Cowboys add veteran to mix replacing Dez
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys’ receiver-by-committee approach to replace the departed Dez Bryant added another member Saturday when the team traded a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams for receiver Tavon Austin.
Austin joins third-round pick Michael Gallup as the new receivers added during the draft.
The Cowboys added Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson in free agency to go with holdovers Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Ryan Switzer and Brian Brown.
This was after the Cowboys tried to sign Sammy Watkins early in free agency, well before they made the final decision to move on from Bryant.
Owner Jerry Jones alluded to another possible move at receiver Friday night.
“We have been evolving in the offseason, and that’s when you want to do that rather than during the season, to be trite,” Jones said. “We’ve had the luxury, and have had the time, and it’s pretty well known that we had a little interest in one of the free-agent receivers very early in free agency. So if you look at your timelines, and look what’s documented with what you have, you’ll see that we’ve been just kind of letting this thing evolve and play out.
“I’m not so sure it’s over with yet in terms of what our options are to put the best receiver corps on the field for us when we open up opening day. So I don’t want to sit here and preclude or close any door of adding any way to help our receiver corps or help our offense.”
The 5-8, 180-pound Austin brings much needed speed to the Cowboys’ attack, but he has been an enigma so far in the NFL after being selected eighth overall out of West Virginia in 2013. He was supposed to be an X-factor in the Rams offense, but never found a consistent role.
He had just 13 catches for 47 yards and 59 rushes for 270 yards in 2017. He has a total of 1,689 yards on 194 catches over five NFL seasons.
It’s a one-year make-good situation for Austin and the Cowboys.
The investment for the Cowboys is minimal. Austin had his contract reduced to one year in March when the Rams paid him a $4 million roster bonus.
The Cowboys are only responsible for a $1 million base salary that includes up to $3 million in incentives.
He most likely will serve as receiver/running back for the Cowboys as they try to get his speed in space out of the backfield and on jet sweeps as a change of pace to the power running of Ezekiel Elliott.
Also Saturday, the Cowboys drafted a tight end with Jason Witten on the verge of retirement after 15 seasons.
The Cowboys took Dalton Schultz of Stanford with the 137th overall pick in the fourth round. The compensatory choice was their second of the fourth round. Dallas selected former Kansas defensive end Dorance Armstrong with the 116th pick.
ESPN reported Friday that Witten is planning to retire and join the network’s Monday Night Football crew as lead analyst. Jones said Witten was taking the weekend to consider his future and hadn’t made a decision.
Witten is the franchise leader in games, catches and yards receiving.
He and Tony Gonzalez are the only NFL tight ends with at least 1,000 catches and 10,000 yards.
Schultz had 22 catches for 212 yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns as a senior. Armstrong had 10 sacks as a junior at Kansas in 2016.