3 significant questions for the Cowboys at wide receiver
2. Will Michael Gallup rediscover 2019 form?
Gallup was a major disappointment in 2022. It was likely expected given his ACL injury, but he really wasn't a factor at all in the passing game. He averaged just 1.3 yards of separation last year -- 96th in the entire NFL.
The 27-year-old wideout had just 39 catches for 424 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. Gallup acknowledged after the season that he was thinking about his knee all season, which he said held him back in 2022.
But Gallup expects to be pain-free in 2023 and is in a good spot heading into the season.
Cowboys WR Michael Gallup said he’s “very confident” this year he’ll be the player he was before his knee injury. “It just feels different. I’m smiling every time I walk in that facility.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 17, 2023
There was a loss of confidence last year. “I was thinking too much, my knee was sore.”
Gallup's best year came in 2019 when the wideout put together his first -- and only -- 1,000-yard season. He had 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns on an impressive 16.7 yards per catch. All four numbers remain career-highs for him.
That's the type of potential Gallup brings to Dallas' offense. That's also why the team signed him to five year, $57.5 million contract in 2022. The Cowboys know what he can bring to the table when fully healthy.
But the Cowboys need to see more out of him moving forward.
He had just one game over 50 receiving yards and five catches last season, both coming in the same game on Thanksgiving in Week 12. In 2021, Gallup also didn't do much on offense, missing eight games with a calf strain and an ACL injury.
So, which version of Gallup will we see in 2023?
The reports out of minicamp have been encouraging for Gallup. The wideout and team are confident that a big year is in store. But if the former Colorado State product puts together another 2022 campaign, it would be a massive letdown.