BTB: Geoff Swaim Is The Biggest Surprise Of Cowboys’ Training Camp

Denim Chicken said:
Gonna be hard to keep 6 WR, 4RB, and 4TE. Hopefully we can ditch that FB spot.
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I keep thinking that's more and more likely. Everything I'm reading and hearing says that neither Rod nor Keith Smith are showing that they're ready to handle the job. So I think they either look for one outside, or they go without one at all.

Much like the offensive line, I think they go light at the spot because none of the candidates are showing themselves worthy of the 53-man roster spot.
 
JohnsKey19 said:
Some of the reporters believe they will "hide" Swaim by not playing him much during preseason and try to sneak him on the practice squad. They fear Gathers will get plucked by another team if placed on practice squad. They also believe Escobar is trade bait and will get plenty of snaps to showcase.
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Right. We are going hide a player. This isn't the 80s. No one isn't going to already have a ton of information on a player. Some of these reporters just have nothing to actually report so they rely on dumb speculation.

Also, how are you going to hide him? Play Witten for a full half? Escobar looks good but he is coming off a major injury - we likely monitor his snaps. Hanna is on PUP and Gathers is lost in the blocking game.

If anything, Swaim gets a ton of snaps.
 
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Denim Chicken said:
I don't think anyone would waste a roster spot on Gathers. I hope we don't.
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We drafted him to have an edge on getting him to the PS. I expect he would have been an in demand UDFA as other teams likely wanted a look and an inside track on signing him to the PS.

Don't think anyone in this league gives him a spot on the 53. He's clearly a guy who needs a year or two.
 
Something I always liked about the kid. Underutilized in Texas, so the Cowboys may have found a late round gem.
 
Carharris2 said:
I have said this in several threads and I'm waiting for someone to tell me I'm wrong. For the, what seems like, very limited number of plays we use a FB I wonder why can't a backup from another position group be used. LB, TE, or even OL. I've seen New England do it. I know some guys are better than others but, I just don't see the unique talent needed to hit the correct guy In the hole.
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We are in sense with former LB Keith Smith.
 
JohnsKey19 said:
Some of the reporters believe they will "hide" Swaim by not playing him much during preseason and try to sneak him on the practice squad.
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Very unlikely.

Jason Witten will only play a handful of series the entire pre-season. James Hanna is on PUP and hasn't practiced a snap yet. Gavin Escobar looks good, but is returning from a major injury last December and will be brought along slowly. Rico Gathers is a project and Austin Traylor an undrafted long shot.

Geoff Swaim has to play serious snaps in pre-season, there's no way around it.

Hook 'em is the #2 TE by default presently, but he's also having a great training camp and deserving of the opportunity.

They fear Gathers will get plucked by another team if placed on practice squad.
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That's life in the NFL.

You draft a project with big potential upside, you may lose him on waivers trying to get him to the Practice Squad.

Rico Gathers isn't ready for a roster spot, he'll go to the Practice Squad or get claimed by another team.

They also believe Escobar is trade bait and will get plenty of snaps to showcase.
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Trade bait?

A conditional 2017 7th rounder?

Esc has no trade value. He's hardly played NFL football and is returning from a bad injury.
 
stasheroo said:
Do we really need to take a positive development and turn it into something negative (told ya so!)?
:huh:
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They're desperate for anything. So a meaningless camp prop from a fan site gets them beside themselves.

I just sit in amusement. As these geniuses are stunned when stiffs like Anthony Hitchens fizzle out like fodder.
 
I'm confused. Wouldn't the surprise be that Swaim isn't dominating?
 
JohnsKey19 said:
Some of the reporters believe they will "hide" Swaim by not playing him much during preseason and try to sneak him on the practice squad. They fear Gathers will get plucked by another team if placed on practice squad. They also believe Escobar is trade bait and will get plenty of snaps to showcase.
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I sort of get this idea but putting a project player on the team over a guy who may rightfully deserve the spot is... bothersome in practice. Still, it could work out. Aside from Swaim and Witten you still have three healthy TEs in Escobar, Gathers and Austin Traylor (if Traylor is still on the team). But even if you put Swaim out there he doesn't have to do a lot. All of this said, the idea of "hiding" players is a risky business.
 
JohnsKey19 said:
Yes. Exactly.

I agree with others that Gathers getting signed to any team's 53 is unlikely.
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And I agree with you. I initially thought he was too valuable to risk to waivers, but from everything I've heard and read, he's just too far away at this point from truly contributing.
 
I think it is great that our no 4 TE is having a good camp but it would be nice if it was another position player surprising. Maybe a LB or DE.
 
McLovin said:
In fairness, the beef was trading this year's 6th to get him at the end of last year's 7th. You can argue the probabilities of 6th panning out, but it was value to get him
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McLovin said:
In fairness, the beef was trading this year's 6th to get him at the end of last year's 7th. You can argue the probabilities of 6th panning out, but it was value to get him
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I'm not trying to put words in Risen's mouth. Just pointing out that he was really the one who took issue with the Swaim pick and kinda drove it into the ground for massive comic effect.

I think they were expecting to lose Hanna and wanted a guy with a year of blocking in the system to backup Escobar, who has his challenges there. Then Escobar's achilles changed the plan. Looked at that way, the trade made more sense.
 
If Swaim is truly a pleasant surprise, he might be coming on at the right time. Hanna is hurt and Escobar will be used sparingly if at all. With all of that being the case, Swaim is almost certain to see a plentiful supply of reps in the preseason. It would very likely help his cause in the process.
 
AbeBeta said:
Gathers is not getting picked up by anyone. He clearly needs a year or so on a PS. Any team who sort of likes him will just wait until we've spent resources on him then try to pluck him off our PS late season if the can blow the roster spot
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Well, Gaithers could possibly strain his hamstring and get placed on IR.
 
Swaim's game most resembles Witten's style. Big guy that can block and can catch the ball. Not the same caliber, if course, but different style.

Escobar is supposed to mimic a guy like Jimmy Graham. Hanna is useful, but always hurt. Gaithers is a project that is nowhere near ready.

Swaim looks like a very good pick in case Witten went down. The run game could remain the same, and he's not useless in the passing game.
 
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