News: BTB: Rico Gathers looks to be working on his route running ahead of training camp

[Doomsday101]

Fasano actually played several years in this league after he left.
Bennett as well.
Basically with Wit in your way, you were never getting reps... period.
So saying that Rico has had a chance, is really no different than any of his predecessors.

That is true. Swaim is really the only one who has seen playing time. As for Rico getting a chance? Dallas has continued giving a kid with really no experience even in College the opportunity to learn and now with the position open it is up to Rico to step up and prove he is the best man for the job.

 

[cern]

Depends on the offense you run not all offense are pass happy. Hell if all you want is a big slow WR Dallas can do that but that is not a TE. In the mean time all the TE you named were top players in college, what football team did Rico play for in college? Trying to compare a kid who has not played the game and making him out to be a Gronkowski is a bit much

My whole premise was that IF Rico can be a good receiving te and a chain mover, I'd personally get over any blocking deficiencies. I didn't compare him to anyone. Our offensive scheme utilizing the dinosaur te approach has failed. We need to do something differently. I don't know if Rico is the man or not. Combined, our te's have less that 100 total yards in the nfl. Our weakest position.

 

[Doomsday101]

My whole premise was that IF Rico can be a good receiving te and a chain mover, I'd personally get over any blocking deficiencies. I didn't compare him to anyone. Our offensive scheme utilizing the dinosaur te approach has failed. We need to do something differently. I don't know if Rico is the man or not. Combined, our te's have less that 100 total yards in the nfl. Our weakest position.

and if the other TE who can block as well as catch? Rico is not a WR he is a TE and in this offense not other teams offense you need to be at the very least a decent blocker. He has had 2 years of training and learning to play the position that is being asked of him by the Cowboys. If he can't cut it, then it is on him. I agree combined our TE have less than 100 yards and a kid with 0 experience at any legit level is the solution? I hope Rico does a great job but I have more faith right now in kids who have actually played the position and know how to play it.

 

[Typhus]

I don't think he makes the team. He has had 2-3 years and really, no real positive reviews on the guy.

Post more, you will get better.

 

[dallasdave]

umm ... we are talkin football ... points matter .... no Dez, no Witten ... where's the big red zone target ... Rico makes this team

Well said indeed Sir

 

[Number1]

There is some truth to what you say, but consider that Jay novacek, aikman's security blanket, weighed about 235 and was not a good blocker. But he was a receiving threat who moved the chains. Those cowboys were a run first team with emmitt

It's easier to run a LB off the LOS with a pattern than to push them off - Novacek and Winslow played in the same system and basically never blocked anyone at the 1st level

 

[Doomsday101]

Well said indeed Sir

Rico is 6'06" so is Dalton Shutlz.

 

[dallasdave]

Rico is 6'06" so is Dalton Shutlz.

Rico is a lot bigger

 

[exciter]

Translation: Rico is deciding how to completely dominate opponents and coordinating 20 different touchdown dances, one for each score he will have this year

More like Rico realizes the gig is up and is desperately trying to improve enough that he resembles something that looks like an NFL player!

 

[Doomsday101]

Rico is a lot bigger

Rico body mass is bigger height wise Shultz is 6'06" just like Rico. You would think the body mass would help in him being a better blocker, yet Shultz at Stanford was asked to do just that block but he also has size and actually better leaping ability than Rico

 

[dallasdave]

Rico body mass is bigger height wise Shultz is 6'06" just like Rico. You would think the body mass would help in him being a better blocker, yet Shultz at Stanford was asked to do just that block but he also has size and actually better leaping ability than Rico

In the red zone this year you will see what the body mass will do, just wait, don't say something about in the past this is Ricos real rookie year. If you ever saw him play power foward you will know what is coming in the end zone. Shultz does not have the body mass to hang with Rico in the red zone,and I am not talking about blocking, I am talking about touchdowns.

 

[GMO415]

We don't have time to wait on him. It's this TC or never.

 

[OmerV]

Gonna be tough when the team is a run first dominant team who likes to use the passing game to keep the defense honest enough not to over sell on the run

Rico is talented... but solely working on only the passing game and not pass blocking will have him as a casualty when things get tough

I don't know that it's fair to assume he isn't working on pass blocking, It may just be that route running is more something that can be worked on in shorts, whereas there is only so much work a person can do on pass blocking outside of game like drills and situations.

 

[Doomsday101]

In the red zone this year you will see what the body mass will do, just wait, don't say something about in the past this is Ricos real rookie year. If you ever saw him play power foward you will know what is coming in the end zone. Shultz does not have the body mass to hang with Rico in the red zone,and I am not talking about blocking, I am talking about touchdowns.

If that happens great, right now Rico needs to earn a spot on the team. Playing against 2nd and 3rd string players in Pre Season is not a career. I hope Rico can come out and show he can do the job both in receiving and blocking. I don't think he has to be a master of blocking but I do think he has to show enough in that area to earn a spot on the team. Why is that important because injuries happen and when they do someone has to step in and play TE and that player has to be able to block for Zeke and other RB.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't know that it's fair to assume he isn't working on pass blocking, It may just be that route running is more something that can be worked on in shorts, whereas there is only so much work a person can do on pass blocking outside of game like drills and situations.

I would think coaches have him spending quite a bit of time learning how to block and how he has to seal off the edge on running plays to the outside. Just as many HC will not play a RB who can't block, Dallas is not going to be playing TE who can't block because the run game is a very important part of this offense

 

[dallasdave]

If that happens great, right now Rico needs to earn a spot on the team. Playing against 2nd and 3rd string players in Pre Season is not a career. I hope Rico can come out and show he can do the job both in receiving and blocking. I don't think he has to be a master of blocking but I do think he has to show enough in that area to earn a spot on the team. Why is that important because injuries happen and when they do someone has to step in and play TE and that player has to be able to block for Zeke and other RB.

One of the best TE's Dallas ever had was not a great blocker, helped em win 3 Super Bowls and when the suck stealers stalled Dallas offense Troy went right to him to get the 1st TD of the game and his name is JAY

 

[Doomsday101]

One of the best TE's Dallas ever had was not a great blocker, helped em win 3 Super Bowls and when the suck stealers stalled Dallas offense Troy went right to him to get the 1st TD of the game and his name is JAY

Was jay novacek as accomplished of a blocker as Witten? NO however Novaceck was not a liability in his blocking. As I said about Rico he does not need to be a devastating blocker but he can't be a liability in his blocking, Novacek could seal the edge, does not have to be a bone crushing block but he still could seal the edge.

 

[Doomsday101]

When asked if he would now trust Ertz with a key blocking assignment, Houck gave quite the compliment through a player comparison from his time with the Cowboys.

"He's very similar to Jay Novacek," he said.

"He's built like Jay, and he's a hard worker like Jay. But he's probably stronger than Jay. We asked Jay to do a lot of [in-line blocking]. What we asked him to do would not generally be a one-on-one block, where you would, say, reach-block a linebacker who's 260 pounds. But in the offense that we had, with Jay we asked him to do a lot of down-blocking where we gave him angles to get on a defender and then sustain the block from there with athletic ability."

"Blocking somebody isn't all about power. It's also about your athletic ability and being able to sustain the block, keep your balance, use your feet and have overall foot quickness, which Zach has. So I would trust him."

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...ne-of-the-nfls-biggest-breakout-stars-in-2015