Following the release of Tyreek Hill this offseason, wide receiver suddenly became a glaring need for the Miami Dolphins. Jaylen Waddle is the obvious choice for WR1, but Miami's depth behind him didn't give new quarterback Malik Willis a lot of options.
The good news for Willis, though, is that general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is not setting him up for complete failure in his first season as the Dolphins' franchise QB. No, the Dolphins do not suddenly have a top-five or even top-10 unit, but they have now brought in two guys with experience who can come in and compete for the No. 2 role behind Waddle.
On Thursday, Miami signed former Los Angeles Rams WR Tutu Atwell on a one-year deal, and now, they've agreed to a one-year contract with former Dallas Cowboys receiver Jalen Tolbert.
Tolbert has more size than Atwell (6'1" to 5'9", respectively), giving him the early edge to win the WR2 spot as the roster currently stands. More notably, Tolbert also has experience already working with Willis, with the two having played together at the Senior Bowl prior to them being drafted.
Jalen Tolbert agrees to a 1-year deal with the Miami Dolphins to compete for a starting role
The Dolphins have surprised many this free agency period with how active they've been. Most, including myself, believed in the run for Willis, but that it would mostly be followed by silence outside of a few re-signings. However, Sullivan has made it clear he wants to bring in his type of guys, and he's doing exactly that.
What isn't surprising is that nearly every signing outside of Willis has been for one year, and Tolbert's contract is no different. Financial terms of the deal have not yet been released, but chances are it's for little to no guaranteed money. Like with Atwell, this gives Tolbert an opportunity to play and contribute, hoping for a bigger payday in 2027.
Tolbert was drafted by the Cowboys in Round 3 of the 2022 NFL Draft at No. 88 overall -- just two spots after Willis. His rookie year was more of a developmental season than anything else, as the former small-school receiver totaled just two receptions for 12 yards in eight games on the year.
Tolbert showed improvement in 2023, as he appeared in all 17 games, but it was his third NFL season in which he truly broke out. Tolbert again appeared in all 17 games, totaling 49 receptions for 610 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
To get a better idea of what Miami is getting, Jerry Trotta from our Cowboys sister site, the Landry Hat, gave us a rundown of what to expect from Tolbert.
"Jalen Tolbert is the definition of a maddening player. He’ll have spurts that suggest he can be a regular contributor, but those are often followed by goose eggs in the box score."
"It’s hard to put much stock into his 2024 breakout, as he was the de facto No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, who received a ton of double teams and bracket coverage. Presented with a real test to prove himself in 2025, Tolbert allowed 2024 sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy to leapfrog him on the depth chart, which all but confirmed it would be the end of his time in Dallas."
Moving to Miami, Tolbert has a chance to bounce back as a viable contributor. He'll never be a primary option, but Tolbert has the athletic ability to be a complementary receiver. In an ideal world, he'd be a solid WR3 capable of occasionally producing WR2-level production. However, the Dolphins are not yet in an ideal spot, so unless Miami takes a wide receiver high in the draft, there's a good chance Tolbert could be Willis' WR2 throughout 2026.