Are Cowboys In Trouble At Wide Receiver ?

Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys released wide receiver Terry Glenn, who they had been counting on to return this season as their number two receiver. Glenn was a great wide receiver, but had missed most of last year because of a knee injury.

The Cowboys wanted him to agree to only a $500,000 paycheck if he was unable to play again because of the knee. Glenn wanted his entire paycheck, whether he was able to play or not. In the end, Jerry Jones decided not to take the chance and released him.

Now many in the media are worried that the Cowboys may not have enough depth at wide receiver, and this might keep them from going as far as they could otherwise. Some are even using words like "desperation". Personally, I think that's going a bit overboard at this point.

It's pretty obvious who the number one receiver for the Cowboys is -- Terrell Owens (pictured above). He's just signed a new contract and is still one of the best wide receivers in the league (if not the best). The number two receiver is Patrick Crayton. He performed well in that capacity last year and there's no reason to believe he won't do as well or better this year.

It's the number three and four receiver spots that is worrying most people. The Cowboys run quite a few plays requiring three wide receivers, and that makes these two spots very important.

There are three returning players that could well fill these slots -- Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback. All are pretty talented and now that they have a little experience, they might be ready to step in and contribute some valuable minutes. I hope so, because with Glenn gone, as least two of them must be productive.

But even if all of them perform as expected, that only makes five receivers, and the Cowboys will probably keep at least six receivers. Right now the two most likely prospects for the sixth slot are rookies Mike Jefferson and Danny Amendola. I'm partial to Amendola.

If you were lucky enough to see some Texas Tech games, then you know what an extraordinary player he is. He may not be the biggest or the fastest receiver, but he's a real "player". He catches everything thrown his way, and when it comes down to clutch-time, there's nobody better to depend on. He reminds me a bit of a past Cowboy with a knack for making third-down plays -- Preston Pearson.

Training camp has only just started, but I believe Amendola has a really good chance of making this team. And if the other receivers don't watch out, he may wind up as the fourth or fifth receiver in his rookie year.

The Cowboys still might trade for a receiver, but I personally don't think it's necessary. I like the crop of receivers they have.