The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders struck a deal late Tuesday on a trade that will send wide receiver Brice Butler to Dallas. While the teams have not officially announced what draft picks were sent in exchange for Butler, NFL media Insider Ian Rapoport is reporting the Cowboys will send a conditional fifth-round and sixth-round pick to Oakland.
Butler is a 2013 seventh-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders. Coming out of San Diego State, Butler’s size and speed were intriguing to many teams. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound wideout was timed with a sub 4.4 40-yard dash. Since getting to Oakland, several media members covering the team have marveled at Butler’s performances on the practice field and in preseason games. However, the receiver has only 30 receptions for 383 yards and two touchdowns through two seasons. With so much promise, many have questioned why Butler has not been able to move up a less than stellar depth chart.
The Cowboys are looking to fill a void with the foot injury to All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant. The team has publicly stated that they expect a four to six week recovery time. Other media members and medical professionals have chimed in that they expect the recovery to be longer. Time will tell. In the meantime, the team has little proven depth at the wide receiver position behind Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley. Second-year pro Devin Street replaced Bryant at the “X” receiver spot. In the season opener Sunday, while Bryant was out, the Cowboys often went with two tight ends in their open set along with emerging running back Lance Dunbar. Dunbar led the team in receptions and yards against the New York Giants.
With the questions at receiver regarding depth and just how long Bryant will be out, the move to acquire a player with Butler’s size and speed seems like a worthwhile risk. A few reports have indicated that Butler’s lack of playing time in Oakland was mostly due to mental errors. If that is the case, one must wonder how quickly Butler can learn a new system and contribute in Bryant’s absence. A scouting report issued by DallasCowboys.com’s Bryan Broaddus noted Butler’s explosiveness, but in analyzing game tape, it was clear that the receiver lacked consistency at times in route running and blocking. The Cowboys hope to tap into that explosiveness.