Jan 3, 2021; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Dallas Cowboys helmets. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports.
The Dallas Cowboys lost a handful of free agents this offseason, including WR Noah Brown, OG Connor McGovern, and TE Dalton Schultz. RB Ezekiel Elliott was also released and remains a free agent.
The club added RB Ronald Jones and OT Chuma Edoga as free agents and traded for CB Stephen Gilmore — and that’s about it for newcomers.
And if a workout goes well for the player and franchise, Dallas may soon add a former Vikings wide receiver — Laquon Treadwell.
ESPN’s Field Yates tweeted Friday, “The Cowboys worked out free agent WR Laquon Treadwell.”
Treadwell last played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, appearing in 6 games and grabbing 6 catches for 42 yards. If the 27-year-old signs in Dallas, it’ll be his seventh team in eight seasons. He also joined the Arizona Cardinals last October, but the relationship only lasted a couple of weeks.
With a verdict on the Cowboys audition afoot, this is Treadwell’s resume to date:
The Vikings drafted Treadwell in 2016 with the 23rd overall pick but did not receive a worthwhile return on investment. Minnesota repeatedly tried to adapt Treadwell to the passing game, but he didn’t catch on. Outwardly, he was a phenomenal teammate and an “intangibles player” while failing to stuff box scores with receptions and yards.
Minnesota opted for Treadwell in that draft seven years ago at a spot where it could’ve landed Xavien Howard, Derrick Henry, Michael Thomas, or Kenny Clark. But that type of revisionist history can be cited for nearly any pick in any draft. The Mike Zimmer-led Vikings vehemently clung to Treadwell, hoping he’d bust out to relevance. He played in 53 Vikings games in four years, tabulating just 701 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It was a rare 1st-Round miss for the Vikings at wide receiver, a franchise known for Mosses, Harvins, and Jeffersons.
Treadwell recorded a “career year” in 2021 with the Jaguars, though, accruing 33 catches for 434 yards on a bad Urban Meyer-led Jacksonville team. All told in his career, he’s produced 110 receptions for 1,126 yards and 5 touchdowns — in 76 games. Treadwell averages 16.1 receiving yards per game.
The Cowboys WR room consists of CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Simi Fehoko, Dennis Houston, Antonio Callaway, and Donatario Drummond as of April 1st, so a Treadwell addition would make it an even 10 bodies before the 2023 NFL Draft.
Dallas also employs former Vikings safety Jayron Kearse. Anthony Barr is a free agent but played for the Cowboys in 2022.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.