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The Dallas Cowboys’ need for a No. 2 receiver to ease CeeDee Lamb’s offensive workload has been well-documented for the past couple of months.

Now that the draft has come and gone, talk of who the Cowboys could target is ramping up.

George Pickens has seen his name thrown up, so too Courtland Sutton and Amari Cooper for that matter. At this point one could say the Cowboys are a little desperate to get a receiver in the building, and that might lead them to grab a player not necessarily wanted.

But let me add one more name to that list – Keenan Allen.

Yes, I get the “we’ve already heard this” angle from Cowboys Nation, but now there has been a major change, and one that could put Allen right into the sights of the Cowboys.

There are a few reasons why Allen, who still amassed 744 yards and seven touchdowns from 70 receptions, is an option for the Cowboys.

The biggest one only happened a couple of days ago, and it was Tyler Lockett landing in Tennessee. Why does that matter?

Lockett’s $4 million deal shows that the big-money contracts, especially right now, aren’t out there for free agents, and there was a thought that Allen, who Spotrac.com has a market value of $11.1 APY could be too expensive.

But Lockett’s deal will surely give the Cowboys something to think about if Allen is indeed a target. Instead of an $11 million receiver for one year, what if that dropped down to say $7 million or $8 million? He could be seen as a better receiver than Lockett.

Remember, there’s a reason why Allen, at age 33, is still a free agent. So Lockett’s deal might have just helped the Cowboys, who have notoriously tight purse strings in free agency, potentially move into position for Allen, despite him not being the “explosive” receiver Dallas ideally wants.

With his 6-2 frame, Allen’s a matchup nightmare, and he’s got veteran smarts that could be used well in tandem with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott. He was still productive in Chicago’s offense that was ranked 28th for scoring last year (18.2 p/g), and yes, he’s a little older, but now he might come at cost.

Allen’s initial asking price might have been too high, but now that the draft has come and gone, and there aren’t that many suitors, at between $7 and $8 million for one season? Dallas would be fools to not at least pick up the phone.