Dallas Cowboys signing WR Parris Campbell in free agency will put multiple young players in a tough spot ahead of 2025 NFL season

The Dallas Cowboys have made their 10th outside addition in free agency, including trades. On Saturday, they signed veteran wide receiver Parris Campbell to a one-year deal, the team announced. 

Campbell, a second-round pick back in 2019, hasn't had the production expected of him coming out of Ohio State. However, plenty of that has to do with injury. It took Campbell four years to finally play a complete season in 2022 when he caught 63 passes for 623 receiving yards and three touchdowns. 

Campbell will begin the 2025 season with 28 years of age and will provide the Cowboys with much-needed depth. 

Behind CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys' wide receiver position is a huge question mark. Brandin Cooks remains a free agent and Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks Jonathan Mingo, and Ryan Flournoy have all yet to prove themselves. 

Campbell's arrival is unlikely to shake up the top of the depth chart but he will make things interesting at the bottom of it come roster battle season. If he stays healthy, he has the pedigree to force the coaching staff (with a new regime and receivers coach, too) to put him above other young players such as Brooks, Flournoy, and even Mingo whose roster spots are far from guaranteed.

With only 53 spots to work with, the Cowboys will be likely having quite the training camp war among their backup receiver core.

Parris Campbell's time with the Colts was one of the most unfortunate tenures in recent memory. The team had high hopes for the former Ohio State WR to become a gadget weapon that would elevate their pass game to a new level.

He had some fun moments and flashes the talent the team saw in him that led him to be drafted in the second round over multiple WRs who went on to have fantastic NFL careers. But he was never able to find any rhythm as a pro due to multiple injuries derailing him from sustaining any real momentum which happens to a lot of players but usually there's some medical ref flags to warn teams. That wasn't the case with Campbell who had a pretty clean bill of health coming out of Ohio State.

His luck changed in the NFL and caused a once promising player to now be signing with his third team in three years. He's only surpassed 200 yards once in his career which came in 2022 when he played in all of the teams 17 games. I don't think Cowboys fans should look at this move as much more than training camp competition. But I think I speak for everyone in Indianapolis when I say I'm rooting for the guy and hoping he can finally put his bad injury luck behind him and become a contributor somewhere in the league.

With the above in mind, wide receiver is still near the top of the Cowboys' top team needs. Lamb could use the relief of a strong No. 2 option for Dak Prescott. Right now, big names are still available in free agency including Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper. Alternatively, Dallas could use its 12th overall pick on a pass catcher depending on what the board looks like when they go on the clock.