'The Jalens!' Can Cowboys Trust 'Em?

The Dallas Cowboys' offseason has again been dominated by young receivers making their mark on the roster. Last year it was Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks who stood out consistently, and the duo is at it again in Oxnard.

With Tolbert again going up a level and developing chemistry with Dak Prescott in CeeDee Lamb's absence and consistently making splash plays in practice, along with Brooks again being a beacon of consistency when the ball is thrown his way, the duo has again had a superb camp.

So much so that head coach Mike McCarthy is very confident in the ability of his two young receivers.

“They're doing exactly what you're looking for, and didn't just start once we arrived in California. Those guys have grown immensely throughout the offseason program; put in the extra time with Dak. I don't know too many external throwing sessions where those two weren’t involved, so that's what it takes in today's climate of the NFL, your quarterbacks and perimeter players have to work away from the facility. ...

"I'm very confident in both JT and JB.”

With some doubts over the depth at the receiver position after Lamb and Brandin Cooks, much of the workload will fall onto the likes of Tolbert and Brooks to help alleviate the workload. And the coach's trust speaks volumes here.

Prescott has been in Tolbert's ear all offseason, giving him the confidence to play without the mental handbrake on. As for Brooks, he remains the steady, consistent outlet for Dak in team drills, and, more often than not, when the ball is thrown his way, he completes the catch.

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Of course, the proof of the pair's development will be when the regular season begins in Cleveland, but if McCarthy is "very confident" in the pair to be role players for his offense in 2024, then maybe the fears over Dallas' skill position players will be eased

But with Lamb's holdout continuing, Tolbert and Brooks will continue to get valuable reps with the first team, and that will only mean good things when Dak calls on the pair when real NFL bullets start flying.