Soon returning Cowboys WR will have Brandin Cooks-level of impact
Sitting at 6-2 and second in the NFL’s NFC East (above the Giants because of the head-to-head win and tiebreaker though they have the same records) the Dallas Cowboys are in a prime position to make a run through the remainder of the season.
With the division’s, the conference’s, and arguably, the entire NFL’s best, sitting just ahead of them in the NFC East in the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys should not only have all the motivation and opportunity for preparation that they need, but they should have all the faith that they too can get it done.
Besides, it’s worth pointing out that even without Dak Prescott, the Cowboys were still able to give the Eagles a pretty good run for their money in their last matchup. But, there are no moral victories here and Dallas must continue to improve, which they were and are looking to do.
In hopes of improving like all the other top teams, the Cowboys tried to get in on the action before the NFL Trade Deadline.
One of the biggest stories from last week was that the Cowboys were in talks to secure the Houston Texans’ speedy wideout in Brandin Cooks. However, his $18 million cap hit for 2023 was something the Cowboys just weren’t willing to take responsibility for with several big players hitting free agency this offseason.
The Cowboys and Texans were discussing a deal to send WR Brandin Cooks to Dallas, per sources. And the sides were in the neighborhood on comp. Cooks’ $18 million guarantee for 2023 was the dealbreaker here.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 1, 2022
The Cowboys may have missed at the trade deadline, but they do have a “new WR” coming who plays like Brandin Cooks
Nonetheless and while the Cowboys could possibly still stand to add to their wide receiver room, they do have a new addition headed to the roster soon.
Plus, ironically enough, this addition happens to be one that shares a lot of the same physical and athletic gifts as Cooks.
When you think about James Washington as a player (a guy that hasn’t played a snap after a foot injury in August sidelined him for the Cowboys), he and Cooks are two of those smaller, yet quicker and shiftier wideouts. They have similarities with different approaches.
No James Washington IR return for Cowboys yet, per Mike McCarthy. "We're going to probably hold off on James (Washington) for at least another week." But also "James is very, very close to being ready."
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) November 9, 2022
Cooks is still more of a vertical threat who does his work before the throw than Washington is. Washington is better suited to be a guy on screens, quick hits, or getting him in space for opportunities with the ball that allow him to do his thing and accumulate yards after the catch.
He’s a YAC guy. Though they both are capable of a bit of both, to be completely fair and honest, those are what they are best suited for in the grand scheme of an offensive attack.
That also could serve to help understand why even with his imminent return, the Cowboys still sought out a guy of Cooks’ ilk. But that doesn’t negate the fact that Washington is set to return and even though they didn’t get a new addition in one of the more traditional manners (such as a deadline day deal), the Cowboys do, indeed, have a new addition of sorts coming in Washington.
There is still hope that the team brings in OBJ, but for now, fans can feel relief in the fact that Washington’s eventual return will help this WR room in a very similar way that Cooks would have.
