Guess Who?!

By Tommy Harvey

You see it all the time.  Somebody throws up stats for Player A vs Player B and expects for you to choose based on that information.  Well, guess what???  I’m going to do the same thing here, but with a more in-depth look at Players A and B and why you should target one of those players over the other.  Let’s Go!

Player A:

26 years old, 6’1” 210lbs

16 games, 119 targets (7.43 per game), 79 receptions (4.94 per game), 66% catch percentage, 5 drops, 4.2 % drop rate, 1,189 yards (74.31 per game), and 8 TDs

Player A was very much a boom or bust type of player in 2019.  He had 4 games with double digit targets, but he also had 3 games with only 2 targets...to be fair, he was injured in one of those games and only played in 4% of the offensive snaps.  He eclipsed the 100 yard mark 4 times, one of those games going over the 200 yard plateau.  On the flipside, he had 6 games of under 50 yards receiving.

Player B:

24 years old, 6’1” 198lbs

14 games, 113 targets (8.07 per game), 66 receptions (4.71 per game), 58.4% catch percentage, 11 drops, 9.7% drop rate, 1,107 yards (79.07 per game), and 6 TDs

Player B, while similar to Player A, provided slightly more consistent play.  He had 5 games with double digit targets, with a low mark of 3 targets only once.  Reaching the 100 yard mark 4 times, he also had 2 games of 98 yards.  Player B had 4 games of under 50 yards receiving.  

The Nuts and Bolts:

Did I mention both of these players play for the same team?  

In case you haven’t guessed who Players A and B are…

   Player A: Amari Cooper                                Player B: Michael Gallup

Both Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup went for over 100 yards in week 1 against the New York Giants.  While nearly identical, Gallup was seemingly slightly more productive.  Cooper had a tendency to disappear in games where he wasn’t involved in early on.  Even in the 2 weeks Gallup was out with a knee injury, Cooper only saw 15 total targets, catching 11 balls for 132 yards.

Dallas signed Cooper to a 5 year, $100 million contract with $40 million guaranteed.  If he is on the team on the 5th day of the league calendar in 2022, Cooper will be owed another $20 million.  With CeeDee Lamb being drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, one has to wonder if Cooper will be around after the 2021 season.  

Michael Gallup will be a free agent after the 2021 season.  With him being 2 years the junior of Cooper, will he get the next big WR contract for the Cowboys, forcing the organization to move Cooper?  I personally think Gallup and Lamb are the future in Dallas.