game.

Let’s put the mid-game exit drama aside and talk facts. At his peak, Brown was one of the best receivers in the game. But now, he’s 33 years old. So, if anything, the Cowboys would likely only do a one-year contract, which doesn’t help them in the long haul.

Brown claims to be hurt. He is apparently about to have ankle surgery. It’s unknown if that is the same ankle that is part of the reason Brown didn’t see the field in Weeks 6-16. Brown, of course, also missed games on a three-game suspension for faking a vaccination card.

And then, of course, there are the outstanding allegations of sexual assault that led to Brown’s ouster from Oakland and New England.

All in all, it just doesn’t seem wise to take a gamble on a guy who seems to have injury issues and, for a plethora of reasons, hasn’t seen much of the turf this year.