Cowboys 'Page-Turner': WR Jalen Tolbert Reveals Plan with Brandin Cooks as Mentor

After a poor rookie season, Dallas Cowboys receiver Jalen Tolbert is ready to move on and have a better year for "America's Team.''

Second-year Dallas Cowboys receiver Jalen Tolbert is ready to put his poor rookie season in the rearview mirror. After only catching two passes for 12 yards last year, Tolbert has a big upside.

Having already made an impression during Cowboys OTA's, Tolbert is looking forward to training camp and putting his best foot forward.

"I'm excited to turn the page," Tolbert said. "Obviously OTA's, going to training camp and continue to improve. I'm looking forward to it. It can't come fast enough. Right now just being able to put a helmet on and run routes and compete to a certain extent, it's fun."

A rookie receiver having a down year as Tolbert did can have awful aftereffects. After much criticism heaped his way, Tolbert could be forgiven for going into his shell in Year 2. But instead, a new addition to the Dallas locker room in veteran Brandin Cooks has been one reason for Tolbert's turnaround thus far.

"He's been a big part of the offseason for me," Tolbert said. "We go eat, talk ball, we work out together, all the little things. He's been in the league for a while, and he's had six 1,000-yard seasons. We talk, and he sees in me what I see as well, and he told me 'I'm gonna look out for you.'

"I'm so excited to go with him and learn more about the stuff he sees. Having guys like that, that I've never had before in my football career, is positive and big for me, and I'm gonna continue to grow off that."

​Tolbert looks far more assured receiver than 12 months ago, and perhaps Cooks is the reason for that. Having seen plenty of first-team reps, the offseason is going well for Tolbert, and fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb can already notice a difference.

"Oh, he's gotten better," Lamb said. "His route-running, his ability to catch in traffic, his confidence is growing, you can see it. Day by day, as we go, he's continually asking questions, he's staying late after meetings. You can tell the determination is there."

While all of this news is good for the soul, it means nothing right now as routes are run mostly against air. This week's minicamp will ramp things up a bit. And then ... Training camp will be a different story, and then there is the small matter of translating his work into game situations during the season.

If all goes well, though, Tolbert could see an increase in snaps this season and, indeed - with guidance from vets like Cooks - turn the page on what was a forgettable rookie campaign.

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