Why did the Dallas Cowboys sign T.Y. Hilton instead of Odell Beckham Jr.?
After much speculation regarding the Dallas Cowboys signing Odell Beckham Jr., the team instead opted to go with veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.
It looked like the Dallas Cowboys were on the verge of signing Odell Beckham Jr. after the wide receiver traveled to Texas and went to a Mavericks game with Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs.
However, the Cowboys have chosen to go with veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts. While the signing of Hilton does not necessarily mean Beckham is off the table, it seems that at least for this season, OBJ will not be part of America’s team.
One big factor that played in Hilton’s favor was that he was immediately available to play. Earlier reports had indicated that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was worried that Beckham would not be available to play until January, as he was still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee. After the scare they had with a close call against the bottom-dwelling Houston Texans, they needed someone ASAP.
Hilton: Dallas Cowboys are right for me
Meanwhile, Hilton believes that he is in the right place.
“I had a lot of calls, I told my agent if I had the right call, the right team, the right situation, I was interested,” Hilton told the team's website. “I feel like this is the right situation for me.”
One of the important factors in Hilton choosing Dallas was the Cowboys' record, as after 14 weeks they are 10-3 and looking to solidify their playoff spot.
"It was important. I think you want to go to a situation where you feel good, where you feel like you can win,” the wide receiver explained. "I think they have all the pieces and it's just putting myself on the team and trying to overcome adversity."
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Contribution to the team
The 33-year-old spent the first ten seasons of his career with the Colts and believes he can bring solid experience to the Cowboys.
“I think I can bring veteran leadership. My job is to help them as much as I can. Right now, I just want to focus on the playbook. I've been studying it for the last two days, probably 15 hours a day."
Hilton appeared in 143 regular season games with Indiana and had 9,961 yards and 53 touchdowns after catching 631 passes. He also received four invitations to the Pro Bowl and in 2016 he was the leader in receiving yards with 1,448.