Getty Images Jalen Tolbert of the Dallas Cowboys.
There’s been a lot of chatter about Jalen Tolbert’s future with the Dallas Cowboys but the embattled pass-catcher is just putting his head down and working.
Tolbert took to social media with some photos of working out with quarterback Dak Prescott on Thursday — a good sign that he’s doing the right things to get on track.
Tolbert captioned the post: “Overly focused. It’s far from the time to rest now.”
Tolbert was a third-round pick last season and came in with significant expectations. The Cowboys were hoping he could be an immediate producer and help fill the void left by the departures of Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson.
However, that never played out, with Tolbert struggling to adapt to the speed and complexities of the NFL game. He appeared in just eight games, catching two passes for 12 yards.
Cowboys Felt Like They Gave Tolbert Too Much Initially
Getty ImagesJalen Tolbert of the Dallas Cowboys.
Tolbert didn’t live up to the expectations of where he was drafted last year but Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones felt they put a lot on his plate early, which may have set him back.
“I think it’s one of those things, we probably asked a lot of him early. In terms of playing all the spots. Both outside and in,” Jones said in September. “Probably gave him a bigger challenge than probably we needed to”
Tolbert ended up being a healthy scratch for a handful of games and really didn’t produce at a meaningful level, even with the Cowboys struggling with depth at wide receiver.
While the year didn’t go as planned, the Cowboys haven’t lost hope yet in Tolbert.
“You always hope they step in and play but he’s going to develop,” Jones said of Tolbert. “He’s got the skill set and he’s just got to develop. Came from a small school and just didn’t come along as fast as we might would have hoped. But I think his upside’s there.”
Tolbert had a productive college career at South Alabama. In four seasons he notched 178 catches for 3,140 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Tolbert Eager to Get Back on Track With Cowboys
Tolbert has been open about his struggles last year, addressing it during an interview at the Senior Bowl earlier this offseason.
“I’m just ready to take the Year 1 to Year 2 jump. A lot of rookie guys end up taking that jump. Not everybody comes in and is Rookie of the Year,” Tolbert said. “So I’m excited to just be able to go and take that Year 2 jump and be comfortable and play fast, and get back to the confident guy that I was playing in college.”
It might be harder for Tolbert to find reps this season without a big training camp. The Cowboys traded for Brandin Cooks to give them a strong weapon alongside of CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup is expected to look more like himself after battling through injury last season.
There’s also a chance that the Cowboys take another chance on a wide receiver in the draft, which would make training camp an extra important time for Tolbert.