Tag: Jalen Tolbert

Jake Ferguson quickly becoming Cowboys No. 2 option in passing game

The Cowboys found their No.2 option in the passing game. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys’ passing offense is built around the brilliance of CeeDee Lamb. The fifth-year veteran from Oklahoma has fast become one of the best receivers in the NFL and represents the heart and soul of Dallas downfield attack. After Lamb is where things get interesting.

The No. 2 option in Dallas was supposed to be veteran receiver Brandin Cooks. But a slow start to the season coupled with an untimely injury has landed the veteran on IR and out of the conversation. Jalen Tolbert, the “next man up” in this scenario, enjoyed a coming out party as the Cowboys new WR2. His seven receptions for 87 yards set career highs and his game-winning touchdown against the Steelers in the final seconds cemented his place in rivalry lore forever.

For as promising as Tolbert is, it’s Jake Ferguson, the Cowboys’ tight end, who’s actually the No. 2 pass catching option for Dak Prescott. The 2023 Pro Bowler has quietly posted a rather impressive season thus far in 2024. It’s a testament to his continued development and nothing short of remarkable considering Ferguson has only played in three complete games this season.

In those three games, he’s averaging over 8 targets, 5.6 receptions and 71 yards per game.

In Week 5, Ferguson led all Dallas pass catchers who had three or more targets in success rate (71 percent) and in total EPA (5.4 EPA). He was frequently the secondary option Prescott turned to when Lamb was locked down and a means to exploit second level defenders who were more run-focused in nature.

Ferguson’s ability to play inline (26.6% of the time), in the slot (61.9% of the time) and split out wide (8.6% of the time), makes him a valuable piece to the Cowboys offense. It allows Mike McCarthy to use creative personnel packages without tipping off the offense’s intensions before the snap. His run blocking has been steadily improving and his run after the catch ability has been inspiring to fans as well as teammates.

Ferguson is already No. 2 in Dallas in target share and that’s with only playing three complete games this season. 

Tolbert is an ascending player who the Cowboys will need throughout this heart of the schedule. With Cooks out, Dallas will use a variety of players to fill that secondary WR spot opposite Lamb. KaVontae Turpin played a big part in Pittsburgh and Jalen Brooks made contributions of his own.

Tolbert is top dog, but it may be a committee approach to that No. 2 WR spot going forward. At TE, Ferguson has the spot locked down, and as the No. 2 option on offense, it’s Ferguson who offers Prescott someone to lean on.

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Tyler Smith had a NSFW explanation for Jalen Tolbert’s ballsy adversity before TD

The Cowboys’ Jalen Tolbert fought through a very unique injury before his winning TD.

In a tough Pittsburgh road environment where inclement weather led to an extensive start time delay, the Dallas Cowboys already had plenty of adversity on their plate.

However, Dallas receiver Jalen Tolbert — who scored the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play in the final minute — was apparently dealing with the most of anyone.

By far.

According to an NSFW explanation from Cowboys guard Tyler Smith in the postgame locker room, Tolbert had “[expletive] sprained his nuts” on a chaotic play right before his winning touchdown. Smith would quickly correct himself without the curse word while appreciating Tolbert’s mental toughness in a clutch situation.

Warning: NSFW language in the tweet below.

Your Dallas Cowboys, everyone! They beat [expletive] groin injuries and still win! Who would’ve thought? Not me.

Unsung heroes Tolbert, Dowdle lead Cowboys to last-minute win vs Steelers, 20-17

The Cowboys got standout performances from two unheralded starters and a strong defensive performance helps them escape Pittsburgh with a W. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys were extremely shorthanded entering Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Down a slew of key defenders to begin with, they then had to sit through an hour and a half weather delay as storms passed through Acrisure Stadium. On their first defensive drive, they lost Marshawn Kneeland to a knee injury, as he was filling in for DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. Quarterback Dak Prescott fumbled first and then threw a red-zone interception later, adding a third turnover in the second half on a deep pass.

It didn’t matter. Thanks to RB Rico Dowdle and WR Jalen Tolbert’s career days, the Cowboys had just enough offense to pull out a final-drive victory over the Steelers when on fourth down Prescott found Tolbert on a cross right over the goal line. Dallas’ second touchdown of the night, right before 1 am on the east coast, gave the team a 20-17 win.

The victory improved the Cowboys to 3-2 on the young season, notching their first winning streak of 2024. The loss dropped the Steelers to a similar record.

Tolbert finished the game with a career and team-high 87 receiving yards, which went hand-in-hand with Dowdle’s career high 87 rushing yards. Dowdle also caught two passes for 27 yards and the first score of the game.

The Cowboys also got step-up performances from Kavontae Turpin as WR Bradin Cooks missed the game after being placed on IR. Turpin caught four of his five targets for 50 yards.

Dallas was able to corral Steelers QB Justin Fields, who was coming off a a 300-passing yard performance last week. Fields had two passing touchdowns but accrued just 131 air yards and 27 on scrambles and designed runs.

The Dallas defense had three sacks and forced two fumbles, allowing the Steelers just 226 yards on the game. Playing without their two star edge rushers, and their two corners who start opposite Trevon Diggs in Daron Bland and Caelen Carson, Mike Zimmer’s group had their best outing of the season, though they did allow Pittsburgh to march down the field and take a late lead.

Still, there’s a ton to be proud of as the injuries continue to mount. Dallas lost two starting offensive linemen in the game as well. Rookie Tyler Guyton went out with a knee injury and stayed out as he was questionable to return. The team also lost RG Zack Martin to cramps, but he was able to return.

Next up for Dallas will be the 3-1 Detroit Lions coming to AT&T Stadium where the Cowboys will now try and solve their home woes as they’ve lost three consecutive games in blowout fashion.

Dazed Jalen Tolbert, Cowboys KO Steelers with late touchdown

Jalen Tolbert with a gritty performance to win it for Dallas

Jalen Tolbert was wobbly. He took a hit in the end zone when a third-down pass was intended for the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver.

He was trying to stay in the game but the Cowboys had to use a timeout because the wideout wasn’t himself.

In a Sunday night game played into Monday morning in Pittsburgh, Dak Prescott hit Tolbert with a touchdown pass with 20 seconds left to give the Cowboys a rugged 20-17 victory over the Steelers.

The game was delayed for 90 minutes because storms came through the Pittsburgh area.

All in all, Week Five Sunday in the NFL started 9:30 a.m. ET with the Vikings and Jets in London and ended at almost 1 a.m. ET in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers and Cowboys are both 3-2.

 

Former top Cowboys draft pick needs breakout game in worst way to justify strong camp buzz

Jalen Tolbert got off to a slow start in 2024 but there’s reason to believe the Cowboys WR will break out

Jalen Tolbert won the Cowboys’ third receiver spot rather handily this summer. The former third-round pick has been a slow burn since joining the Cowboys in 2022. The South Alabama product logged just two receptions as a rookie and 22 as a second-year player. Year 3 is supposed to be his coming out party.

After cutting ties with the now-retired Michael Gallup over the offseason, targets are up for grabs in Dallas, pun intended. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Tolbert is in great position to gobble up the majority, even if Week 1 resulted in a rather slow start to the season.

Against the Browns, Tolbert logged just one reception; the same number of catches his primary competition for snaps, Jalen Brooks, pulled in. It’s not the type of inspiring debut many hoped for from the third-year pass catcher and gives credence to the idea the third receiver spot is destined to be a timeshare in Dallas this season.

While it’s true snaps will be divided somewhat between WR3-WR5, Tolbert’s standing as the true No. 3 is likely pretty solid. Even though the production wasn’t there, Tolbert still posted 42 snaps compared to Brooks who posted just 13.

Since the game was well in hand by halftime, it’s understandable Tolbert’s numbers were modest. Keep in mind, CeeDee Lamb only posted 61 yards receiving and Dak Prescott only threw for 179 yards. It just wasn’t an air-it-out kind of day in Cleveland.

An item working in Tolbert’s favor is the situation at tight end and how it threatens to impact the Cowboys different personnel groups. Jake Ferguson is nursing an MCL sprain which means he could miss time in coming weeks. Given the falloff in talent at TE after Ferguson, it’s likely Mike McCarthy will favor more WR-heavy personnel packages. 12 and 13 personnel (two and three TE packages) will probably see a decline while 11 and 21 will be more common.

The Cowboys have already stated their intention of having fullback Hunter Luepke take over much of Ferguson’s snaps. They also showed they’re happy to use blocking specialist Brevyn Spann-Ford to pick up the slack as well. It stands to reason with one fewer pass catching TE on the field, more opportunities downfield are coming Tolbert’s way.

There’s no reason to worry about Tolbert’s paltry impact in Week 1 because the situation didn’t dictate a big passing day for Dallas. Coming weeks will present better opportunities, and the idea Tolbert will build upon Gallup’s 34 receptions for 418 yards from 2023, remains perfectly reasonable.

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Cowboys fortunate how their WR situation fell into place

The Cowboys were banking on multiple WRs to progress in 2024 and seem to have succeeded. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys entered training camp with a clear and present need at the receiver position. Yes, they had one of the best WRs on the planet in CeeDee Lamb, but behind him was a grab bag of unknowns and mysteries.

The veteran of the bunch, Brandin Cooks, turns 31 in September and is coming off his worst season in five years. Was he still the guy or was he on decline? The developmental players, Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks, have just 30 career NFL receptions between them and had given little indication last year they were ready to be relied on for a top-three role in 2024. And the rookie draft pick, Ryan Flournoy, was a project player from a small school who was in many ways a longshot to ever play in the NFL, let alone earn a roster spot as a rookie right out of camp.

The Cowboys weren’t just hoping their WR room would step up and play better than they did last season, they were banking on it. The issue at WR became even more apparent after CeeDee Lamb sat out camp amidst a contract dispute.

But it seems to have all worked out.

Not only did Lamb just sign an extension and make his way back into the fold, but the players the Cowboys were banking on to improve successfully paid out as well.

Cooks looks like his down season last year was more about his usage than slippage. Tolbert looks like he has a firm grasp of the WR3 position and may even be the heir apparent for Cooks as Dallas’ No. 2. Brooks looks like he can step in and play a variety of roles, namely filling the hole left by Michael Gallup at the X. Even the rookie Flournoy showed he’s more than just a project player; he’s someone who could be special.

Training camp has to be seen as widely successful for the Cowboys WR position. Hitting on one projection is impressive enough but the Cowboys appeared to hit on multiple projections. This feat can’t be understated.

No one disputes the offense runs through Lamb. It’s probably why the Cowboys gambled at all the other WR positions. Seeing these young prospects improve is important for 2024 and also in seasons beyond.

With Lamb as the second highest paid WR in the NFL, it’s important for the Cowboys to keep costs low around him. Populating the WR depth chart with players on rookie deals is a must going forward. Exceptions can be made for modestly priced veterans, but generally speaking, the strategy is leaning on rookie contracts to keep positional spending affordable.

The entire WR depth chart has explicably fallen into place perfectly for the Cowboys, positioning the team for success in 2024 and beyond.

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‘The Jalens’ leading WR race early in Cowboys camp

Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and Jalen Moreno-Cropper are separating from the pack in Cowboys camp. | From @ReidDHanson

Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and Jalen Moreno-Cropper have been standout performers early in Cowboys camp. It’s clear the three young receivers have eagerly taken on the challenge laid before them this summer. They’ve stepped up into the void Dallas had at the WR position and showed concerns are best placed elsewhere on the roster.

There have been tales of Tolbert’s maturation at the position for months. But with only 22 receptions for 268 yards of production on the record, many fans have taken on a “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude to the former third-round pick.

Tolbert’s skillset and draft status make him the early favorite to claim the coveted WR3 role in 2024. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound product of South Alabama has deep-ball speed and juice to be a run after the catch weapon. After a year of the yips as a rookie, Tolbert came on strong in his second year, effectively splitting snaps with Michael Gallup late in the season.

Joining Tolbert in the highlight reels has been Brooks, the Cowboys seventh-round pick from 2023. Brooks has been every bit as impressive as Tolbert without overlapping in too many ways. If Tolbert has the juice, it’s Brooks who has the attitude.

At 6-foot-1, 201 pounds, the South Carolina product is a fearless player who plays bigger than his size. After already establishing himself as a solid special teams contributor in his rookie season, Brooks looks eager to snag a bigger role on offense in Year 2.

Brooks has been quick off the snap and strong in his breaks. His ability to run block and win slant routes stands out among his peers and could win a steady role on the Cowboys in 2024.

Rounding out this Jalen-fest is second year man Moreno-Cropper. A training camp standout in 2023, Moreno-Cropper is hoping to build on his rookie effort and turn it into a permanent spot on the active roster.

At just 6-foot, 172-pounds, Moreno-Cropper is the smallest of the Jalens but by no means should be taken for granted in this battle. He’s been a model of stability at WR and is fully in the mix for a top-six role on the depth chart.

The Cowboys are actively looking for ways to give him work and even using him on punt return duties alongside David Durden, KaVontae Turpin and Deuce Vaughn.

For full transparency, Mike Zimmer and his secondary are deserving of the most praise in these unpadded portions of camp. They’ve rolled out coverage looks that have largely been foreign throughout the previous Dan Quinn era.

But the WR battlers deserves its recognition as well. No one knew exactly what to expect from this unproven bunch of pass-catchers and it was prompting some concern of late. Luckily for everyone, the Jalens are on the case, working together to form a cohesive and complementary trio at the WR position.

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Young Cowboys receivers benefitting in Lamb’s absence

Lamb has been missing during OTAs and minicamp, giving an opportunity to the depth players to prove they are deserving of a bigger role. | From @BenGrimaldi

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb hasn’t attended any team workouts this offseason, and that absence extended to this week’s mandatory minicamp as he seeks a contract extension.

While it’s hard to find the positives when a player is voluntarily staying away from the team, young Cowboys receivers are making the most of the extra opportunities with Lamb missing. WRs Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, as well as rookie Ryan Flournoy, have each made positive impressions over the course of OTAs and minicamp.

With veteran WR Michael Gallup gone, the passing game has a need for a third option and these three receivers are all making a push to take on a larger role. The Cowboys’ quest to find their guy is made easier with Lamb not around. The team knows what they have in Lamb and fellow veteran Brandin Cooks, so they’re taking advantage of Lamb’s absence by giving the younger WRs more snaps. It can only help a receiver group that lacks experience behind the starting tandem.

Brooks is a second-year WR who appears to have made a nice jump in his first full offseason with the team. The young WR stood out as one of better the players from OTAs last week.

The Cowboys liked Brooks enough to keep him on the roster as a seventh-round pick last year. He played sparingly as a WR as a rookie, finding his way into seven games catching six passes for 64 yards. However, Brooks did find a role on special teams where played 45% of the special teams snaps. If he keeps turning heads, Brooks will be making more of an impact on offense during the 2024 campaign.

Tolbert’s a third-year WR, and a third-round pick, who hasn’t lived up to expectations in his first two seasons. That could be changing this year; Tolbert has talked about his renewed confidence and by working out with Cooks this offseason it looks like he’s ready to take the next step. In minicamp, Tolbert backed up his positive outlook by making plays.

The Cowboys have been waiting for Tolbert to assert himself into a viable threat in passing game, and hopefully he can build on a strong minicamp.

Flournoy also has some positive buzz coming out of the last few weeks of workouts. The rookie has some impressive traits that led to his selection in the sixth-round of last April’s draft despite playing for a small school in college, and Flournoy’s backing up his athleticism with his play.

That’s a great sign for a player who many thought needed to work on refining his game. If Flournoy is ahead of the curve, he could be a steal for the Cowboys.

The offense is obviously better with Lamb in the lineup, and with Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson’s new deal, Dallas now has a baseline to get their No. 1 WR extended and back working out with the team. But without Lamb around, the Cowboys have been busy giving the inexperienced WRs extra work, and the results are promising. Brooks, Flournoy, and Tolbert are all off to good starts this offseason, something the team must hope continues in training camp and into the regular season.

Even when Lamb returns the Cowboys are going to need a young WR or two to step up, and the early returns have shown they’ll be in capable hands.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

Pressure Cooker: Cowboys wideout must be better in 2024

No. 2 WRs are more important to an offense’s output than often given credit, making Brandin Cooks key for the Cowboys in 2024. | From @ReidDHanson

Brandin Cooks heads into the 2024 slotted as the No. 2 receiver on the Cowboys offense. With CeeDee Lamb locked in as the alpha and Jalen Tolbert the aspiring, young No. 3, Cooks is in an important role. Not only must he offer the stability absent from the unproven Tolbert’s game, but he keeps pressure off Lamb who figures to again vie for All-Pro status.

Secondary WRs are one of the more underrated positions in the NFL. A common feeling is that anyone can fill a WR2 role when an elite player is in place at the top. This line of thinking couldn’t be more wrong since WR2s and WR3s have a stronger correlation to a team’s passing EPA that the WR1. It divides a defense’s attention and exposes depth issues in a secondary.

There are plenty of teams who have an elite cornerback on their roster but not many who have depth down the ranks. The real match-up advantages for the Cowboys come against a defense’s second or third CB because the drop off in talent at CB is s significant and single coverage at some point is inevitable.

Cooks’ 2023 season was, in some ways, the worst of his career. His yards/game marked a career low, and his 81 targets were far below his career average of 104.5. Still, the Cowboys passing offense hummed. Not only did they finish second in the NFL in EPA/dropback, but Dak Prescott finished second in league MVP voting.

It showed the Cowboys didn’t need him to be elite for the passing attack to be elite. It also showed the Cowboys had enough weapons behind Lamb to not be dependent on any one player.

That was then and this is now. Dallas parted ways with Michael Gallup over the offseason and as mentioned earlier, Tolbert is the likely replacement. It’s possible Tolbert replaces Gallup seamlessly, but the Cowboys have to prepare for the worst even if they’re hoping for the best. That means Cooks should be ready to pick up the slack this season and carry a bigger load than he did in 2023.

Even at age 30, Cooks has high-end speed at the WR position. His route running and overall consistency are noteworthy and something Prescott could lean on if Dallas struggles at WR3. The pressure for Cooks to carry a bigger load is rather significant but all indications are he’ll be up to the task if called upon.

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Cowboys’ offensive identity part dependent on Schoonmaker and Tolbert

The Cowboys have an abnormal competition going between two different positions groups, and it should pay dividends. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys played out of 11 personnel (three receiver sets) 62.09% of the time in 2023. They played out of 12 personnel (standard two tight end sets) 13.90%. They were extremely proficient in both, posting an EPA/play that ranked No. 3 and No. 6 respectively, but 11 personnel was clearly their bread and butter.

Where they go in 2024 is a matter of debate. It’s pretty clear 11 personnel will once again rule the offense, but will it dominate to the degree it did last season?

For the first time since 2018 the Cowboys will be without Michael Gallup. Gallup, essentially Dallas’ WR3, played a key role in their 11 personnel sets. He was a player defenses respected and someone who could handle the physical rigors of the X role on the outside.

Jalen Tolbert is the front runner to replace Gallup in Dallas’ top three. He’s as ascending player with all the tangible skills to be a starter and teammates have spoken glowingly of his progress. But with just 22 receptions and 268 yards to his name, Tolbert is far from a sure thing so the Cowboys’ ability to execute in 11 personnel efficiently in 2024 has to be somewhat in question.

12 personnel, Dallas’ second most frequent personnel package, stands to gain if Tolbert struggles. Luke Schoonmaker, the expected TE2, plays a key role in shifting the balance. If he can live up to his billing as a second-round draft pick, he could carve out a bigger role for those two TE packages.

In many ways it’s a battle between two players who play completely different positions. It’s Tolbert at WR and Schoonmaker at TE who may ultimately dictate the frequency of their usage.

In today’s NFL, 11 personnel is king and that’s not about to change in Dallas regardless of how Tolbert performs. That doesn’t mean 11 personnel is automatically going to get over 60 percent of the snaps. Plenty of high-powered passing attacks operate out of 12 packages because TEs have the ability to present significant mismatches.

Schoonmaker was drafted as a ready-made run blocker with downfield potential. He didn’t show much as a rookie but his scouting report stays the same. He’s more than capable of being a plus-blocker in the NFL and he has the athletic traits to be a weapon in the passing game as well. He could help fill the hole left by Gallup almost as much as Tolbert. To do so he’s going to have to get over his injury issues. A recent hamstring injury threatens to keep him out until training camp. He’ll have to hit the ground running in order to convince Mike McCarthy the offense needs more 12 personnel in 2024.

Tolbert has a somewhat similar challenge but also likely the inside track. Even if his numbers don’t reflect it, he was vastly improved in 2023. If he can show he’s capable of sliding into Gallup’s role, 11 personnel will probably be just as prevalent in 2024. That’s especially true if he can take snaps at the X spot.

This isn’t a traditional training camp battle since it’s an indirect competition, but it will be fascinating to watch nonetheless and could dictate the Cowboys’ offensive identity in 2024.

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