Two seasons have come and gone since Peyton Hendershot and Jalen Tolbert began their careers with the Dallas Cowboys.
While each showcased their skills, they also highlighted areas that need improvement if they want to level up their game.
With a few seasons in the rearview mirror, these players should have the practice and experience to take advantage of their opportunities in 2024.
Peyton Hendershot’s first season with the Cowboys was fun.
The undrafted TE, along with rookie TE Jake Ferguson, brought a lot of youthful energy and attitude to the offense and earned himself many nicknames, including “Frick and Frack” coined by Mike McCarthy.
The pair even broke the franchise record for two starting TEs to score a TD in the same season.
Hendershot finished the season with three touchdowns (two receptions) and half of his targets came on first downs.
After a strong season in 2022, Hendershot, Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Sean McKeon looked to step up and fill the shoes left.
With the departure of Dalton Schultz. Instead of getting a chance to build on last season’s success, Hendershot was unable to progress when he injured his ankle in September, which ultimately led to an IR tag.
He was available for just eight games in 2023 and had just four receptions for 38 yards. In his absence, Ferguson established himself as the Cowboys’ TE1.
However, the TE2 role seems to be a bit more blurred and Hendershot has a chance to take over this season.
While Schoonmaker was a second-round draft pick and has shown plenty of value as a run blocker, there is still much to be desired in the passing game.
Compare Schoonmaker’s 53.3 percent catch percentage to Hendershot’s 68.8 percent catch percentage in his rookie season on nearly the same number of targets, and Hendershot has a real chance to compete for the No. 2 spot.
The other competing TEs in the roster has its own challenges. McKeon danced back and forth from the practice squad during his four seasons with the Cowboys.
He was trusted as the next man up when Hendershot was placed on IR, but his future with the team is still up in the air as he is now a free agent.
WR John Stephens Jr. was one of the biggest standouts in the first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He led receivers in catches and yards, highlighted by a 15-yard TD.
However, he spent the rest of the season on IR with a torn ACL he suffered in the next preseason game.
Coming back from this type of injury is never a walk in the park.As for Hendershot, although he returned from IR in Week 14, he underwent ankle surgery shortly after the season ended.
His return schedule shows he won’t miss any offseason programs. This bodes well for a TE looking to make a bigger impact this season.
Jalen Tolbert:Jalen Tolbert made a big leap from one year to the next.
Fans of his rookie year were a little disappointed when the third-round draft pick didn’t see much of the field.
He only played in eight games and his most memorable game was one where he didn’t even touch the ball.
It was actually a punishment. Tolbert made a clear play on the offside that led to Tony Pollard in overtime, resulting in a loss to the Green Bay Packers.
After not being able to contribute as much as he would have liked, the only option was to move on.
In his second season, Tolbert significantly improved his game.
He started by making waves in training camp and preseason games and carried over into the regular season.
He gained confidence from the coaches and Dak Prescott when he played in all 17 games and had 22 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.
In the first game against the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, he scored crucial points and kept the Cowboys in those games until the end.2024.
In 2018, Tolbert has the opportunity to make another big leap. Fans already asked for the coaches to give him more targets and get him more involved in the offense last season.
With Michael Gallup’s run with the Cowboys probably coming to an end and he’s supposed to be after June 1st, that would free up a lot of targets for Tolbert to potentially exploit.
Gallup was called a controversial catch WR who took those 50/50 balls away from defenders, and Tolbert proved to have the same qualities.
He is in a great position to take that role and solidify his place in this offense.Bet Now!CeeDee LambTo Win MVP+13000To Win Offensive Player Of The Year+ 850Odds / Lines Subject to Change.
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