The last two games should feature plenty of Jalen Tolbert.
The Cowboys have made it clear that they’re playing to win for the rest of 2024. But that didn’t stop them from shutting WR CeeDee Lamb down for the season with a shoulder injury. Though Brandin Cooks is the next man up on the depth chart, Dallas would be wise to use its final two games to see how Jalen Tolbert would respond to heavy targets in a featured offensive role.
While motivated to get two more victories and finish the season above .500, Dallas’ most important work will come this offseason. Wide receiver is one position that will command attention. Cooks will be a free agent and turns 32 next September, plus hasn’t been a high producer in Mike McCarthy’s offense. Even if change does come on the coaching side, Cooks just isn’t that attractive for re-signing in general.
That leaves Tolbert as the leading in-house candidate to join Lamb in the starting lineup. Over three years we’ve seen Tolbert make some amazing catches, including just last week against the Buccaneers, but he’s never had a huge individual game that inspires confidence about an increased workload. His career-best performance came last October against the Steelers; seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Dallas has had some other former third-round receivers like Terrance Williams and Michael Gallup. They could deliver highlight-reel catches, even in clutch moments, but never fully established themselves as clear number-two receivers. Williams had to fight Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and Cole Beasley for targets during his time, while Gallup became the third wheel after Lamb was drafted. That said, he did have a strong 2019 season with 1,107 yards and six touchdowns as Amari Cooper’s wingman.
Obviously, Tolbert still has a long way to go to even match those players’ contributions. After 15 games he’s at just 482 receiving yards, albeit with six touchdowns. But with 42 catches on just 69 targets, he’s showing solid efficiency. It’s really a matter of getting more looks now and seeing how he could perform as a key offensive cog, and the Cowboys have an opportunity to put that to the test in these final games of 2024.
With so many positions to address in the upcoming offseason, Dallas has to trust some of its returning talent to step up in 2025. That’s not to say they shouldn’t strike at WR if an opportunity arises, but there are only so many draft picks to use and so much of the salary cap that the front office is willing to spend. Tolbert, a Day 2 pick entering the final year of his rookie deal, is the kind of player you’d hope would fill one of those gaps.
These last two games give the Cowboys a chance to have Tolbert run primary WR routes and receive a high volume of targets. Granted, Cooper Rush will be the one throwing the ball so you have to factor that into the evaluation. But it’s still a great opportunity to inspire confidence, both for Tolbert himself and for the organization as it strategizes for roster building going forward.
Again, this isn’t to say that Jalen Tolbert should be WR2 in 2025. But in the high-minded attempt to win their remaining games, the Cowboys shouldn’t squander all opportunities to evaluate talent. Let’s see what Tolbert can do as a featured part of the offense and get a better sense of what he really offers as a future asset.
