The Dallas Cowboys added another wide receiver on Sunday with a trade for veteran Brandin Cooks.
The deal with the Houston Texans gives the Cowboys a big-play receiver to line up opposite CeeDee Lamb and adds depth as Michael Gallup is a strong No. 3.
But the move also takes the Cowboys out of the running for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., according to ESPN’s Ed Werder.
While the Texans are still picking up $6 million of Cooks’ $18 million salary for 2023, it would be hard for the Cowboys to fit both Cooks and Beckham on the roster.
While Beckham has refuted that he’s asked for $20 million guaranteed, he does want four years and does not seem happy with the offers he has received after not playing last season.
Beckham has long been linked to the Cowboys, who met with Beckham and contemplated signing him during the 2022 season for a playoff run but balked, as did other teams, over concerns about his recovery from ACL surgery — the second of his career.
Prior to the Cooks trade, theScore’s Jordan Schultz reported that the Chiefs, Ravens, Cowboys and Jets were the teams that seemed most interested in Beckham.
Aaron Rodgers, who expressed his desire to play for the Jets last week, also reportedly gave Beckham’s name to New York on a list of receivers he would want them to pursue in free agency.
Beckham also hinted at a desire to return to the New York Giants, tweeting at Saquon Barkley to tell Joe [Scheon] to call his agent. Of course, Barkley needs Schoen to handle his extension first after the Giants placed him on the franchise tag.
The Chiefs would be an intriguing option for Beckham, who would team up with Patrick Mahomes and find himself in one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
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Meanwhile, the Ravens have some uncertainty at the quarterback position after placing Lamar Jackson on the non-exclusive franchise tag, meaning other teams can negotiate with him and sign him at a cost of two first-round draft picks.
Where Beckham ultimately lands is anyone’s guess, but the Cowboys seemingly are now out of the OBJ sweepstakes.
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