Cowboys BREAKING: Michael Gallup Signing 5-Year, $62.5 Million Contract - NFL Free Agency
FRISCO - Amari Cooper is out.
Michael Gallup is in.
The Dallas Cowboys spent the weekend making difficult decisions regarding whether to keep receiver Amari Cooper and his $20 million salary, and on Saturday said goodbye with a salary-dump trade to Cleveland.
At the same time, they were in the midst of negotiations as a way to keep receiver Michael Gallup, with one team source telling CowboysSI.com a week ago that the two sides are "closing in'' on an agreement.
And now it's done, a reported five-year agreement worth $62.5 million, with $27 million in guarantees.
So Cooper is in Cleveland. The Cowboys have two other receivers who they would also like to retain in Cedrick Wilson and Malik Turner as they try to supplement the work of CeeDee Lamb, who is under contract and figures as Dallas' new No. 1 wideout. (And simply must be, as we write here.)
Will the Cowboys receiving corps be as good without Cooper as it was with him? That seems unlikely - one of the reasons this is all a difficult juggling act.
And there is another issue.
There is a lingering problem with Gallup regarding his availability.
At one point, he was expected to command more than $13 million APY on a new contract via the free agent market. But that was before he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in a Jan. 2 game against the Cardinals. He had surgery on Feb. 10, and the rehab can conventionally take more than eight months, so Gallup's return for the start of the season is in doubt.
The Cowboys are obviously feeling good about the rehab, given this deal. And now Michael Gallup will get to work on rehab, and then on earning it.
