Owens and Crayton didn’t play in the preseason finale, and coach Wade Phillips acknowledged the two could be the only active wideouts for the opener. If that’s the case, who would be in the No. 3 spot?
How about four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, who already splits wide in several formations.
“Witten can be a third receiver, obviously. He’s a force as a pass receiver,” Phillips said. “There’s no reason you can’t give it a Colts look where you’ve got Witten in the slot like they do with (Dallas) Clark. Witten’s a force out there, so he can be a third receiver if we need him too.”
Witten is already a favorite target of close friend Romo. Witten had a team-high 96 catches—15 more than T.O.—for 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and has averaged 69 catches over his five NFL seasons.
With tight ends Tony Curtis and rookie Martellus Bennett, the team’s second-round pick, having productive camps, the Cowboys have confidence in moving Witten into the slot even more often if that’s needed.
Plus, the Cowboys throw a lot to their running backs, and rookie Felix Jones has impressed with his ability to catch the ball.
[Double lock booked thought. We may carry only 2 WR's first game - Stanbach back soon and Austin a week or two later and Hurd probably 5-6 weeks out with fractured Tibia- Fibula/High ankle sprain.
We have talent to pull this off for a few weeks versus cutting our depth for scrub NFL WR's like some advocate.
