Getty T.Y. Hilton is unlikely to return to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys turned to T.Y. Hilton last season to help fill a void in their wide receiver corps but it’s unlikely the four-time Pro Bowler returns for a second go-around.
The Cowboys made an upgrade at wide receiver this offseason, trading for former Texans receiver Brandin Cooks. He’ll combine forces with Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
Dallas Cowboys Potential Offense
QB Dak Prescott
RB Tony Pollard
WR CeeDee Lamb
WR Brandin Cooks
WR Michael Gallup
#CowboysNation
With that level of depth in the top three, there might not be a ton of work available for Hilton if he were to return to the Cowboys. He made just 7 catches for 121 yards last season.
Patrik Walker of the Cowboys’ official site believes that a Hilton return to Dallas is unlikely:
“With the addition of Cooks, I’m hard-pressed to envision the former Colt willfully walking into a situation where, at best, he might be WR4 fighting for some WR3 snaps with Michael Gallup — especially when you consider the fact Hilton has effectively proven to the entire league he’s still an impact player; and one who’s also healthy,” Walker wrote. “In my eyes, that ship has sailed, and the Cowboys will move forward with trying to add another WR via the NFL Draft while also tasking Jalen Tolbert to take a fairly sizable step forward in Year 2 (in direct competition with anyone they might draft).”
Tolbert Needs Solid Year to Stick Around With Cowboys
The Cowboys took some chances last year at wide receiver by trading away Amari Cooper and letting Cedrick Wilson sign with the Miami Dolphins. The team still had Lamb but carried very little depth behind him, which became an issue during the year.
Michael Gallup didn’t look 100% healthy for most of the year after returning from a torn ACL and rookie third-round pick Jalen Tolbert had a hard time catching up to the NFL level.
“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,” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said in September. “Probably gave him a bigger challenge than probably we needed to.”
Interesting quote from Stephen Jones about Jalen Tolbert.
(via @SASportsStar)
Tolbert appeared in just eight games, catching two passes for 12 yards. While it wasn’t pretty, he is ready to put it behind him and take the next step.
“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 told AL.com from the Senior Bowl in February. “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.”
Brandin Cook: ‘I’m Coming to Help’
The Cowboys offense should add a new layer of explosiveness with Cooks in the mix and he’s excited to get to work with his new quarterback Dak Prescott. He’s also pumped for his partnership with Lamb and is coming to the table with no ego.j
“CeeDee, you’re talking about a guy that’s been electric since the moment he stepped into this league but you at last year what he did to really just go into that mode of a true No. 1 receiver,” Cooks said on Adam Schefter’s podcast. “I’ve got a lot of respect for his game from afar and I hit him up and was like, ‘Look, I’m coming to just help.’ Like, there’s no ego. And same thing with Michael Gallup.”
Cooks played the last three seasons in Houston, going over 1,000 yards in two of those campaigns. He missed four games last season for the struggling Texans, notching 57 catches for 699 yards and three touchdowns.