Cutting it close: Rico Gathers

[Batman1980]

Tell me how you really feel.

I think he's too slow in the hole and lacks the explosion to break big runs. Easy to see why he was almost undrafted.

 

[glimmerman]

I think he's too slow in the hole and lacks the explosion to break big runs. Easy to see why he was almost undrafted.

I will admit he is slower than I thought. Slower in the hole could be from lack of snaps and not being familiar with game speed. Not setting up the blocks or hesitating. Elliot have a problem for about 2.4 seconds with hitting the hole to fast and not waiting for the blocks to set.

 

[OmerV]

Maybe what it comes down to. Who ever is the better ST player. Jackson is quicker. Do they want a bruiser or speed.

I’m not sure Bo is significantly more powerful than Jackson, Smith or Zeke. He’s certainly not notably bigger. I think versatility will weigh in more than any incremental power addition.

 

[gmoney112]

Swaim is a pretty good all around TE. I liked the buzz on Jarwin, and he’s usable in the passing game. He needs to look out for an all around TE shaking loose on someone else’s roster. If that happens, and they only keep one developmental TE, if Rico shows up in the last two games Jarwin may have a tough case for making the team. Schulz gets a year no matter what. But if I’m considering keeping four TEs to fit Rico on the roster, I need two guys who can legitimately block

It's hard to tell. I think Jarwin and Schulz are locks. The team likes Jarwin, and I think they're investing a few years in him.

My instinct would tell me Swaim is the one that's in trouble, going into his 4th year, but he's serviceable so..

I'd be looking at cuts too, but I think we just go with what we have unless theres a surprise cut. We carried 4 TE last year right? Probably do the same. Or not.

Rico is huge though, you could sit him down in zone and safeties would have a hell of a time coming through him, he's intriguing. Hands pretty good. There's value there.

I don't know. Hopefully they all just play well and we roll with all 4.

 

[glimmerman]

I’m not sure Bo is significantly more powerful than Jackson, Smith or Zeke. He’s certainly not notably bigger. I think versatility will weigh in more than any incremental power addition.

True. BO is only 8 pounds heavier than Jackson and BO is 2 inches taller. Hmmm. Glad I looked that up.

 

[Idgit]

It's hard to tell. I think Jarwin and Schulz are locks. The team likes Jarwin, and I think they're investing a few years in him.

My instinct would tell me Swaim is the one that's in trouble, going into his 4th year, but he's serviceable so..

I'd be looking at cuts too, but I think we just go with what we have unless theres a surprise cut. We carried 4 TE last year right? Probably do the same. Or not.

Rico is huge though, you could sit him down in zone and safeties would have a hell of a time coming through him, he's intriguing. Hands pretty good. There's value there.

I don't know. Hopefully they all just play well and we roll with all 4.

That’s the thing. Rico’s a red zone weapon now, and we need one of those with Dez and Wit gone. But he can’t do anything else in a real game. Swaim you know can do what’s asked of him. He’s just limited. If Jarwin can do the same, we’ll be ok. If he can’t hold up in the blocking game we need to add a vet.

Schulz steps in for Swaim next season. He’s a 4th round pick, so he’s safe. If you add a vet, there’s only room for one luxury TE. That’s Jarwin or Rico. And Rico’s got the upside advantage.

That said, I think Dak does like Jarwin, so they’ll probably roll with him and Swaim in the two TE sets.

 

[OmerV]

True. BO is only 8 pounds heavier than Jackson and BO is 2 inches taller. Hmmm. Glad I looked that up.

And Zeke is just heavy as Bo, and Smith is 7 LBs heavier than Bo, so there isn’t a shortage of big backs without Bo.

 

[G2]

But, you guys can't have it both ways. When we say how good Rico looks in the PS, we hear, but what is he doing in practice? Coaches know more than you, what are they seeing? etc. Now, when Rico is balling in practice, you have to wait to see how he does in the pre season games????

Tough crowd.

No clue what you're talking. As soon as someone opens a debate with "you guys" - I have no time to fight that fight. Because it's stupid. I never bought into plays in training camp as a point. I've also never said anything that you're suggesting.

Let me be clear. I hope Gathers becomes a great player. I'm cheering for him. But the love fest some fans have for his potential, a single play in a preseason game etc.... is in my opinion not an accurate analysis. That is far from "Being a beast or Balling."

Don't put words in my mouth.

 

[Jumbo075]

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

And maybe he's starting to get it. The truth is only the coaches know where Rico is on the developmental scale. Last year, I believe the Cowboys were going to keep him on the roster. Unlike some fans, I don't think the Cowboys "stashed" him on I/R. I think he was genuinely hurt, and it took until about 6 weeks into the season before he got well. At that point, it was too late to work him back into the team, because they were trying to win games, not develop a player. The Coaches know that missing last year was a setback for Rico.

Comments by the Cowboys brass show they are still interested in his development. The issue is who they cut to keep him. Personally, I would cut QB Mike White to make a roster space for Rico - if as a coach, I still believe he can turn into an offensive asset. If they truly believe he's mailing it in, and not developing the mental side of the game on purpose, they'll cut him, and so will the next team that signs him. But if he's giving a good faith effort, and it's starting to come together, then he still has a shot to make the roster.

Jerry said it best when he agonized over who would not be on the roster to keep Rico. But, he'll defer to the coaches decisions. I don't understand how fans can authoritatively state he's "lazy", or not giving it his best effort. Maybe it's just hard for him to understand the nuances of the game, and his instincts aren't right. It doesn't have to be laziness. And like every receiver, Gathers has some drops. He's not perfect, and the coaches don't expect perfection. But they have to see progress to justify keeping him.

Personally, I don't have first hand information from position meetings, drills, and competitive practices to make a decision. I think the coaches have more patience than a lot of fans and pundits - including guys like David Helman, and Bryan Broaddus, who are simply media guys. We as fans are too quick to cut guys who fail to meet our personal expectations. But coaches probably have more realistic expectations, and we don't know if Rico is still on track to meeting those expectations. And even if he is, do they keep him over another guy they've had patience with, like Charles Tapper, who has flashed this year like Rico flashed last preseason.

I'm willing to say I just don't know, and am forced to trust the Cowboys brain trust to make the right decision on Rico. I'm not going to prejudge their decision, and I'm certainly not going to harshly judge a guy who didn't play football for 8 years before joining the Cowboys. That he's gotten this far is pretty impressive. If he falls short, then oh well, the Cowboys gave him a chance. If he makes it, then I'm going to continue to root for him.

 

[Idgit]

I’m not sure Bo is significantly more powerful than Jackson, Smith or Zeke. He’s certainly not notably bigger. I think versatility will weigh in more than any incremental power addition.

Gimme Jackson.

 

[buybuydandavis]

I don’t think they will keep only 2 RBs on the active roster. My guess is Jackson sticks and Bo goes to the practice squad. Jackson will also help on special teams.

Good chance.

 

[Jumbo075]

So has Schultz. In fact, Schultz hasn't shown anything at all to belong on the 53.

Schultz is technically sound, but gets pushed around due to lack of size. He may as well call his rookie year a redshirt season, and spend his time on diet and in the weight room to add 20 lbs. of muscle. He also needs to get into some martial arts training class to learn better leverage.

 

[Jumbo075]

I think he's too slow in the hole and lacks the explosion to break big runs. Easy to see why he was almost undrafted.

I honestly think Jackson gives the Cowboys more than Scarbrough. But Jackson will be easier to get to the PS. I think the Cowboys keep both, although Jackson starts the year on the PS.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Unlike some fans, I don't think the Cowboys "stashed" him on I/R. I think he was genuinely hurt, and it took until about 6 weeks into the season before he got well. At that point, it was too late to work him back into the team, because they were trying to win games, not develop a player. The Coaches know that missing last year was a setback for Rico.

I thought there was also an issue that we had higher priority players we wanted back from IR instead.

 

[glimmerman]

Schultz is technically sound, but gets pushed around due to lack of size. He may as well call his rookie year a redshirt season, and spend his time on diet and in the weight room to add 20 lbs. of muscle. He also needs to get into some martial arts training class to learn better leverage.

He may be PS this year. If we like him we can pay him more to stay with us like we did Rico his first year.

 

[buybuydandavis]

I honestly think Jackson gives the Cowboys more than Scarbrough. But Jackson will be easier to get to the PS. I think the Cowboys keep both, although Jackson starts the year on the PS.

Bo is a 7th round RB. I think he's a cinch to get on the PS. He's purely a developmental player this year, and now he's missed your training camp for development. If you want to develop a guy, get your own in the 7th next year.

With Jackson, you get someone who can contribute on your 53 today. Somebody might want that. We might want that.

 

[glimmerman]

I thought there was also an issue that we had higher priority players we wanted back from IR instead.

I think he was stashed. But that’s just my opinion. He was definitely hurt and I am glad they took no chances with bringing him back early. But they could have brought him in for sure. Let’s face it Witten was going to stay in the field. The staff left it up to him when to come out and he never would which gives no other TE a chance. I love Witten but he may have hampered the development of TE. If the staff pulled Witten to give him a breath then others could have had some playing time. I understand when Romo was QB but Dak needs to develope with these others . Now Witten is gone and other that Swaim we don’t have anyone with significant game experience. Maybe that’s why we didn’t go ahead and bring Rico off IR. He wouldn’t have gotten any snaps anyways.. Lol.

 

[buybuydandavis]

He may be PS this year. If we like him we can pay him more to stay with us like we did Rico his first year.

Good point.

It's certainly an advantage from a cap perspective to keep guys by spending more money on them off the cap.

 

[Jumbo075]

Bo is a 7th round RB. I think he's a cinch to get on the PS. He's purely a developmental player this year, and now he's missed your training camp for development. If you want to develop a guy, get your own in the 7th next year.

With Jackson, you get someone who can contribute on your 53 today. Somebody might want that. We might want that.

Coin flip for me for the offense. But Scarbrough has LB size, and I think he's running 1st string on several of the Special Teams squads. That's likely the tie breaker.

 

[glimmerman]

Bo is a 7th round RB. I think he's a cinch to get on the PS. He's purely a developmental player this year, and now he's missed your training camp for development. If you want to develop a guy, get your own in the 7th next year.

With Jackson, you get someone who can contribute on your 53 today. Somebody might want that. We might want that.

Only way they usually pull from others PS is due to injuries to a position. Or descent depth. Not for someone’s project. So BO may clear waivers.