Gathers is an absolute Beast and smooth as Silk

[NotForLong]

Exactly, he does not have to blow people up with his blocking but he has to know what his responsibility is. Why does he need to be able to block? he could be 1 injury away from being a starter and Dallas can't have a situation where the offense must be altered away from the run game because the starting TE got injured.

True true. Or every one could stay healthy and he could be a situational player who scores 7 td in red zone

 

[NotForLong]

If Garret let's him walk. Hes an idiot. And if he does make the roster and doesnt get see the field. Well once again. Idiot Garrett.
I know I know blocking. Yet other teams play te's who dont block.

By the way Ware is still a beast

 

[Melonfeud]

Holy cow Rico is freaking huge! I don't think I've seen a TE that looked that big with no pads on.

That was my initial reaction as well

Well, I guess I'm going to have to watch that video, even though I try to make it a habit not to have to stare into the eyes of a killer before 8a.m.,,,

[Redacted]

I'm feeling a little short changed on this transaction, Gilbert

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

Danny Amendola

My point exactly. In 2008

 

[Bobhaze]

I believe he would have make the 53 last year after that pre season performance

Be careful gushing about preseason performances. His big plays in ps last summer were against a lot of players who are no longer in the NFL. If he’s doing great things in pads against the first team defense in practice, that’s more relevant than in the 4th qtr of a ps game against a 4th string safety from Northeast Oklahoma Baptist who won’t be on a roster in Sept.

 

[Doomsday101]

True true. Or every one could stay healthy and he could be a situational player who scores 7 td in red zone

and who is to say the other TE are incapable? Shultz himself is a 6'6" target. The notion that Gathers does not have to block as a TE is untrue, he does not have to be as good as Witten but he also cannot be a liability he must know his assignments and be able to do a decent job when called to block. I think it is kind of funny fans get on Garrett and the staff for throwing to much in the redzone instead of giving the ball to Zeke and yet you want to put a 1 dimensional player in who tips the defense off that this is a pass. I hope Gathers comes in and proves himself but thus far people are making a big deal out of doing a good job vs 2nd and 3rd string players Rico has faced. He will not be facing 2nd and 3rd string come regular season.

 

[Doomsday101]

I keep hearing TE like Gonkowski does not block he is just a pass catcher? BS

 

[Number1]

the man's got hands, throw him the ball

I just don't see this O (or any other timing O) working without a play making TE

in the simplest terms a SLB can't cover TE and beat a RB to edge on the same play

the whole idea of a timing system and 50/50 run/pass is to force the SS and SLB to guess wrong

like Novacek, it don't matter if he's a great blocker, so long as DCs have to be concerned with covering the TE

I'm not looking to replace Witten with a poor man's version - just 1st downs and TDs

 

[MRV52]

He is fat and slow.

 

[Doomsday101]

the man's got hands, throw him the ball

I just don't see this O (or any other timing O) working without a play making TE

in the simplest terms a SLB can't cover TE and beat a RB to edge on the same play

the whole idea of a timing system and 50/50 run/pass is to force the SS and SLB to guess wrong

like Novacek, it don't matter if he's a great blocker, so long as DCs have to be concerned with covering the TE

I'm not looking to replace Witten with a poor man's version - just 1st downs and TDs

Novacek could block, your right he does not have to be great but he has to be able to do the job. Outside runs where the TE has to seal the edge it is not optional it becomes a must. As for redzone, unless you plan on letting the defense know we are not going to run it why would he be in the game? He does not have to be the best blocker but he does not to be able to do a decent job. He understands that as do the coaches. Meantime all of this because he has 8 catches in 2 seasons during the pre season vs backups? Come on

 

[charron]

If Garret let's him walk. Hes an idiot. And if he does make the roster and doesnt get see the field. Well once again. Idiot Garrett.
I know I know blocking. Yet other teams play te's who dont block.

How's his grasp of the offense? If the coaches thought rico could really play why draft another TE? Workout warriors are everywhere we need guys who can make plays against good competition.

 

[Toro9]

But he's learning a new sport fresh from scrap at the NFL level. He's improved dramatically in 1 year. Imagine how much better he is going to be a year from now once he understands the game better and gets some game experience behind him?

That's exactly what people were saying last year.

 

[Bobhaze]

That's exactly what people were saying last year.

And the year before that.

 

[TheSkaven]

If Garret let's him walk. Hes an idiot. And if he does make the roster and doesnt get see the field. Well once again. Idiot Garrett.
I know I know blocking. Yet other teams play te's who dont block.

But... but... but... he's can't block...

 

[millennial_legend]

I agree. If he gets cut or doesn't play, I hope it's for a better reason than lack of blocking. If my memory serves me right, Novacek wasn't the best blocking TE for us either. Besides, can Rico not improve at blocking? He certainly has the size.

Exactly. Jimmy Graham has consistently been one of the worst blocking TEs in the entire NFL and he's carved out a pretty nice career.

 

[Doomsday101]

That's exactly what people were saying last year.

I hope Rico has learned and is ready to compete. I know some here take it as I am against Rico when the reality is I just want the best players to make the team. there are 4 guys competing for 2 to 3 roster spots at TE and what I would hope to see is are guys fighting for the jobs and the best players making the team.

 

[glimmerman]

I hope Rico has learned and is ready to compete. I know some here take it as I am against Rico when the reality is I just want the best players to make the team. there are 4 guys competing for 2 to 3 roster spots at TE and what I would hope to see is are guys fighting for the jobs and the best players making the team.

I think Swaim is a lock. The rest is up for grabs. Schlutz, Wells, Rico will battle it out. I think one of those spots is Rico’s job to lose.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think Swaim is a lock. The rest is up for grabs. Schlutz, Wells, Rico will battle it out. I think one of those spots is Rico’s job to lose.

I think you may be right, I think because Shultz was a 4th rd pick highest of the bunch and in this years draft he likely will make the team unless he just looks poor out there. I think the final roster spot could be between Jarwin, Rico and Wells

 

[OmerV]

If Garret let's him walk. Hes an idiot. And if he does make the roster and doesnt get see the field. Well once again. Idiot Garrett.
I know I know blocking. Yet other teams play te's who dont block.

These are drills and routes, and don't tell us anything. I would love Rico to be great, but how do we know Swaim, Jarwin and Dalton don't look just as good or better in the same drills and routes? And this says nothing about the need to read and react in actual game situations. I'm not saying Rico isn't doing well, I'm just saying this video doesn't tell us anything. As for what other teams do, other teams don't put as much emphasis on the running game as the Cowboys do, so blocking needs aren't all the same.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Vernon Davis was a physical specimen. He was on the cover of a couple musclemags, but he was also an excellent TE.

Heck he’s still good. He was available a couple of seasons ago, but peeps here claimed he was tooooooo old.