Cutting it close: Rico Gathers

[CWR]

He makes the team.

I think hes turned it up this camp. As of late I get the same feeling.

 

[Kaiser]

I think we keep 4 TEs and Rico makes plays in specialty sets. But its still a close call, the comparison would be a rookie baseball player that hits moonshot home runs but butchers plays on defense. You have to balance the good with the bad and not just watch the highlight homeruns.

 

[fansince68]

He made A catch. Lets pump the brakes.

We should pump the brakes on ALL of the TE's. Shultz was a 4th round pick. Despite playi g football in High school and college he hasn't shown me "Schitz" and I don't see a 3rd of the potential as Rico. Maybe we should sign a vet after cut down and jettison most of the crappy stiffs we are currently using word games to describe their shoddy play. If McClay..is such a great talent evaluator..why can't he see the potential with such a specimen as Rico? Remember the safety we drafted about 10 years ago that was so loaded with potential that we invested about 4 years In him yet he rarely suited up due to injuries .

 

[kskboys]

I agree but when we drafted him. I'm am sure they knew he didn't know much of anything. He had been away for 7years or so. The game changes every few seasons in the NFL so we know a guy that hadnt been playing since he was in middle school didn't know anything. he had to learn routes and how to run them, the terminology. Hes learned that. Now he has to understand who to block and why . That is the last step,its a catch 22 because he is only going to learn by being on the field, the problem is him not knowing who to block can hurt his qb or shut down the play. To me this is why preseason is valuable because he can learn a ton by being on the field and it won't hurt your playoff hopes. He needs to play as much as possible in passing and running. The other young guys need it too so the coaches have to balance it all out. He has most of the raw things you need like the routes, how and where to run and the play calls now he needs to understand how to block and who. With a year more he should be able to grasp that. The coaches have suffered alot already. They might as well give him that third year because the reward would be so great if he catches on with the understanding of the game. I feel like his potential to help our team is just as great as jaylon's or Randys. We gave them time it is about to pay off in a huuuge way! I think gathers impact could and will be just as big on the offense with one more season.

This is his 3rd year. He should already know much of what you speak of.

 

[OmerV]

I think we keep 4 TEs and Rico makes plays in specialty sets. But its still a close call, the comparison would be a rookie baseball player that hits moonshot home runs but butchers plays on defense. You have to balance the good with the bad and not just watch the highlight homeruns.

Very good analogy. I made a similar baseball analogy a week or so ago. There are some players that seem to make the ocassional highlight play, but miss too many of the more basic ones needed to make them dependable. I’m not labeling Rico that way because I naturally can’t and don’t see all the coaches do, but given how raw Rico was coming in it’s very possible this could be the case.

 

[davidariust24]

He had been out more like 9 years, and of course they knew he was a project when they drafted him, but that doesn’t give him unlimited time. As for Gregory and Jaylon, they didn’t take up roster spots while they weren’t playing, and RICO will likely require a roster spot this year. In addition, having all those developmental years RIco didn’t have they didn’t have all the catch up to do, plus with them being on defense missed assignments don’t get the Cowboys QB or RB hurt. It’s not an apples to apples comparison.

But I think Rico will likely get that extra year, but that assumes there aren’t more issues than a fan watching on TV can see.

We have to remember this is his third season . Randy Gregory waa drafted the year before. We knew gathers wasn't going to play year 1 he went straight to the practice squad. Year 2 he has a great preseason and had a concussion and mysteriously is out for an ENTIRE season. That wiped out his year two. He should have received playing time last year. I really dont believe he stayed in concussion protocol for a whole season. The coaches did that for a reason. So now he can't play or a whole season. Thats alot of experience he could have gained. He needs time on the field. He will learn the game and who to block. Dak will get this guy on the same page I'm confident of that. Dak will know how to lead this guy to get out of him what he needs. I just hope they give him one more year.

 

[Bullflop]

I think we keep 4 TEs and Rico makes plays in specialty sets. But its still a close call, the comparison would be a rookie baseball player that hits moonshot home runs but butchers plays on defense. You have to balance the good with the bad and not just watch the highlight homeruns.

Jerry sure sounds like he wants to keep him around, although the question comes as to whether or not they'd want someone else more. When it comes down to deciding who makes the final 53 or not, the numbers can be either kind or cruel for so many players. It will be interesting to see what Rico's fate will be when the time for that decision comes due and the Turk is lurking here and there for his victims. Let's also see if Jerry exercises his "last word."

 

[OmerV]

This is his 3rd year. He should already know much of what you speak of.

There is a lot more to it than just X’s and O’s and terminology though. He missed 9-10 years of developing instincts and understanding and learning not only basic plays, but how things actually go on the field and the nuances and the ability to act and react immediately without having to think.

 

[Batman1980]

At this point Gathers would be better off getting cut and going somewhere else. The feeling of being released would deflate his ego a bit and on another team he wouldn't be in the shadow of a HOF TE.

 

[davidariust24]

I've seen more from the others. Swaim and Jarwin are locks IMO. I also think Schultz has more realistic potential.
Gathers just doesn't know the position.

I'm sincerely asking what have you seen?

 

[OmerV]

We have to remember this is his third season . Randy Gregory waa drafted the year before. We knew gathers wasn't going to play year 1 he went straight to the practice squad. Year 2 he has a great preseason and had a concussion and mysteriously is out for an ENTIRE season. That wiped out his year two. He should have received playing time last year. I really dont believe he stayed in concussion protocol for a whole season. The coaches did that for a reason. So now he can't play or a whole season. Thats alot of experience he could have gained. He needs time on the field. He will learn the game and who to block. Dak will get this guy on the same page I'm confident of that. Dak will know how to lead this guy to get out of him what he needs. I just hope they give him one more year.

He wasn’t in concussion protocol the entire season. After his initial stint on IR last year he wasn’t going to come in mid season and play anyway, and they would have lost Jarwin if they had activated Rico because they weren’t going to have 5 TEs on the active roster. They kept Rico on IR so they could have both Rico and Jarwin back this year.

I don’t know what the comment about Gregory is supposed to tell me. Gregory wasn’t taking up a roster spot, and he didn’t miss 9 years of football, so it didn’t cost the team anything to keep him and the team didn’t have to start teaching him things others learned at 13-14 years old.

 

[waldoputty]

He wasn’t in concussion protocol the entire season. After his initial stint on IR last year he wasn’t going to come in mid season and play anyway, and they would have lost Jarwin if they had activated Rico because they weren’t going to have 5 TEs on the active roster. They kept Rico on IR so they could have both Rico and Jarwin back this year.

my question is how many years will he be restricted due to the practice squad and the IR.

and is the rumor about rico 'liking' some social media post about 'firing garrett' true?

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

I seriously dont understand how he is any different than a rookie who is learning. You dont cut rookies with great promise because they need to learn how to block or the nuances of the playbook. Yes, I understand this is his 3rd year, technically. But the first two were essentially red shirt years. I'll be very disappointed if he's cut for a guy like Dalton Schultz (and I like Schultz for practice squad).

 

[davidariust24]

He wasn’t in concussion protocol the entire season. After his initial stint on IR last year he wasn’t going to come in mid season and play anyway, and they would have lost Jarwin if they had activated Rico because they weren’t going to have 5 TEs on the active roster. They kept Rico on IR so they could have both Rico and Jarwin back this year.

Thats what I felt like they did, but all the experience he could have gained last season would have helped a ton for this season. I like jarwin, all he has to do is become a better blocker. It's going to be very interesting this final week of cuts

 

[Section446]

Not worth it.

 

[davidariust24]

I seriously dont understand how he is any different than a rookie who is learning. You dont cut rookies with great promise because they need to learn how to block or the nuances of the playbook. Yes, I understand this is his 3rd year, technically. But the first two were essentially red shirt years. I'll be very disappointed if he's cut for a guy like Dalton Schultz (and I like Schultz for practice squad).

I like Shultz for practice squad too.

 

[OmerV]

my question is how many years will he be restricted due to the practice squad and the IR.

and is the rumor about rico 'liking' some social media post about 'firing garrett' true?

I don’t know the answer to either question, but I really doubt either is a factor. The Cowboys obviouslynhavent bailed on him yet, and if the keep him it shouldn’t be hard to extend him in a year or so.

 

[OmerV]

I like Shultz for practice squad too.

I’m starting to think that’s a possibility, although there would be a very real risk he wouldn’t clear waivers.

 

[davidariust24]

I’m starting to think that’s a possibility, although there would be a very real risk he wouldn’t clear waivers.

I like Shultz but i feel we can get another blocker from other roster cuts or free agents with experience

 

[waldoputty]

I’m starting to think that’s a possibility, although there would be a very real risk he wouldn’t clear waivers.

i would not lose sleep losing shultz, and i think he would one of those that surprises everyone when he does.