Cowboys’ Cooks says “the time is now” for Dallas teammate

While the start of the new NFL season may still be a few months off – Baltimore open things up at defending Super Bowl LVIII champions Kansas City on 5 September – teams are already making all the necessary preparations to kick off in style. The Dallas Cowboys are as active as others as they look to end the years of dashed hopes of their fans, and there may be an opportunity for one player in particular to step up. His name is Jalen Tolbert.

Tolbert ready to breakout for Cowboys

Readying himself for his third year in the league, the release of Michael Gallup is expected to open up more minutes and more snaps for the 25-year-old wide receiver. He’ll take the third spot behind the main starters Ceedee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, the latter of whom is supremely confident based on what he’s seen in training so far, saying “the time is now for him.”

“The way that he’s able to talk about a route or the way he’s able to tell the quarterback the way he sees things,” Cooks said. “He’s not shy anymore. He’s able to go up to Dak [Prescott] and say, ‘Hey, I seen it this way,’ and it’s awesome to see him grow in that aspect.

“He’s ready to go. Whatever the expectation is for him out there, I’m telling you he’s going to crush it. He’s ready.”

Tolbert following Lamb and Cooks

That confidence is shared by the player himself, who spoke to ESPN recently about stepping up.

“That’s my goal, to go out and prove to myself; I am who I say I am,” Tolbert said. “Obviously, you hear that all the time. But just go out there and chase greatness. I have two guys who ride along with me in CeeDee and Cooks, and I’m looking forward to following in their footsteps and doing what I can to create value on this team.”

Tolbert arrived in Dallas in the third round of the 2022 Draft and took in 22 receptions for 268 yards across 17 games last season. Two touchdowns included.