Simple question that cuts to the chase regarding a national-media proposal that “links” the Dallas Cowboys to a “need for a No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb” …

Is Curtis Samuel better than Brandin Cooks?

A year ago, Dallas worked a trade with the Houston Texans to acquire Brandin Cooks. The trade price and the salary were both cheap enough; Cooks is on the books for 2024 with one more year on his deal at $8 million in base salary.

What was his level of play in 2023? Some have characterized it as a “disappointment” as he ended up totaling 657 yards through the air with 54 catches and eight TDs.

We do not think Dallas views that as “disappointing,” especially when Cooks’ leadership and class are factored in.

So were does the speculation come from that Dallas needs an upgrade as CeeDee Lamb’s running mate, and more specifically, who thinks Curtis Samuel represents such an upgrade?

It’s Bleacher Report’s “NFL Scouting Department” that sees a potential fit for them in that regard in Samuel, who has spent the last three years with the Washingtоn Commanders.

This past season, he caught 62 passes for 613 yards and four touchdowns. … meaning he did less than Cooks did.

Would playing in Dallas with Dak Prescott and with Lamb bolster those numbers? Surely. But maybe we need a wider-angle lens on Samuel in Washingtоn, where “disappointment” is surely the word.

In 2022, he caught 64 balls with four TDs. Underwhelming.

In 2021, after getting the big money to move to Washingtоn, he couldn’t get on the field, with a series of injuries that his coaching staff found frustrating … as he played in just five games, started just one, and contributed six catches all year.

Six.

We’re not sure the Cowboys “need” that.

Can the Cowboys go “all in” to sign someone on a receiver-free-agency list led by Mike Evans who is substantially better than Cooks? Maybe not. Will they do so in a way that makes Cooks a cap casualty? That’s being speculated. Is it possible that Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks, two kids already on the roster here at The Star, can out-do someone like Curtis Samuel?

may be their best bet.