Tag: Jalen Tolbert

Jalen Tolbert’s renewed confidence could lead to Year 3 breakout

Feeling assured he belongs on the big stage, Tolbert be headed for a breakout season in Year 3. | From @BenGrimaldi

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best wide receivers in the league in All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. They also have one of the better veteran WRs in Brandin Cooks to compliment Lamb in the passing game. After the top two receivers, things get dicey for the passing game.

However, third-year WR Jalen Tolbert appears ready to have his breakout season just when the Cowboys need him. The path for more playing time has never been clearer for Tolbert, who is the clubhouse leader to take over as the team’s third receiving option. With veteran WR Michael Gallup now with the Las Vegas Raiders, Year 3 is Tolbert’s opportunity to make an impact, a timeline that used to be the standard for a breakout at the position.

If the early signs from OTAs are any indication, Tolbert’s ready to make a leap into a big-time contributor in 2024. Tolbert expressed having his confidence back as a big reason for his possible ascension this season.

Tolbert entered the league playing at a smaller school, so there was expected to be a steep learning curve, but his first two years with the Cowboys didn’t go as he hoped. His second season was better than his rookie year, but with just 22 receptions for 268 yards and two scores in the 2023 campaign, the former South Alabama product still didn’t progress enough. Through two years, Tolbert has only 24 catches for 280 and those two scores. That’s not good enough for someone drafted in the third-round.

This needs to be the year where Tolbert proves his worth for the Cowboys and with Lamb out for the recent OTAs, it gave the WR a chance at more reps. The third-year WR took advantage and lined up with the first-team offense during the three-day sessions, along with second-year WR Jalen Brooks.

It looks like Brooks, and fellow third-year receiver KaVontae Turpin, will be Tolbert’s biggest competition for snaps. If Tolbert wants to be third on the depth chart come September, it’s something he’s going to earn. Nothing comes easily and Tolbert will have to fight for his spot in the pecking order.

Tolbert’s case is strengthened since he began working out with Cooks this offseason to help be a better player all-around. The veteran WR also believes that Tolbert is ready to make the most of his chance.

All the signs are pointing to Tolbert having an impact in Dallas in his third season. The work he put in, the opportunity, and the mindset has grown to where Tolbert’s expected to be more than a just special teams player and receiver who adds to the depth chart. Tolbert expects to be a big contributor in the passing game this upcoming season, as do his teammates and coaches.

That renewed confidence from the player and the franchise could make for a breakout year from Jalen Tolbert! One week into team organized practices and that appears to be the case.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

Replacing Gallup isn’t as easy as it sounds for 2024 Cowboys

Replacing Gallup with Jalen Tolbert isn’t as simple as it sounds and may require the Cowboys to shake things up elsewhere, finds @ReidDHanson.

One of the sadder turns of event in recent years has been the injury-induced decline of Michael Gallup. The former third-round pick out of Colorado State struggled bouncing back from a 2021 ACL injury, eventually leading to his release this offseason and ultimately ushering in a new era in Dallas.

The Cowboys were prepared for this in many ways. Just two years ago they added Jalen Tolbert as a third-round pick. The South Alabama product came with a promising natural skillset that led many to believe at the time he was a steal for Dallas.

Adapting to the NFL proved difficult in Year 1, but after solid strides in Year 2, Tolbert appears primed to breakout in his third NFL season. As such, Tolbert seems like the obvious answer to the replacement question, but a deeper look shows it’s not as simple as just replacing Gallup with Tolbert in the top three. Adjustments to the different roles across the position group may also be required.

Despite the paltry receiving numbers, Gallup served a vital role in Dallas the past two seasons. His presence on the outside allowed the Cowboys’ true star receiver, CeeDee Lamb, to move inside and play out of the slot more often.

The slot position has become arguably the top playmaking position in the league in recent years. Without the sideline hindering release directions, route-runners are given a full 180-degrees worth of options up field. It makes the position increasingly difficult to cover and since most of the NFL’s top cornerbacks only play outside, it often produces favorable matchups against lower-rated covermen.

It’s not that Tolbert doesn’t appear equipped to play outside, it’s that he’s probably better suited for Brandin Cook’s spot. It’s Gallup who played most of the X snaps and Cooks who typically takes most of the Z snaps. The difference is small but significant.

Either position can line up on either side and run any route, but it’s the Z receiver who lines up off the line of scrimmage while the X lines up on the line.

This distinction means the X is situated to face closer positioned press coverage while the Z gets space to work with before a defensive back can get hands on him. It’s why strong and big bodied WRs typically play X while their leaner and quicker counterparts play Z.

At 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, Tolbert is physically comparable to the 6-foot-1, 198-pound Gallup. It’s not the ideal build for the position, but as Gallup showed, it’s enough to get the job done. But size alone won’t guarantee success. A strong upper body, quick feet and polished technique are also needed to consistently beat press. Given Tolbert’s small body of work in the NFL, it’s hard to say if he’s ready for such a role.

Cooks’ 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame isn’t a viable option. Neither is KaVontae Turpin at 5-foot-9, 153-pounds. From a traits perspective the rookie Ryan Flournoy is the best suited to play X. At 6-foot-1, 202-pounds and blessed with speed, strength and explosiveness, Flourney is the ideal X in the NFL. The only problem there is he’s making the jump from Southeast Missouri where he ran a very simplistic route tree and played against some pretty suspect competition. He’s not a likely solution in 2024.

There just isn’t an ideal candidate to take over at the X position on the roster. If Tolbert can do it, he’s the ideal solution. But until he shows it in training camp and the preseason no one can be sure. In all likelihood, Lamb will see more snaps at the X in 2024. He’s shown he’s up to the task and typically plays the X in 12 and 21 personnel groups already.

The Cowboys have much to sort out in training camp and it all starts with finding out who can play the X.

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Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert looking forward to bigger role, smaller jersey number in 2023

From @ToddBrock24f7: Tolbert will wear No. 1 this season and aim to get a stranglehold on the team’s WR3 slot, with a little help from veteran Brandin Cooks.

Among the Cowboys players who took a giant leap from 2022 to 2023 was wide receiver Jalen Tolbert. The third-round pick out of South Alabama was practically invisible within the Dallas offense as a rookie, catching just two balls on the season for 12 yards across eight game appearances.

Things took a dramatic turn for the better last year, with the 25-year-old seeing action in every contest of the season, watching his targets go up by 1,100%, and scoring his first two NFL touchdowns, all while becoming a more trusted part of Dak Prescott’s pass-catching arsenal.

Last season, Tolbert was vying with Michael Gallup for reps. Now Gallup is gone, and the WR3 spot is there for the taking.

Tolbert plans to make the most of his coming chance.

“Having an opportunity to fill a role in the offense and be able to step up and make a lot more plays for the offense- and for the team as well- is special,” Tolbert told reporters from the dugout at last week’s Reliant Home Run Derby charity event, “and I’m looking forward to doing it and continuing to grow each and every day to be what the team needs me to be.”

Helping him get there is Brandin Cooks. The 11th-year veteran was cast into a strong mentorship role in his first season with the Cowboys, but he’s taking it even further this year. And he’s treating Tolbert as his protege, already hosting him at his home in Oregon for over a week this offseason.

“He came out [for] just a couple days last year, but I wanted to have him out there a little longer this year, just kind of show him the ropes,” Cooks said last week. “For me, I remember Steve Smith let me stay at his house for a couple weeks when I was young. It’s all about passing it along, right? You gain knowledge, you pass it along. That’s what this game is all about.”

Cooks believes that Tolbert has the goods to take an even bigger step in this, his third season in the pros.

“The kid is special,” Cooks explained. “The ability, the talent is there. I just look forward to him really getting his shot and being out there.”

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Tolbert readily admits that he’s looking to “just go out there and chase greatness,” and he maintains he’s as confident as ever now that he’ll be returning for a second straight year of Mike McCarthy’s offensive gameplan.

If there were any questions about the lofty expectations Tolbert has for himself, he’ll make that crystal-clear when he takes the field wearing the No. 1 jersey for the Cowboys in 2023.

“It’s a blessing,” he said of the switch. “Not a lot of people get to, obviously, play for the Dallas Cowboys, but to also be able to wear a single digit and one that holds a little value like that one. Like I say, I love the opportunity that I have in front of me and looking forward to representing that No. 1 well, just as Cedrick Wilson did when he had it on.”

Wilson was a versatile role-player on the team for three seasons. With the same kind of incremental jump this year that he took from Year One to Year Two, though, Tolbert could blow past Wilson statistically and truly make the No. 1 jersey his own, after short- and largely forgettable- stints in it by Jayron Kearse and Kelvin Joseph.

For Tolbert, this is the year to cement his place as a legitimate receiving threat and start attacking even bigger goals.

“Not to set them too high,” he said, “but, I mean, do what a lot of people think that I can’t do and that I know that I can do. That’s my goal, is to go out and prove to myself that I am who I say I am.”

He’s already proving it to his 30-year-old teammate and mentor.

“With Brandin Cooks coming in and being a mentor to me helped me a lot in understanding the game and the little things that you need to be great at this level. He’s done it for a long time, so having him in my corner as well is special,” Tolbert said.

“I know one thing for sure: he’s not going to let me fail, and I’m not going to let myself fail, so that’s a good situation to be in.”

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Cowboys reassign jersey numbers for 4 veterans, including new No. 1

Four veterans with new jersey numbers, including an ode to college. | From @KDDrummondNFL

In the midst of grabbing a slew of amateur talent, the Dallas Cowboys are still making other moves. The equipment department is busy preparing lockers for the team’s newest additions through the 2024 NFL draft, but they still have to make time to get some jerseys redone.

According to Patrik Walker of the team’s website, Dallas has officially redistributed jersey numbers to four different players.

Jayron Kearse has yet to sign with a new team in free agency, but the club has given his jersey number away. Now donning No. 1 will be third-year wideout Jalen Tolbert. Second-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown will take over No. 13.

Veteran flyer and reclamation project Martavis Bryant will wear No. 84 and third-year linebacker Damone Clark will sport No. 18.

The former LSU product returns to the number he wore his final season with the Tigers, which is reserved for the best of the best leaders of that college program.

Here’s how the Cowboys 10 WRs impact the 2024 salary cap

A breakdown of the Cowboys wide receiver room’s contracts and impact on the salary cap as the club enters the team building phase. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The Cowboys have 10 wide receivers under contract for 2024 and the new league year hasn’t even begun. To an outsider looking in, it may feel like Dallas does not have much room to add to this position group. A deep dive into contract specifics muddies the waters and calls into question the total amount of money that goes to the group.

Wideout CeeDee Lamb is the unquestioned leader of this group and figures to command a large payday. Behind him, sits a collection of varying degrees of pedigree, skill and experience.  Opportunity lurks just around the corner but trust must be earned by both the coaching staff and the quarterback as well, as evidenced by the volume directed at Lamb.

After checking out both the quarterback room and the running backs, here’s a look at the financial breakdown of all of the wideouts on the Cowboys 2024 roster in February.

WATCH: Dak Prescott perfect on opening TD drive

From @Cdburnett7: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott marched down the field against the Commanders with a perfect touchdown drive.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s strong season isn’t slowing down in the final week of the regular season. In front of a crowd full of blue at FedEx Field, Dallas got off to a quick defensive start with a fourth-down stop, thanks to Damone Clark.

Prescott took the reins after the quick change and was a perfect 6-for-6 to open the game. The drive was eight plays, all gainers as he threw for 57 yards on the 67-yard scoring drive. It was capped off by wide receiver Jalen Tolbert, who received a perfect pass from Prescott under duress for his first second touchdown as a pro.

That’s passing touchdown No. 33, the current league leader. This game is crucial with an NFC East title on the line, and Prescott’s excellence alongside the Cowboys offense led to an early 7-0 lead on the road.

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Here’s why WR Jalen Tolbert needs more opportunities in Cowboys offense

There are a number of ways the Cowboys can create more opportunities for Jalen Tolbert and it’s time to start exploring them. | From @ReidDHanson

Jalen Tolbert only has seven receptions for 71 yards this season, yet many believe he’s earned a bigger role. Coming off an enormously disappointing rookie campaign where Tolbert only collected two balls for 12 yards, his buzz in 2023 may seem odd to some.

The former third-round pick hasn’t offered any jaw dropping plays nor does he come with elite pedigree. Tolbert hailed from South Alabama where his national attention was limited and his jump to the pros was enormous, somewhat explaining his struggles as a rookie last year.

But over the offseason Tolbert dedicated himself to the craft and earned frequent offseason praise for his progression. He flashed in training camp and in preseason games, leading many to believe he’d be a decent piece to the offense in 2023. Yet, he’s logged just 150 offensive snaps.

150 actually sounds like a lot considering how infrequently he’s been targeted. The WRs getting the most looks in Dallas have been CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks.

Calls to get Cooks the ball more often have been almost deafening. If Tolbert needs more as well, where are all these magical opportunities supposed to come from?

 

Cowboys’ Stephen Jones: Jalen Tolbert has ‘locked down’ WR4 role

From @ToddBrock247: The second-year receiver has done enough through camp to secure his place right behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup.

How many wide receivers the Cowboys end up placing on the 53-man regular-season roster is anyone’s guess. But we know it will be at least four, and now we even know who those four will be.

CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup were gimmes. But beyond that trio of starters, there are still 11 other receivers hoping to have a locker at The Star this time next week.

Second-year man Jalen Tolbert will be one of them, says Stephen Jones.

The team’s chief operating officer confirmed what most observers had felt was the case all through camp, saying the 24-year-old out of South Alabama has sewn up the first backup spot on the depth chart.

“Tolbert’s locked down that four spot and certainly shown that he can be productive for us,” Jones said on Tuesday, per the team website. “Dak’s very comfortable with him.”

For what it’s worth, head coach Mike McCarthy shrugged off any definitive developments in regard to the pecking order.

“I’m not really there with depth charts,” he said Tuesday. “That’s a PR thing.”

“But Jalen’s doing a heck of a job. Really proud of the strides that he’s made.”

It has indeed been a dramatic turnaround from Tolbert’s rookie season, when he posted just two catches on three targets for 12 yards.

“You’ve got a guy like Tolbert who ended up needing a little time, then you get a veteran in the room with him like a Cooks, and now we’re seeing what we drafted,” Jones continued. “That third-round pick has turned into something that we’re going to have.”

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Tolbert himself had admitted that he needed to work on his mental fortitude after a disappointing debut in 2022, when the expectations put on him as a small-school Top-100 draft pick were perhaps unreasonably high.

“I just had to put it all together, regain my confidence this offseason,” he said after the Cowboys’ second preseason game, in Seattle. “So I’m just going out there now and being myself, playing fast and physical and confident.”

It’s been enough that Tolbert has officially distinguished himself from the rest of the wide receiver hopefuls, who are now battling for a role as WR5, at best.

But Tolbert’s quantum leap during this offseason also stands out to Jones as something special, even among all the sophomore classes he’s seen come through the building.

“Usually, it’s an offensive lineman that can make a jump like that. Some guys just come in, and they’re going against full grown men in this league. A lot of guys are young,” Jones said.

“But on my fingertips, I don’t have someone that’s made that big of a jump from year one to year two.”

Tolbert’s made the jump, all right. But there’s still no telling where he could eventually land.

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Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert finally showing skill set many had doubted: ‘I know it’s there’

From @ToddBrock24f7: Tolbert has put in the work to get past a disappointing rookie year; he’s now considered the frontrunner for the Cowboys’ WR4 job.

There may not be a Dallas Cowboy who has helped his own personal brand more during this offseason than Jalen Tolbert.

A surprise third-round selection in 2022, it was hoped then that Tolbert could step into a role as an immediate contributor at wide receiver for a Cowboys receiving corps that was thin, to say the least.

He ended his rookie season with all of two catches on three targets for 12 yards.

The two games that comprise Tolbert’s 2023 preseason have already far surpassed those anemic numbers. His six targets, four receptions, and 66 yards led the team versus Seattle on Saturday. Add those stats to his 2-for-2 night for 29 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville in the exhibition opener, and you can start to see what the Cowboys apparently had a glimpse of when they spent a top-100 pick on the kid out of tiny South Alabama.

“It’s special,” Tolbert told media members Saturday night of his upward-trending play. “Obviously, I know it’s there. I just had to put it all together, regain my confidence this offseason. So I’m just going out there now and being myself, playing fast and physical and confident.”

The confidence is key. Written off by many observers as a bust after just eight game appearances as a rookie, Tolbert spent the offseason doing everything in his power to improve his station with the team: studying the playbook, working out, packing on muscle, spending copious amounts of time playing catch with his quarterback in the DakYard.

The effort has been obvious in camp, with Tolbert making several highlight-reel grabs and proving that he is ready to climb the depth chart in his second season and earn even more looks moving forward.

“The confidence; it just jumps off the field,” head coach Mike McCarthy noted in his postgame remarks Saturday night. “I think that’s a tribute to his hard work. He’s had a heck of an offseason, and he’s cashing in on opportunities. He’s making plays.”

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But he’s also clearly behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup when it comes to the team’s current WR pecking order. So the 24-year-old Mobile native is making himself valuable in other ways, too.

“I want to do my one-eleventh, whatever I can for the team, whether it’s special teams or offense,” he said after the Cowboys’ 22-14 loss in Seattle. “So just going out there and getting those reps that I’ve never really had before; just continuing to grow on those and build confidence within the special teams aspect of the game.”

Now heading into the last preseason contest before roster cuts, Tolbert appears to have solidified his place on the final 53-man roster and could be considered the frontrunner to land the WR4 job title ahead of a very crowded field.

He’s come a very long way very quickly. But he admits he has no plans to stop climbing the mountain now.

“I feel like I’m back to how I felt when I was in college, coming out,” Tolbert said. “I’m just continuing to grow upon that. Obviously, you can always get better at every aspect of wide receiver, so that’s the goal: continue to grow and not be stuck where I’m at.”

As his trajectory from last year’s draft bust to this year’s roster lock shows, Tolbert doesn’t stay stuck in one place for long.

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Building blocks among 3 things to watch for in Cowboys-Seahawks

What can fans look for the Cowboys to expand on in Game 2 of the preseason? | From @cdpiglet

Winning and losing take on different meanings in the preseason as compared to the regular season. In the regular season, the point total is what determines a successful outing, but exhibition-game success is measured differently. The Dallas Cowboys “lost” to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason game of 2023, but in reality, Dallas left that game feeling like they won overall.

The Cowboys’ second-team defense handled the Jaguars’ first-team offense with a forced turnover and a three-and-out, and had a bunch of guys on the bubble show up and look like potential contributors. Most importantly, they left the game with no serious injury concerns.

Now the team turns to a road game against the Seattle Seahawks and looks to continue to improve on the work they have done all training camp, but especially what they saw in real game reps last week. Here are some things fans should keep an eye on in this game that could help tell the story about the 53-man rosters and the success of the team going forward.