3 Instant Reactions to Cowboys Signing T.Y. Hilton Amid Odell Beckham Jr. Rumors

On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys reportedly signed veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

With the Cowboys in the hunt for veteran free agent Odell Beckham Jr., Hilton's signing naturally came as a bit of a surprise. So what does it all mean?

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The Cowboys Signing Beckham Feels Less Likely Now

Dallas adding a veteran wide receiver is going to lead to natural speculation that the team is moving on from Beckham:

It's hard to ignore the timing of Hilton's signing, as he's a player the Cowboys easily could have added earlier in the season.

On Sunday, Rapoport wrote that Beckham visited with the Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants last week and "all parties are currently in a holding pattern while Beckham is at home considering his options."

Rapoport added: "The teams involved are moving forward with what they currently have, knowing that if Beckham came on board, he wouldn't help on the field for at least another month."

Hilton addresses a need for depth at wideout in Dallas. But...

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His Signing Doesn't Outright End the Beckham Pursuit

At least according to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson:

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also said Sunday the team wasn't pulling out of the Beckham sweepstakes.

"Not at all," he told reporters. "Put a big exclamation on that. That's all I got on that."

Beckham is 30; Hilton is 33. Beckham made a tangible and positive impact for the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason last year (21 catches for 288 yards and two scores); Hilton looked well past his prime last season (23 catches for 331 yards and three scores in 10 games for the Indianapolis Colts).

The point, quite simply, is that Beckham is much better than Hilton at this point in their respective careers. Hilton offers the Cowboys some help now, but Beckham would still be the better addition.

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The Beckham Saga Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon

Beckham's future has been one of the bigger off-field stories in recent weeks, and Hilton's signing added another layer of intrigue to the situation.

Had the Cowboys signed Beckham instead Monday, well, poof. Story over. But if the Cowboys were the presumed favorites before the Hilton signing, the door appears to be wide-open for other teams now.

Perhaps Beckham will end up a Cowboy in the end. But for now, this story—and all of the reports and buzz that naturally follow—has not yet reached its conclusion.