Laurent Robinson: Will Dallas Cowboys Free Agent WR Stay or Will He Go?

How's this for some "general management"?

In 2006, Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones signed Terrell Owens to a three-year contract worth $25 million dollars.

In 2008, Jones signed Roy Williams to a six-year contract worth $54 million and also gave up a first-round pick.

In 2010, Jones signed Miles Austin to a six-year contract for $57 million.

Also in 2010, Jones drafted and signed Dez Bryant for five years and $11.8 million.

Only Austin and Bryant remain on the roster as of now.

Yet in September 2011, a journeyman wide receiver named Laurent Robinson shows up for Dallas training camp, hurts a hamstring and is then resigned a week later due to injuries on the Dallas roster.

With no experience whatsoever catching passes from quarterback Tony Romo, the fifth-year receiver leads the team in touchdowns?

Yes.

Problem is this—Robinson signed a one-year contract and chose this year to make a name for himself. This means he'll hit the open market as the Cowboys' leading touchdown scorer and likely leave as a free agent for more money elsewhere.

Or will he?

The Cowboys would be wise to find a way to keep Robinson for a few reasons.

First off, Robinson showed a very unusual comfort zone with Romo with no offseason or training camp and fit into the equation right away. Granted, he needed a few weeks to start really making an impact, but the fact is that he did.

Can we really say that about any other receiver Jones has spent big-time dollars on in recent years? 

Not really.

There's no doubt that Jones got his money's worth out of Owens, who was nearing the end of his career and was starting to show the signs of locker-room issues that he was famous for in San Francisco and Philadelphia. In other words, Jones got out at the right time, and nothing Owens did after leaving Dallas suggests otherwise.

But the Williams trade is rivaled only by the Joey Galloway trade in 2000 as the worst trade in franchise history.

The Austin contract came a bit premature, in my opinion, seeing as how he just didn't show enough prior to the big raise to justify that kind of commitment. Austin is, at best, a good receiver but far from a great one. He drops too many passes if and when he's even on the field.

That leaves Dez Bryant as the only sure thing, as far as volatile weapons, for the passing game, and I do believe Bryant is the real thing. Then again, he's Dez Bryant—do you trust him off the field completely?

If not Robinson, you're basically left with Jesse Holley and his seven receptions in 2011 and Kevin Ogletree, who basically doubled that total.

With plenty of expiring contracts heading into 2011, I don't see that the Cowboys have much choice but to find a way to keep the only sure thing they've got at wide receiver. Yes, there's some quality in Austin and huge potential in Bryant. 

But doesn't it make sense to invest in a 26-year-old who just led your team in touchdowns and finished no lower than third in any other statistical category?

Yes, it makes sense—but will Dallas create the cents to do it?