Time To Trade? Cowboys Young WRs Disappoint in Preseason
The Dallas Cowboys' tenuous depth at receiver took a significant blow earlier this camp as projected Week 1 starter James Washington was carted off the field ... and will likely be sidelined for 6-10 weeks due to surgery for a fractured foot.
While Michael Gallup speeds up his knee rehab, with hopes of maybe playing in September, it's up to the young receivers on the roster to make the most of what will be largely expanded roles for them.
But so far, the results have been largely disappointing.
Dallas drafted rookie receiver Jalen Tolbert in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft with hopes of him making an immediate impact. However, his preseason work hasn't lived up to the hype.
In the Cowboys' preseason debut against the Denver Broncos, Tolbert was targeted seven times, resulting in two catches for seven yards and no touchdowns. Overall, it was a lackluster performance for Tolbert, who had a dropped pass on a would-be fourth-down conversion in the second quarter followed by a false start two possessions later.
This past Saturday when facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers, Tolbert again had just two catches and a drop.
Receiver Noah Brown counts as a positive, and is expected to have an expanded role this season as well. But that's been based on his camp work, as he hasn't yet played in preseason action. That's in part due to the view that he's a valued starter (which comes as a mild surprise), and in part due to a toe injury.
UDFA rookie James Houston gets plaudits from the Cowboys, including from QB Dak Prescott, though the in-game numbers haven't been there.
In that area, the one bright spot from the young receivers: Simi Fehoko.
At Denver, Fehoko posted two catches for 18 yards and a touchdown on just two targets. In fact, Fehoko's touchdown was also Dallas' lone score of the day.
The game was a huge positive for Fehoko who has also dominated throughout training camp.
Fehoko then posted an impressive third-down reception against the Chargers on Saturday while facing double coverage.
Nonetheless, that was Fehoko's lone reception against the Chargers.
If Fehoko is the only semi-viable receiver behind CeeDee Lamb while Michael Gallup and James Washington are out (and no, we're not counting KaVontae Turpin, as special as he's been in the return game), this team is still in trouble ... which is why the concept of acquiring a veteran simply won't go away.
Cowboys COO Stephen Jones admitted earlier this offseason that the team has been considering a trade or signing to remedy the situation. There are names still on the market for Dallas, such as Will Fuller, Emmanuel Sanders and TY Hilton, among others. And pending what happens in the Friday preseason finale at home against Seattle? That seems more plausible and necessary than ever ... as the young receivers continue to fall flat.
Follow FishSports on Twitter
Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook
Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live-stream podcasts and reports!
