The Dallas Cowboys are expected to be connected to several players available in trades or free agency. However, Dallas will likely follow the same strategy that they had before, shoring up their roster through the draft and with additions late in the offseason. The Cowboys have yet to make a move, giving signals that they will wait for the dust to settle before striking deals.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson will be available when the free agency period begins on March 14. According to Ryan Ratty of SB Nation’s Blogging The Boys , the Cowboys should place Richardson on their radar if they are planning to make moves late in free agency.
Richardson is coming off the best season of his career. He managed to play in all 16 games for the first time in his career, tallying 703 receiving yards on 44 catches with six touchdowns. The 25-year-old is expected to command at least $8 million per year when the free agency period kicks off.
But while he played in all 16 games last season, teams might hesitate to offer a hefty deal because of his injury history. If that happens, the Cowboys will have a strong chance to nab the former Colorado standout. If he is still unsigned three weeks into free agency, Ratty said the Cowboys should offer a two-year, $12 million contract.
If Richardson decides to move to Dallas, the Cowboys will have a chance to address another position need in the draft. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott will also benefit from the signing because of Richardson’s versatility in offense. He will also be some sort of an insurance policy because Dallas might cut veteran wide receiver Dez Bryant this summer.
However, the Cowboys need to get lucky if they decide to wait two or three weeks in free agency. Some analysts believe that Richardson had a breakout year last season. He is also not closing his door for a return to the Seahawks, but he told Brock Huard of ESPN Seattle that there might be “ real interest ” in him on the market.
“I’m getting phone calls from my friends in the radio business in other markets,” Richardson said. “And that leads me to believe that there is some real interest in other places.”
It was also pointed out that teams might be more than willing to take a gamble on him despite his injury history. Huard said that wide receivers who left Seattle in recent years had a lot of success in their new teams like Jermaine Kearse of the New York Jets and Golden Tate of the Detroit Lions.
