3 reasons re-signing Michael Gallup was a good move by the Cowboys

Why Michael Gallup’s contract was a smart move by the Cowboys:  The Potential

Gallup already produced at a high enough level to earn a contract extension. The exciting thing is that he still has room to grow simply based on how much more opportunities he will get with Cooper gone.

If the 26-year-old can live up to his potential, the Cowboys will have secured him at a discount compared to his top-end production projects could be based on the share of potential targets. For reference, the guy had a 1,100-yard season in 2019 across 14 games and just 12 starts, a near 1,000-yard season the following year, and looked to be on his way to breaking that barrier again last season before the injury.

Again, this all happened while not being a top option for the Cowboys. This last reason is the best of all, though.

Let’s say that everything else discussed here is bologna come the start of the season. Let’s say we’ve seen the best of Gallup, he can never return to top form, or he just can’t excel as a top option, needing the cover of being secondary to stand out.

That’s totally fine and here’s why. His deal is front-loaded. All of the guarantees happen between this season and next season.

The Cowboys can come from up under the deal almost penalty-free if they choose after next year. It’s an ideal situation.

So, this was a smart move by the Cowboys because they secured a guy that’s been really good for them so far on minimal opportunity. They did so at a rate that doesn’t kill them now, nor in the future if he plays to the peak of his ability. If he does, which the belief should be that he will once healthy, his salary might end up being a bargain based on his output. And to top it all off, if none of that happens, they paid a standard going rate for a top receiver just to find out.

It’s the perfect scenario. Everyone is taken care of and nobody is burdened with more than they can handle if things don’t go right. Gallup got life-changing money, the Cowboys got a guy that, at worst, is 75% as good as Amari Cooper, and all for about half of the price that they were paying him.

I guess a broken clock is right, at least, twice a day.