Cowboys coaching staff continues to prove recent draft pick has yet to earn their trust
Through eight games this season, one of the biggest stories for the Dallas Cowboys has been how much their rookies have contributed to a 6-2 start. Look no further to Sunday's 49-29 win over the Chicago Bears for illustration. Tyler Smith, as expected from a first-round pick, manned the left tackle position. That's not a […]
Through eight games this season, one of the biggest stories for the Dallas Cowboys has been how much their rookies have contributed to a 6-2 start. Look no further to Sunday's 49-29 win over the Chicago Bears for illustration.
Tyler Smith, as expected from a first-round pick, manned the left tackle position. That's not a surprise.
But fourth-round rookie Jake Ferguson and UDFA Peyton Hendershot combined for 52 offensive snaps. Despite having only 16 receiving yards between the both of them, Ferguson scored one touchdown and both were excellent run blockers throughout the game.
Meanwhile, fifth-rounders CB DaRon Bland and LB Damone Clark played in over 40 snaps each. The amount of work the Cowboys' coaching staff delegates and trusts to its rookies – and how they respond – is remarkable.
All of this makes the Jalen Tolbert situation even more relevant. The third-round pick that had many in Cowboys Nation legitimately excited (including the one writing these words who was hyped about the pick when it happened) hasn't been a factor at all this season.
Tolbert entered Week 8 with only 27 offensive snaps to his name. With Noah Brown inactive and only four suited-up wide receivers (including specialist KaVontae Turpin), this felt like the rookie's chance to step up on offense.
Yet he played in only 25 snaps and wasn't targeted all game.
At times, it felt evident that the Cowboys were not too enthusiastic about getting him on the playing field. They deliberately avoided 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) groupings even though they featured them in Dak Prescott's first game back against the Detroit Lions.
There wasn't a better example of this than the second drive of the game when Kellen Moore unleashed a three-tight-ends set that lined up CeeDee Lamb as a running back in the backfield.
In it, the Cowboys used their tight ends out wide to give 3×1 looks to spread out the defense in multiple plays. It almost felt like their replacement for 11 personnel packages.
Of course, the grouping was pretty efficient for the Cowboys as they marched 69 yards down the field to cap the drive off with a touchdown. Props to Kellen Moore for finding that answer and others throughout the game.
But it's impossible to ignore that Dallas is clearly not comfortable playing Tolbert. And with limited playing time on tape, it's hard to know why. Whether it's about actual play or knowledge related remains unclear.
That being said, the Cowboys clearly had to expect more from Tolbert when they drafted him with the 84th overall pick in April. The rookie wide receiver showed in college he has traits that should translate to the NFL. And perhaps they will.
But right now, the coaching staff has yet to show they trust him. Hopefully, he changes that soon. The Cowboys could certainly use some depth at wide receiver.
Featured image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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