Do Cowboys really need Beckham? Maybe not

FRISCO, Texas – The flirting has been going connected for rather immoderate time. Whenever Dallas Cowboys proprietor and wide manager Jerry Jones is available, Odell Beckham Jr.’s sanction is brought up. Inside the locker room, players person been asked astir the free-agent receiver who is recovering from a torn near ACL sustained successful February.

Everybody asked has said the aforesaid thing: They privation Beckham to beryllium a Cowboy.

“Odell could assistance us,” Jones said connected Thanksgiving, letting everybody cognize helium talked with the receiver too.

Beckham is scheduled to conscionable with the Cowboys connected Monday, and Jones said the receiver’s incidental astatine Miami International Airport would not origin into the team’s determination to prosecute him. He met with the New York Giants Thursday and is scheduled to conscionable with the Buffalo Bills Friday.

Before a determination is made, however, a question:

Do the Cowboys truly need him? No, seriously.

In the 5 games since backmost Dak Prescott’s instrumentality from a fractured close thumb, the Cowboys’ discourtesy is ranked No. 1 successful the league successful violative points per crippled (32.4), points per thrust (three) and third-down percent (57.1%). They are 2nd successful reddish portion touchdown percent (84.2%). No backmost has a amended completion percent than Prescott’s 72.2%.

Prescott has connected with Beckham a mates of times.

“I’m assured successful the guys we have,” Prescott said. “As I’ve told you, it would assistance america having a feline similar that, but we’ve got immoderate large players successful that locker room. Some guys that are hungry. Guys that privation to marque plays. [Michael Gallup] is getting his feet backmost up underneath him. Noah Brown, who’s perpetually reminding maine of his matchup, what he’s got connected the different side. I’m assured successful the guys we person successful this locker room. Odell could decidedly assistance us, but for me, it’s astir focusing connected what I tin control.”

It has taken the discourtesy clip to get up to velocity this play successful portion due to the fact that of injuries.

Prescott wasn’t the lone regular to miss time. Gallup missed the archetypal 3 games arsenic the receiver continued rehab from a torn anterior cruciate ligament successful his near genu suffered past January. Running backmost Ezekiel Elliott missed 2 games with a hyperextended close knee. Tight extremity Dalton Schultz missed 2 games with a sprained posterior cruciate ligament successful his close knee. Left defender Connor McGovern missed 2 games with a precocious ankle sprain. Pro Bowl near tackle Tyron Smith has not played each play due to the fact that of a torn hamstring that required surgery, but helium is adjacent to returning.

“I deliberation surely continuity has a batch to bash with it,” violative coordinator Kellen Moore said. “Guys being capable to walk clip together, play together, signifier together. Hopefully we proceed hitting [and] the inclination enactment stays wherever it’s at.”

Gallup has started to look similar his erstwhile self. He had 5 catches for 63 yards against the Giants, which were play highs.

“Honestly it’s conscionable I consciousness similar I’m getting backmost to [being] 'MG',” Gallup said. “It took maine a small bit, but conscionable playing ball, discontinue reasoning astir everything. Quit reasoning astir my wounded and worldly similar that. Just playing ball.”

Lamb has 2 100-yard games successful his past 3 outings. His ascension to the No. 1 relation has had immoderate ups and downs, but helium is connected gait for 99 catches for 1,324 yards and 8 touchdowns successful 17 games. The past clip a Cowboys wide receiver had that galore catches and yards successful a play was Michael Irvin (111, 1,603) successful 1995 (before the NFL docket moved from 16 to 17 games).

“CeeDee is giving america much accumulation each week, each opportunity,” manager Mike McCarthy said. “We request to enactment focused there. He's delivering for us.”

So are the moving backs, beryllium it Elliott oregon Tony Pollard. So are the choky ends, known internally arsenic the Four Horsemen: Schultz, Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon.

The results person been noticeably different. Against the Chicago Bears successful Week 8, the Cowboys scored touchdowns connected their archetypal 4 possessions. Against the Minnesota Vikings successful Week 11, they scored connected their archetypal 7 possessions. Against the Giants past week, they scored connected their archetypal 3 possessions of the 2nd half, aft a dilatory start. And it would person been 4 consecutive if not for a uncommon missed tract extremity effort by Brett Maher. The Cowboys won each 3 of those games.

“I’m feeling beauteous bully astir wherever we are arsenic a team,” Pollard said. “The ceiling is beauteous precocious for america with guys getting back, getting the chemistry backmost going, getting their feet backmost nether them and conscionable getting the timing together."

Last season, the Cowboys were rolling offensively successful the archetypal six games. They led the league successful scoring (34.2 points), yards (460.8) and converted 46.6% of their third-down opportunities. Prescott had 2 400-yard passing games and 16 touchdown passes, but helium suffered a calf strain connected the game-winning touchdown walk to Lamb that forced him to miss a game.

Whether it was the calf oregon opposing defenses figuring retired the Dallas offense, things were not the aforesaid successful the last 11 games contempt immoderate stat-padding successful 50-point efforts against Washington and Philadelphia.

This year, the other appears to beryllium happening with the Cowboys, adjacent without a endowment similar Beckham.

"Momentum is specified a immense portion of this game, week successful and week out, play successful and play out. I deliberation the biggest happening is erstwhile you person a crippled similar we did successful Minnesota, you'd similar to seizure that and enactment it successful a vessel and each that stuff. That's not realistic,” McCarthy said.

“But those are affectional caput spaces that you request to enactment successful interaction with due to the fact that to truly turn you request those benignant of moments. I similar the mode our curve is going offensively. We're getting the shot ran, the touches to the moving backs are there, the completion percent the past 3 weeks, that's the mode you privation to play.”