FRISCO, Texas - According to offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, the addition of Brandon Cooks hasn't just elevated the team speed on offense but has allowed others around him to elevate their game.
One of the beneficiaries is second-year receiver Jalen Tolbert, who appears to be taking strides towards a better season in 2023.
"Jalen Tolbert has had an incredible camp," Schottenheimer said. "And if you talk to Jalen, what he'll tell you is that he's spent a ton of time with Brandin."
Cooks is entering his tenth professional season and starting anew with his fifth NFL franchise, having tallied at least one 1,000-yard season with each of the previous four. Tolbert on the other hand, finished with just two receptions for 12 yards during his debut season in the league.
Despite this being Cooks' first season in Dallas, the two have spent significant portions of the offseason working in tandem to fill the depth chart of the wide receiver room. A pairing that has benefited the entire offense, but especially the trajectory of Tolbert.
"What Brandin wants to do, although coming to learn a system, is he wants to encourage and invest in the younger guys. Those guys spend a lot of time together. I see them before practice in the weight room working together."
More extra work will come in handy over the next couple months after minicamp concluded last week. From the small sample size seen so far, the pairing between experienced veteran and unproven returner has already paid dividends for an offense that needs more weapons entering training camp in July.
