Rookie minicamps across the NFL are just about wrapped up and Cowboys fans caught a glimpse of some players who could be key contributors right away.
It’s not necessarily due to how well they are playing, but it speaks more to the lack of experienced depth on the Cowboys roster after losing 13 players to free agency.
There are a handful of positions where rookies and second or third-year players will be expected to make a huge leap forward in their development.
The success of the team depends on it, and it might now seem fair, but it’s the reality of the situation that Dallas finds itself in.
Wide receiver is one of those positions, and today kicks off a short series of examining positions on the roster where young players’ performances will be key to how good this team actually is in 2024.
Don’t mind the headings in this article. I’m going through the playlist of the rap battle between Kendrick and Drake and they inspired me.
Like That
Purely looking at it from a production and experience standpoint, the Cowboys only have two players at wide receiver that are locks for the roster.
CeeDee Lamb
Contract negotiations aside, CeeDee Lamb is not only the best wide receiver on the Cowboys but he is also considered one of the best in the entire NFL.
Lamb is coming off of his first All-Pro season, shattering records and lighting up televisions across the world on his way to a 135/1,749/12TD stat line that cemented him as one of the best in the league.
CeeDee has Cowboys Nation in an uproar for not attending VOLUNTARY workouts. People, the workouts are voluntary for a reason. Let me help you out a bit.
Merriam-Webster defines the word “voluntary” as an adjective meaning “acting of one’s own free will without valuable consideration or legal observation”.
That means he has the choice to attend or not, and the team itself has labeled the workouts as voluntary.
If he doesn’t show up for OTAs (organized team activities), then we can have a conversation about him being disgruntled with the team about his contract extension that has yet to be negotiated.
Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks was solid, yet unspectacular for the Cowboys in his first season with a star on his helmet.
Many, including myself, expected him to set the record for the number of teams one player has posted 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
There was no reason to believe he wouldn’t accomplish the feat but a 31% target share for Lamb might have had something to do with it.
We also didn’t expect a breakout season from TE Jake Ferguson that took another 102 targets that could have gone Cooks’ way.
He did finish with a respectable 54/657/8TD stat line, but we know he is capable of more. He came up clutch in crucial moments several times over the course of the season.
The young wide receiver room can surely use that veteran presence this season after veteran Michael Gallup signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
We Still Don’t Trust You
This category is for players who have shown us a little something but it hasn’t been on a consistent basis.
Jalen Tolbert
Jalen Tolbert has been one of the most scrutinized third-round picks in recent memory for the franchise.
There were claims of “NFL-ready” when he was drafted with the 88th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but those NFL plays have been few and far between.
Tolbert was able to wrestle away playing time from the fading Gallup this past season and showed flashes of what he can do.
He needs to play with more confidence and remember that it’s just a game and it comes naturally.
That should help him improve in year three, and put up better numbers as a WR3 than his 2023 22/268/2TD stat line.
KaVontae Turpin
I truly believe KaVontae Turpin is being overlooked as a key contributor in his third year of Mike McCarthy’s offense but that’s an article for another day.
Turpin is not just a gadget player or return specialist. He has the traits to be a good wide receiver in the NFL and showed flashes of that in 2023 when given the opportunity.
After a year of strictly contributing on special teams, Turpin touched the ball 23 times on offense last season.
He rushed 11 times for 110 yards and caught 12 passes for 127 yards with four total touchdowns and averaged 10.3 yards per touch.
This season will show us whether or not he can maintain that production on a consistent basis.
Push Ups
This section is reserved for the players who need to put the work in before they can be considered for a larger role in the offense.
Jalen Brooks
Jalen Brooks is a 7th-round pick of the 2023 draft and he impressed the coaching staff enough to earn some playing time during the regular season.
Brooks appeared in seven games and caught six passes for 64 yards while playing just 16% of the offensive snaps.
He will be in the conversation for WR3 with a strong training camp.
Jalen Moreno-Cropper
The third Jalen in the wide receiver room is 2023 undrafted free agent signee Jalen Moreno-Cropper.
JMC hasn’t gotten much opportunity to show what he can do outside of the practice squad, but with a possible hold out from Lamb, there will be more snaps to go around in training camp.
Ryan Flournoy
The newest addition to the wide receiver room is 2024 6th-round pick Ryan Flournoy from Southeast Missouri State.
Flournoy compared himself to Dez Bryant in his playstyle, and his size and play speed match up to that comparison.
He has a long way to go before he can truly compare himself to Cowboys’ fan-favorite Dez Bryant, but he can compete for a role in the offense.
