There was a lot to like in the Dallas Cowboys' Week 1 loss. Dak Prescott played at a high level, Javonte Williams ran hard and efficiently, and the interior offensive line created serious leverage against Philadelphia's defensive front.
It wasn't all perfect, however. CeeDee Lamb struggled with drops and George Pickens had a bad unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the red zone. Of course, Lamb and Pickens will be staples of the offense and there's little to no concern about how much they'll produce this year.
Jalen Tolbert is a much different story, and the Cowboys won't get a better chance to trade him after Chiefs star wide receiver Xavier Worthy suffered a shoulder injury in Kansas City's loss to the Chargers on Friday.
Cowboys should shop Jalen Tolbert to the Chiefs after Xavier Worthy's injury
Worthy was quickly ruled out for the game after he collided with Travis Kelce on a crossing route. He's set to undergo an MRI once the team returns to Kansas City from Brazil. Even if Worthy's injury isn't long-term, the Chiefs are decimated at wide receiver.
No. 1 target Rashee Rice is suspended six games and rookie fourth-round pick Jalen Royals missed Week 1 with a knee injury. That saw Patrick Mahomes pepper Marquise "Hollywood" Brown with 16 targets. In a loaded AFC, not even Mahomes can make it work with Brown as his lone explosive weapon.
That isn't to say Tolbert is great; Cowboys fans are fully aware of his limitations. However, the Chiefs need bodies and Tolbert would be an upgrade over Tyquan Thornton, who started opposite Brown on Friday with JuJu Smith-Schuster in the slot.
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A third-round pick in 2022, Tolbert is in the final year of his contract. He's fourth in the target pecking order behind Lamb, Pickens and Jake Ferguson, and he drew the ire of Cowboys fans on Thursday when he let KaVontae Turpin out to dry on a short pass.
Rather than throw a block for Turpin, Tolbert watched him get gang tackled by the Eagles. Turpin might have been able to pick up a few yards if Tolbert showed better effort. Regardless, it likely did not sit well with Turpin or teammates in the film room. If Tolbert doesn't want to do the dirty work, what's the point of him being on the team?
Tolbert creates very little separation on routes and doesn't have the elusiveness to create yards after the catch. However, he is good at getting open on broken plays and no quarterback in the NFL is better at creating something out of nothing than Mahomes.
It's not crazy to think Mahomes and Andy Reid could turn Tolbert into a productive role player. That clearly isn't going to happen with the Cowboys, so a trade could benefit both teams.