Here's who's earning praise instead of Rico

[OmerV]

But--but he played basketball just like Gates.

I know you are saying this in jest, but for those that like to use Gates as the example, as if because he did it that somehow means Rico can, it should be noted that Gates played football all through high school, and was actually considered a strong college football prospect coming out of high school, and was recruited to play football for Nick Saban at Michigan State. He only dropped football in college when he found Saban wouldn't allow him to play both football and basketball.

 

[Starforever]

*IF* the Rico project fails. The blame of a wasted roster spot is on the coaching staff. Someone had better be lying during media reports, because there is no need to keep him around if they are still waiting for him to catch on.

His outside interests has little to no bearing on his progression, and I don't consider him to be unintelligent. Either he or the coaching staff is not being truthful. Some fans will be fans indeed ( petty and delusional), but this coaching staff is paid to evaluate talent.

 

[kskboys]

Bye Rico. Thanks for your time and effort.

 

[kskboys]

*IF* the Rico project fails. The blame of a wasted roster spot is on the coaching staff. Someone had better be lying during media reports, because there is no need to keep him around if they are still waiting for him to catch on.

His outside interests has little to no bearing on his progression, and I don't consider him to be unintelligent. Either he or the coaching staff is not being truthful. Some fans will be fans indeed ( petty and delusional), but this coaching staff is paid to evaluate talent.

I don't think he ever made the roster. Wasn't he on PS last year?

 

[LocimusPrime]

I miss Eric bjorson

 

[Chuck 54]

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

My problem with this is that it points the finger directly at Rico Gathers. Jason Garrett is a players coach; he seldom criticizes players in public unless it's intended to get the player's attention when all else has failed. If Rico was working his tail off and doing everything he could to improve, Garrett would be talking about his work ethic and improvement. To me, this is Garrett sending Rico a message about Rico, not really about informing us.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

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.

I'm not certain of any outcome. I think 3 or 4 TE is possible. We carried 4 last year.

 

[OmerV]

I'm not certain of any outcome. I think 3 or 4 TE is possible. We carried 4 last year.

We did, but only the second part of the year, and then I don't think we really wanted to. Jarwin was moved to the active roster only because the Eagles were going to sign him off the practice squad if we didn't.

But I believe we have carried 4 TEs before, so 4 is possible.

 

[OmerV]

*IF* the Rico project fails. The blame of a wasted roster spot is on the coaching staff. Someone had better be lying during media reports, because there is no need to keep him around if they are still waiting for him to catch on.

His outside interests has little to no bearing on his progression, and I don't consider him to be unintelligent. Either he or the coaching staff is not being truthful. Some fans will be fans indeed ( petty and delusional), but this coaching staff is paid to evaluate talent.

To date Rico has never been given a roster spot, so this comment doesn't even apply at this point. Even if he is given a roster spot this year, and if he fails to make an impact, that wouldn't be nearly the indictment of the coaching staff you envision. Every team has bottom of the roster players that never amount to much, from the best coached team in the NFL to the worst.

 

[Starforever]

To date Rico has never been given a roster spot, so this comment doesn't even apply at this point. Even if he is given a roster spot this year, and if he fails to make an impact, that wouldn't be nearly the indictment of the coaching staff you envision. Every team has bottom of the roster players that never amount to much, from the best coached team in the NFL to the worst.

If he is with the team, he has a spot. Rico was not brought in to be a roster churner. They believed they could make something exciting of him.

 

[Starforever]

I don't think he ever made the roster. Wasn't he on PS last year?

Ok, roster was the wrong word. A spot on the team, whether practice, IR, etc.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

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

fans like fantasy football and Rico is fantasy football. a guy who is 6'8" and 280 and they envision this unstoppable force that runs rough shot over everyone and dominates games. its fantasy...there is more to football than just athleticism and speed, other wise every Olympic sprinter would be a great WR. Rico doesn't know how to block. he is still learning and hasn't learned how to run routes. as you said and I fully agree, he dominated 3rd and 4th stringer...which is expected. those are college guys that don't belong in the NFL and in college if you have athleticism, you can succeed to a point. but 1st and 2nd stringer will eat your lunch.

what we do know is when rico flames out, half the fans will blame garrett and coaches for not developing a future HOFer….. in their minds.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

You find praise about Jarwin from OTA's where they don't even wear shells compelling?

I still take Rico's performance in preseason games over that.

You have no idea what the depth chart is.

in shorts. Jarwin got praise. Rico didn't.....I am sure you will say, wait until pads come on and they have to play physical...that's where Rico will fail even more.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I truly don’t understand the criticism of Rico. I thought he looked very interesting in his limited action last year in pre season.

For a 7th round pick he definitely has some promise . I suspect if we waive him he’ll be picked up immediately. 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.

If we can teach Dez to run a route surely we can Rico. And with a QB who needs a reciever to have seperation his size and reach might be just what Dak needs.

he played against 3rd and 4th stringer, which are basically college level players. at that level you win with athleticism. against 1st and 2nd stringers you have to have football talent and be good. looks interesting because of his athletic ability. its fantasy football for the fans dreaming of the super player they create in Madden NFL.

 

[lostar2009]

Wait, we coach them up? Interesting.

Every once in a while a larva get loose and turns into a butterfly.

 

[Alexander]

Every once in a while a larva get loose and turns into a butterfly.

Care to point one out? I can't think of one.

And no, that is not a praise of our front office's ability to grade talent. If anything else, we overvalue, then get disappointed and then dump, never to hear from the player again.

 

[T-RO]

fans like fantasy football and Rico is fantasy football. a guy who is 6'8" and 280 and they envision this unstoppable force that runs rough shot over everyone and dominates games. its fantasy...there is more to football than just athleticism and speed, other wise every Olympic sprinter would be a great WR. Rico doesn't know how to block. he is still learning and hasn't learned how to run routes. as you said and I fully agree, he dominated 3rd and 4th stringer...which is expected. those are college guys that don't belong in the NFL and in college if you have athleticism, you can succeed to a point. but 1st and 2nd stringer will eat your lunch.

what we do know is when rico flames out, half the fans will blame garrett and coaches for not developing a future HOFer….. in their minds.

Spot on.

 

[Billyd]

I'm not sure Swaim would be eligible for the practice squad, and probably wouldn't be a consideration for the team anyway since he is the only TE with any real NFL experience, limited though it may be. And I don't think the Cowboys will risk exposing either Jarwin or Schultz to waivers by trying to put them on the practice squad. So in my mind, if the team decides to only keep 3 TE's on the roster Gathers is the only one the team might try to slide to the practice squad. Or they might let him go. The obvious wild card is not knowing how Gathers has progressed, but so far there hasn't been any real buzz about him.

I think the Cowboys would assign to practice squad for the reason being of a conditional draft pick..So dont be surprised if they do unless their is a policy in place to prevent it!

 

[Billyd]

To date Rico has never been given a roster spot, so this comment doesn't even apply at this point. Even if he is given a roster spot this year, and if he fails to make an impact, that wouldn't be nearly the indictment of the coaching staff you envision. Every team has bottom of the roster players that never amount to much, from the best coached team in the NFL to the worst.

I THINK you may be missing the in between message to Rico...@Dallas Cowboys we demand our TEs block...K..Stop blaming everybody but Rico!

 

[ESisback]

fans like fantasy football and Rico is fantasy football. a guy who is 6'8" and 280 and they envision this unstoppable force that runs rough shot over everyone and dominates games. its fantasy...there is more to football than just athleticism and speed, other wise every Olympic sprinter would be a great WR. Rico doesn't know how to block. he is still learning and hasn't learned how to run routes. as you said and I fully agree, he dominated 3rd and 4th stringer...which is expected. those are college guys that don't belong in the NFL and in college if you have athleticism, you can succeed to a point. but 1st and 2nd stringer will eat your lunch.

what we do know is when rico flames out, half the fans will blame garrett and coaches for not developing a future HOFer….. in their minds.

You’re right, Hazey, although half the fans will cling to any negative they can blame the coaches for! Now we all know the coaches are responsible for a lot of it, but...