Here's who's earning praise instead of Rico

[3rd_n_inches]

I dunno what it was focused on. I'm glad that he's confident, but being confident isn't what makes the team for you. In fact, he should ask Garrett where he's needed most, and be willing to change positions if the answer should come. Being willing to ask questions and showing that you're willing to learn IS a good way to make a team. It doesn't make you any less confident. It makes you better when you ask questions.

Promoting his mixtape according to his twitter

 

[conner01]

A rookie knowing we’re to be in OTA is impressive
Don’t know that you learn anymore than who learned their assignments in shorts and no hitting
I’m ready for camp where we can actually learn something about these guys

 

[xwalker]

Rico Gathers is one of the more fan over-hyped guys in recent Cowboys history who has never even been active for an NFL game yet. Rico has yet to show anything other than in shorts or against preseason 3rd stringers who will never play on Sundays. And after a short round of OTA's, it wasn't Rico who was getting the kudos from the FO and coaches as the up and coming TE so far.

Drum roll....it's Blake Jarwin.

Both Jason Garrett and VP of Player Personnel Will McClay have publicly tabbed Jarwin as a guy who has impressed them so far. Neither has had anything to say about Rico without a reporter asking them how Rico is doing. Their responses are much more muted than with Jarwin.

Last year after Geoff Swaim went down with a knee injury, the Cowboys brought Jarwin up from the practice squad for a short stint. He didn't light the world on fire but McClay has said the Eagles were about ready to snatch Jarwin off the practice squad before the Cowboys brought him up.

Let me clarify- I'm not proclaiming Blake Jarwin as the next Jason Witten or that he's about to catch 50 passes next year. But I am going to say that Rico is running a distant 4th in TE depth chart behind Swaim, Jarwin and rookie 4th rounder Dalton Schultz. And the early comments coming from Garrett on Rico aren't exactly glowing.

It's too early to say the "Rico Gathers experiment" is over, but the big guy has a ton of improving to do just to make the 53 man roster. Being an "athletic specimen" is not enough to be on an NFL roster. The clock is ticking on Rico and he has lots of impressing to do to salvage even making this team. TRaining Camp is now or never for the big guy.

Below are a couple of links to stories on this topic.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...oys-offense-in-2018-blake-jarwin-tavon-austin

https://247sports.com/nfl/dallas-co...ers-progress-He-needs-more-football-118656733

The Cowboys are following the Parcells 'don't eat the cheese" method of dealing with players like Rico.

Compliments from the coaches/management just fuel the over-confidence of certain players.

Other players past/present with similar issues:
David Irving
MartyB
Dez
TO
Jimmie Jones (Based on a Nate Newton story).
About 3/4 of the roster with Wade Phillips as HC.

 

[buybuydandavis]

I truly don’t understand the criticism of Rico. I thought he looked very interesting in his limited action last year in pre season.
...
If he’s healthy we need to figure out how to use him because not only does his size create huge mismatches he’s got hands. If nothing else could be a Redzone threat.

My criticism is how much Rico took for granted. He thought he'd stroll into the NFL and be the next great receiving TE. Instead, he should have been focusing on learning to block. That, and his hands, would have got him on the field in short yardage and goal line.

Blocking makes him a dual threat at the goal line. That's a career, if not a flashy one. If he can't block, he's a big, slow, plodding WR who can't run routes or get separation. It's hard to see that as a strong play *relative to* a handoff to Zeke. And that kind of ball placement isn't Dak's forte either.

He seems to be focusing on blocking now, but it may be too late.

I'm sure some team without our depth picks him up, though. If for nothing else, just a tryout as roster churn. Rico only has one accrued season. I think he's a development project worth keeping. I hope we find a way to do it.

 

[buybuydandavis]

The Cowboys are following the Parcells 'don't eat the cheese" method of dealing with players like Rico.

I'm hoping that's true, and that they're just holding back the positive comments to get him to work the little things instead of fantasizing that he is Jimmy Graham and don't need to learn no steenkin blocking.

 

[xwalker]

I'm hoping that's true, and that they're just holding back the positive comments to get him to work the little things instead of fantasizing that he is Jimmy Graham and don't need to learn no steenkin blocking.

Parcells and Jimmy had an array of methods they used on these types of players. Even push-over Wade said he occasionally called a defensive play just to cause a player or players to fail because he wanted to see how they would react.

 

[Risen Star]

If he doesn't make an impression in training camp, he should (and most likely will) be cut. I don't see us carrying 4 TEs this year, although I guess we could put one of them on practice squad.

It's the price you pay for having so much talent. You can only keep so many.

I expect several of our camp cuts to make the Pro Bowl this year.

 

[ESisback]

No way the team only keeps 23 on offense.

Oops forgot the FB! Take one from either DB or DL!

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Oops forgot the FB! Take one from either DB or DL!

I don't think they go 24 either. I cannot recall them doing anything other than a 25 and 25 split. If they were to go long anywhere I expect they would do it on offense given the uncertainty at WR and TE.

 

[LocimusPrime]

The Rico fan club is dwindling.

Man about three months ago they Rico fans were aggressive. Now not so much. They can see the writing on the wall.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The Rico fan club is dwindling.

Man about three months ago they Rico fans were aggressive. Now not so much. They can see the writing on the wall.

Sure seems important to many here that people not like Rico for some reason. He played well in limited opportunities last preseason. He apparently worked hard this offseason despite many claims to the contrary.

We'll see where he is in a couple months.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Sure seems important to many here that people not like Rico for some reason. He played well in limited opportunities last preseason. He apparently worked hard this offseason despite many claims to the contrary.

We'll see where he is in a couple months.

That's about all we can do is wait and see and he did play well in the passing game last preseason!

TBH I think his music promotions and some of his tweets turned off some fans. Personally I wouldn't have done it the way he did but i really have nothing against it. He probably knows that his football career is iffy and wanted other revenue streams.

 

[Proof]

Overhyped? Rico was like a 6th round pick lol

What you expect?

him being drafted in the 6th is exactly where "overhyped" comes from. he's had some lofty expectations and projections compared to his draft position and actual production.

if he'd called him a bust then yeah what you said would be on point.

 

[Cowpolk]

The Rico fan club is dwindling.

Man about three months ago they Rico fans were aggressive. Now not so much. They can see the writing on the wall.

I think Schultz is NFL ready and will be our starter Dude is a real tight end

 

[Alexander]

There's also UDFA David Wells, who could be a PS candidate.

I don't see Rico on the PS this year. If he can't make the roster, then it's time to move on. They don't all turn into Antonio Gates.

But--but he played basketball just like Gates.

 

[Alexander]

Rico will go to the Eagles or another team and he will beast. We coach these guys up for other teams the reap the benefits.

Wait, we coach them up? Interesting.

 

[ESisback]

I don't think they go 24 either. I cannot recall them doing anything other than a 25 and 25 split. If they were to go long anywhere I expect they would do it on offense given the uncertainty at WR and TE.

Nah, I think they’ll go 6@WR and 3@TE
WR—Hurns, Beasley, Gallup, Thompson, and Austin. The sixth spot is a competition between Lenoir, Brown and Wilson, with one going to PS. IMO, we’ll go three deep at TE with odd man out as either Swaim or Gathers.

 

[Donut]

Witten clone.

 

[OmerV]

Rico will go to the Eagles or another team and he will beast. We coach these guys up for other teams the reap the benefits.

So, that's a constant thing for the Cowboys is it? Taking on project players, letting them go, and they become a beast for another team? You know what would make your point stronger? If you named who all these players are as a reminder to us all.

 

[KalEl]

him being drafted in the 6th is exactly where "overhyped" comes from. he's had some lofty expectations and projections compared to his draft position and actual production.

if he'd called him a bust then yeah what you said would be on point.

Those lofty expectations are from fans not from anyone within the organization. I do not remember any coach pimping him as the next great thing. He flashed some receiving skills in preseason and several fans went crazy over it.