As the Dallas Cowboys get ready for training camp, who is a player that may not live up to expectations?
In recent years, the Cowboys have had a lot of regular-season success that hasn’t translated to playoff success. Despite disappointments in the postseason, the Cowboys have stuck with Mike McCarthy as their head coach, even with owner Jerry Jones known for being unafraid of big changes.
This coming season, expectations might not be as high as Dallas would want them to be.
After losing at home to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, the Cowboys really haven’t done all that much to make anyone believe that they are going to be a better team in 2024.
Recently, Bleacher Report named a few players on the Cowboys who are going to underperform their expectations. Making their list was wide receiver Jalen Tolbert.
Here’s what they had to say about Tolbert heading into 2024.
Tolbert is a victim of lofty expectations. As a rookie, he had every opportunity to grab a role in the offense, but he clearly wasn’t ready. He wound up with just two receptions for 12 yards.
This time last year he was once again a popular breakout candidate because of the opportunity in front of him. With Lamb and Cooks set to be the top two receivers, he only had to be better than Michael Gallup to become the team’s No. 3.
The reality is that Tolbert might not be able to outperform his draft slot as a former third-round pick and the Cowboys have other potential breakout candidates, such as sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy or second-year receiver Jalen Brooks.
Big things are expected from Jalen Tolbert in 2024
Tolbert is entering a pivotal third season in the NFL after being drafted in the third round by the Cowboys two years ago. As a rookie, Tolbert was a non-factor, as he caught just two passes. However, we did see Tolbert establish a little bit of a role on the Cowboys last season, as he totaled 22 receptions, 268 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
While it was much better than his rookie season, it still wasn’t a great showing for Tolbert in Year 2.
As we head into Tolbert’s third season, he is currently slated third on the Cowboys’ depth chart behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.
With Lamb on the field, Tolbert certainly won’t be seeing any double teams, and if he can win one-on-one coverage, there will be a lot of balls thrown his way.
However, he will need to take a big step forward to meet the high expectations that are coming out of Dallas for him.
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