The Facts: On Jan. 2, Gallup tore his left ACL when jumping to catch a 21-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. The 2018 third-round pick did not undergo surgery until Feb. 10. It is common for someone to wait weeks after an ACL tear before undergoing reconstructive knee surgery. Gallup landed on the longer side to improve his range of motion, paving an easier rehabilitation road in the months to come. Gallup will be unavailable to practice during spring workouts. He could miss all of training camp, too, while on the Physically Unable to Perform list. There is no guarantee he will be ready for the start of the season.

Diehards Line: None of that helps Gallup as he heads for the open market as an unrestricted free agent. In the past, Gallup has expressed his desire to stay in Dallas, and the belief is that preference has not changed. Beyond simply enjoying his time with the Cowboys organization and quarterback Dak Prescott, his familiarity with the offense and medical staff is invaluable when working back into form. Keeping Gallup would be far cheaper than retaining Amari Cooper, helping the Cowboys’ efforts to re-sign other impending free agents. Those include defensive end Randy Gregory, tight end Dalton Schultz and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson.