The first week of free agency is over and by all accounts it was very underwhelming. That will happen when most of the league's marquee free agents re-sign with their respective teams before the legal tampering period.
At least compared to last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys are actually off to an encouraging start in free agency. They haven't spent like a drunken sailor, but they've done a nice job plugging holes so they can (potentially) draft the best player available next month.
One hole they haven't filled, though, is wide receiver, specifically the WR2 role.
The Cowboys emerged as a late contender to win the Cooper Kupp sweepstakes after he was released by the Rams, but Kupp's asking price proved to be too extravagant. In the end, Kupp signed with the Seahawks for a whopping $15 million per year. It's a clear overpay given Kupp's age and recent injury history so Dallas was not wrong to pull out of the running.
They pivoted rather quickly by making their first WR signing of the offseason. The only problem, though, is that it's highly underwhelming.
Cowboys announce they've signed WR Parris Campbell to one-year deal
The Cowboys have signed vet WR Parris Campbell to a one-year deal.
A second-round pick by the Colts in 2019, Campbell is fresh off winning Super Bowl 59 with the Eagles. He appeared in five games for Philly last season, catching six passes for 30 yards and a touchdown filling a depth role behind A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson.
Campbell had a lot of hype coming out of Ohio State, but injuries derailed the start of his career and he's struggled to find a stable home ever since. He played a combined 15 games in his first three years in the league, but seemed to find his stride in 2022 when he caught 63 passes for 623 yards and three scores in the final year of his rookie deal.
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Campbell parlayed that into a one-year contract with the Giants. He was viewed as one of the best bargains that offseason but it did not translate on the field. He appeared in 12 games and finished with just 20 catches for 104 yards on 27 targets.
That means in Campbell's five other seasons sans 2022, he's caught 60 passes for 494 yards and three touchdowns.
This move shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a low-risk flier. Campbell will provide more competition in training camp, hopefully bringing out the best in Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy.
The Cowboys are essentially seeing if he has any juice left. He is the most experienced receiver on the roster, but he'll need to perform will in OTAs and camp to make the 53-man roster over the guys Dallas has invested draft capital in.