With all the speculation and uncertainty surrounding the Cowboys' future at wideout, could the answer be in the draft?
FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys COO Stephen Jones was non-committal when speaking of the Cowboys' potential salary cap issue surrounding Amari Cooper this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, "It’s too early for me to address that yet,'' Jones said of what the team might do with Cooper's contract. "We’re continuing to have conversations. A lot of things affect that in terms of ... we’ve obviously been so fortunate to have those three great receivers on our roster, and obviously that’s hard to keep doing under a salary cap.''
The problem isn't with Cooper himself, although there was a slight drop in his performance in 2021, the issue lies within his contract.
Olave, Cooper
Olave, Cooper
Cooper, is owed $20 million in 2022 - a number that is fully guaranteed if things are unchanged on March 21 but that has an escape hatch, as the Cowboys could cut or trade him before March 21 and save $16 million under the cap.
A trade or cutting of Cooper would need to be followed up with replacing him.
If Dallas is looking to the draft, there's one possible solution at wide receiver in Chris Olave, the No. 2 Ohio State wideout. He's played well for the Buckeyes with 175 catches for 2,702 yards and 35 touchdowns.
He's projected to be a strong No. 2 in the NFL who could have the talent to develop into a No. 1.
Olave has proven to be a consistent deep threat for a list of Ohio State quarterbacks, leaving Columbus with a career 15.4 yards per catch average. At 6-0 and 190, Olave is on the small side but is a great route runner who has been able to create separation on the college level. He's a burner.
As the Cowboys contemplate their future at wide receiver, Olave will most certainly be available to them at No. 24 if that's the route they decide to go. The three-headed wide receiver monster has worked well for Dallas the last couple of seasons, now it's time to see if that can continue with a different set of players.