The Dallas Cowboys got what they could out of wide receiver Michael Gallup in 2022. Yes, there were flashes, but nothing Gallup put forth consistently was a reminder of what he was pre-injury.

That's simply because Gallup wasn't fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 17 of the 2021 season. Gallup admitted that his knee was sore at season's end and that uncertainty had to have played a role in his performance.

Gallup is getting a full off-season program this time around, and the difference is he's healthy. So, the Cowboys need to take advantage of having him available.

When Cowboys' head coach Mike McCarthy took the podium before the team held OTA practice on Thursday, he revealed how they plan to make that happen. 

"Just conversations we've had, particularly with Brian Schottenheimer, giving him some more opportunities inside, expanding his responsibility in checklists," McCarthy said. "He's been pretty much an exclusive, you know, an X receiver here but we feel like he can do more."

This makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys offense. 

The Cowboys shocked everyone when they traded for veteran receiver Brandin Cooks. With Gallup back healthy, Dallas has multiple threats on the outside which will allow CeeDee Lamb to play more in the slot which he spent 62.5% of his snaps last season in a career year and 93.2% in 2020 when he led all rookies with 69 receptions for 877 yards in the slot which were the most for a first-year receiver since 2006.

Lamb had his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2021 playing alongside Gallup and Amari Cooper. However, he logged 56.4% of his snaps on the outside with Gallup missing eight games with a calf strain and Cedrick Wilson handling slot responsibilities. 

With Lamb's ability to produce on the outside, and Cooks being able to stretch defenses vertically with his speed, that sets up Gallup nicely to work against a lot of one-on-one chances in the slot. Gallup is a beast at high-pointing the ball and making contested catches and that's a critical skill to have when playing across the middle where linebackers and safeties roam.

The Cowboys have an embarrassment of riches at receiver, and getting Gallup in the slot more is a good way to maximize the return on their investment.