Jason Witten's Future

[DandyDon52]

HE might go with tony? Or if they win SB this year he may retire.
I think if tony left Jason might go with him to help tony out. pkg deal.

 

[cej757]

Martellus Bennett would never play for a Jason Garrett coached team again. He said he hated Witten and Garrett on that E 60 episode.

 

[Hardline]

It's time to seriously think about Witten ' eventual replacement.
And that replacement is Michigan's Jake Butt.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

OK it's time...The community here merits and demands the best and I must deliver all I can to serve my brothers and sisters.

So let me drop a bomb:
Who would produce more for the Cowboys team in 2017, Jason Witten or Martellus Bennett?

I'm not saying whom we all would like the most, but who could help the team the most.

Bennett's contract was $5 million this year. He's known as the best blocking tight end in the game. You would basically be adding another all-pro blocker to the maulers up front.

And if we compare receiving:

Bennett has been targeted 58 times and caught 44 passes (76%)
544 yards for a 12.36 average

Witten has been targeted 73 times and caught 52 passes (71%)
553 yards for a 10.63 average

Age
Bennett: 29
Witten: 34

Bennet is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Should we give Jason Witten 3 more years at age 35, 36, 37, or rethink this?

Could sentiment stand in the way of a juggernaut?

No to Bennett; sorry, T-Ro. Why bring in a player who is not a team-first guy?

Bennett is exactly the type of player that this team has weeded out over the years. Me-first players (who tune out the head coach and his message) destroy teams, just ask the Eagles.

 

[Doomsday101]

Witten current contract is up in 2018. I would think he will play until then.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

He has several more years in him.

At least two, maybe more.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I know the thread is about the possible future of Witten and this team. However I want to go back in time
2003 NFL draft.
The Dallas Cowboys have #5 in the first round.

We have not had a great TE since Jay. LaFleur was taken with a higher pick a few years earlier and just as he started to become good he had to quit due to injury issues.

But top 5 in the NFL draft was a little high for a TE...and many did like Jason Witten as the TE we would like to have.

So the Concensus was going to be one of three players with the top pick. Suggs, Newman or Leftwich. We got the middle guy. But this post is not to argue about that, it is what happens later.

A good deal of the Cowboys fans were in the chat room of the old board.

Some of us were even hoping, a little, to see us hop back into the bottom of the first round and maybe snag Witten. Not many, but a few.

That did not happen

So comes the second round. We have the 6th pick in the second round. the saints have the 5th. They take an OT. Witten is sitting there for us to take. The chat room is ecstatic.
We are going to get Witten and hopefully end our long search for our TE.
With the 38th pick in the 2003 NFL draft the Dallas Cowboys select....Al Johnson Center Wisconsin. The chat room is deflated for a minute and then upset.
Oh well...we had our chance and we did not take him. No way he will there in the third round.

Houston takes TE Bennie Joppru from Michigan State. The eagles are up at 61 and rumor is they want a TE...so we figure there goes Witten...Nope the Eagles do take a TE but they take L.J. Smith from Rugers. A few picks later the Raiders take another TE Teyo Johnson from Standford.

The chat room is a buzzing...We are going into the third round and there have been a run on TEs...Can Witten, by some miracle, fall to us with the 5th pick in the 3rd round with the 69th overall pick in the draft?

With the 69th pick in the 2003 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select TE Jason Witten Tennessee.

Chat Room Explodes
History is set
From a steal in the third round to a future HOFer.

 

[conner01]

Hs

I hear that!

Let me ask, just hypothetically, if Gathers really looked like a beast, Swaim was back for sure...and they felt confident Hanna could return to his old form by October...

AND...AND you could take the 7.5 mil of Witten's money (and likely some spare change under the couch) and forge a way to bring in a veteran pass rusher to anchor the end opposite Lawrence....would you entertain the idea?

hanna may never play again, rico is a long ways away from being NFL ready
Witten will retire a cowboy but when could have lots to do with how this season ends
I think another year or two is possible because he takes good care of himself and his game is not about speed
But if we do hit the ultimate goal this year he may just decide to retire

 

[LandryFan]

In the spirit of open-mindedness another clip to watch:

Man, you are a trip. OPEN MINDEDNESS??? I have read this thread up to this point and you have a clear agenda. You're being very sneaky about trying to further your agenda, but it is just that, and if people are paying attention, they easily see it. And I mean absolutely no offense to you here. If you think Witten is getting too old and doesn't deserve to be paid and we're better off moving on, then say so and quit trying to act like you're just innocently playing devil's advocate. If you think Martellus Bennett would be a good fit here, then say so and quit beating around the bush.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, just don't try to cloak it as something else.
My opinion: I wouldn't let Martellus Bennett into the counties of Dallas, Denton, Collin, Ellis, Coffman, Rockwell, Johnson, or Tarrant if it were up to me (these are the counties that surround Dallas County). That's how far away from this team I want that guy to be. The guy is a straight up clown who would do far more damage just in his locker room presence than he could ever return in on-the-filed production.

 

[JohnsKey19]

The coaches can't even get the guy to take a snap off the field, so until I see that happen it's hard to imagine him walking away. He is still an effective and valuable player. However, it would be wise for the team to draft a suitable replacement for Witten, one worthy of sharing snaps with him for at least one season.

 

[LandryFan]

Chat Room Explodes
History is set
From a steal in the third round to a future HOFer.

...to Martellus Bennett???? Uh, no thanks.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

...to Martellus Bennett???? Uh, no thanks.

Just for this blasphemy I am going to change your username from LandryFan to CampoFan.

 

[jwooten15]

I know we thought this about DWare (and potentially Romo), but Witten is a lifelong Cowboy.

Players don't usually deserve a paycheck based on past merit and character, but Jason is a different case. Jerry will keep him around until he's ready to retire. That's not to say that he won't have his role reduced eventually.

Another important thing to note is that Jason will be willing to restructure his salary and probably even take a pay cut to help the team. He'll be here for a few more years

 

[SDCowboy]

I could see him playing for 2-3 more seasons, but it's time to finally find his eventual replacement this off season. Witten is a HOF'er but at some point we need to start getting younger and more dynamic at the position.

 

[LandryFan]

Just for this blasphemy I am going to change your username from LandryFan to CampoFan.

...and I wil seek you out and get my revenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HappyOnions]

He had better be here for the foreseeable future.

He doesn't make the highlight reel, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a guy with more clutch 3rd down catches than him. Whenever Dak or Tony need a first, they know where to go. He might be slow and not very agile, but he still manages to get open and move the chains when it's most needed.

 

[rynochop]

If Bennetts so great, why will he be available yet again?

 

[GIFTS86]

Maybe not. I sure understand your feelings.

How about watching this highlight reel just for grins?

Yeah I said early this year that he was a beast and had a bunch of wannabe know it all ridicule me over it. He is a beast.

 

[xwalker]

Jason Witten has enjoyed another outstanding year, contributing everywhere: on the field, off the field, in the running game, in the passing game, and of course in the locker room.

This man is on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Witten's isn't the same player as the 25 year old version, but if he has appreciably declined in the past five years...I sure can't see it. I'm not breaking down footage but my casual eye still sees a very good player. Maybe others can comment on this.

I dread to bring it up, but this question looms large. How much longer do you think he will be with the team? I don't have an answer but I may have it narrowed down a bit in my mind.

We all need to mull on a few things as I'm sure Witten and the Cowboys are...

-Jason has played 14 seasons and endured a million collisions

-Jason's good friend Tony likely won't be a Cowboy next season

-On the 2017 roster which is currently over the cap ...Witten's cap obligation balloons from $5.8 million to $12.2 million. His base salary jumps to a career high $7.4 million. 2017 is also the final year on the contract. The Cowboys could rework it but only by extending it's duration...essentially doing a new contract.

-It's painful to bring up and I'm not suggesting it, but if the Cowboys cut Jason the team would still be on the hook for $4.8 million (previous restructuring), but they would shed the $7.4 base salary without penalty.

-Reports are that James Hanna whom the Cowboys had slotted as their #2 tight end just underwent his second knee surgery of the year. It's been suggested the surgery may have involved the dreaded micro-fracture procedure. This type of surgery is only sometimes successful and usually requires a long recovery time. Hanna could be a question mark for next season.

-Gavin Escobar is an unrestricted free agent

-Geoff Swaim seems to have earned favor with the Cowboys brass, but his ceiling as a pass-catcher is a bit limited. I don't believe Swaim's injury should be any problem headed into 2017. I don't think anyone sees Swaim as the Tight-End Elect to replace Witten.

-The Cowboys are pleased with the progress of user-project Rico Gathers. He's an athletic beast but he's still an unknown.

So...what do you all think of the future of Witten and the Cowboys tight-end situation? Do the Cowboys cut him...extend him for 2-3 more years? How do they formulate their positional plans moving forward?

I predict he'll break the record for oldest NFL player at some point in time.

Jerry is not going to cut him before next season. Romo is highly likely to be gone and Jerry will not want to move on from both Romo and Witten at the same time. That's too much bad publicity.

The following year he'll be a free agent and will probably return for about 2M or 3M per.

He still plays 100% of the offensive snaps in most games. Normally a guy in his final year or two would have a reduced snaps count. When his snap count dips below 70%, then I'll believe that he is near the end.

 

[JW82]

Common misconception and it never dies. Witten ran 4.65...he was ridiculously fast for his size.

I've posted videos here before where John Madden was talking about how linebackers can' stick w/him him and too fast for some safeties.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=2083&draftyear=2003&genpos=TE

Not a misperception. Watched every game he's ever played. Let me know when he runs away from someone. It will be the first. He is tremendous at getting open but he is not fast. Never was. Still a 1st ballot HOFer.