News: Rico is gaining weight and hopes to get some playing time

[T-RO]

I'm encouraged by Rico taking blocking more seriously. He's huge, he's strong, he has long arms and soft hands. That's enough for a career if you learn how to block. Should have been his goal from day one.

But I'm also exasperated by this story. Where the hell are the trainers and coaches? They leave 20lb weight swings up to the players?

They should have had a plan for him.
This is the path we see for a career for you.
This is what we need to see to get you on the roster. Active. On the field.
This is what you need to do to get there.

Is he taking his blocking more seriously...or putting a spin on his weight gain?

 

[buybuydandavis]

Is he taking his blocking more seriously...or putting a spin on his weight gain?

You got a point there.

He at least seemed to spin it as intentional, and described himself as getting better pop with his blocking.

Has anyone besides Rico said Rico is blocking better?

 

[CPanther95]

I get the feeling that Cowboys staff gave him a list of 12 things to work on to develop into a competitive TE and he boiled it down to "eat more".

 

[Flamma]

Of course it helps for a WR to be able to block, but you were in a different situation than a TE on a run heavy team. It's not really something a TE in that situation can avoid. I've read where some have suggested just using Gathers as a receiver only and line him up outside, but if we were going to do that, why not just use an extra WR who can run a 4.4-4.5 instead of a player who runs a 4.7-4.8? It can't just be for jump ball situations in the red zone. That's a nice ability to have, but it's not realistic to use a roster spot on a player who doesn't add more than that.

You're right. I wouldn't use him as a WR. He is best suited at TE and those type matchups. But how bad can he be at blocking, and how much does it hurt if he isn't too good at it? Can you make up for it if you're a really good receiving TE? I can't imagine Jay Novacek being that good of a blocker yet our run game was pretty good back then. Then again, I could be wrong about Jay.

 

[OmerV]

You're right. I wouldn't use him as a WR. He is best suited at TE and those type matchups. But how bad can he be at blocking, and how much does it hurt if he isn't too good at it? Can you make up for it if you're a really good receiving TE? I can't imagine Jay Novacek being that good of a blocker yet our run game was pretty good back then. Then again, I could be wrong about Jay.

Good point about Novack - although he was a good blocker beyond the line of scrimmage, just not so much at the point of attack on the line of scrimmage. The Cowboys used Novecek really as more of an H-Back type though, moving him around the formation, spreading him out at times, setting him up behind the line of scrimmage at times. I'm not sure Gathers is really suited for that though. When teams used TEs like that it is usually with players that are undersized for the position - more WR/TE tweeners who have something closer to the agility and speed of a WR than Gathers has.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Jay novacek rocked

 

[Bobhaze]

I’m holding off on discussing how the great Rico can be used until he makes the roster.

 

[OmerV]

I’m holding off on discussing how the great Rico can be used until he makes the roster.

The Cowboys are kind of in a no win situation with the fans where Rico is concerned. If he makes the team and has success, they will be criticized for being slow to recognize it and for not activating him last year when they could have. If he makes the team but doesn't show much, they will be criticized for not recognizing he was a waste of time and waste of a roster spot. If he gets cut, some will criticize for being slow to acknowledge he was a waste of time, including some that will say he was a waste of time to draft to begin with, while others will criticize for failing to develop a player that could have been a stud if not for the incompetence of the coaches.

 

[glimmerman]

They better give him some more reps. But it’s not official TC yet so we will see. Will likely see a big dose of him in preseason. This is gonna have to be his make or break year so they have to give him every chance to make the team.

 

[OmerV]

They better give him some more reps. But it’s not official TC yet so we will see. Will likely see a big dose of him in preseason. This is gonna have to be his make or break year so they have to give him every chance to make the team.

The difficult thing is that all the TE's are in a developmental mode, so the Cowboys really can't put too much of the developmental focus on one player.

 

[glimmerman]

The difficult thing is that all the TE's are in a developmental mode, so the Cowboys really can't put too much of the developmental focus on one player.

It’s only on my opinion but I am thinking Rico has had ample time to learn the Offense and how to be effective and be on the far end of developmental. I can understand the staff using the other newer TE in these OTA to get there feet wet. But when TC cranks up and preseason then they better get a real good look at Rico.

 

[OmerV]

It’s only on my opinion but I am thinking Rico has had ample time to learn the Offense and how to be effective and be on the far end of developmental. I can understand the staff using the other newer TE in these OTA to get there feet wet. But when TC cranks up and preseason then they better get a real good look at Rico.

Of course, the unknown is how the team views the potential of all the candidates, and how much of each they feel they need to see to make roster decisions. I'm not sure if in the coaches minds the need to get a real good look at Rico will necessarily outweigh the need to get a real good look at Jarwin or Schultz. I'm also not sure it won't. It really just depends on how the coaches view things going into TC and preseason, which we really can't know.

 

[glimmerman]

Of course, the unknown is how the team views the potential of all the candidates, and how much of each they feel they need to see to make roster decisions. I'm not sure if in the coaches minds the need to get a real good look at Rico will necessarily outweigh the need to get a real good look at Jarwin or Schultz. I'm also not sure it won't. It really just depends on how the coaches view things going into TC and preseason, which we really can't know.

I agree. Not knowing what the coaches know and how they view this is a key. Maybe they are already all in on Rico and looking to see who to keep with him. Who we can slip on PS. Jarwin will likely be grabbed and Swaim should already make the team. How many TE will we keep?

 

[OmerV]

I agree. Not knowing what the coaches know and how they view this is a key. Maybe they are already all in on Rico and looking to see who to keep with him. Who we can slip on PS. Jarwin will likely be grabbed and Swaim should already make the team. How many TE will we keep?

How many they keep is the question. If they keep 4, obviously all the real candidates are in, but if they only keep 3 ...?

My guess is if they keep 3 Rico will be the odd man out, and though they could try to put him on the practice squad, I'm not sure if they would bother with that this far into the project.

But I readily admit, that's a guess. You are right that for all we know the team may already be solid on keeping Rico, but if that's the case, who would get cut if we only kept 3? I'm not sure any of them could clear waivers to get to the practice squad, and I don't think Swaim would even be eligible.

 

[glimmerman]

How many they keep is the question. If they keep 4, obviously all the real candidates are in, but if they only keep 3 ...?

My guess is if they keep 3 Rico will be the odd man out, and though they could try to put him on the practice squad, I'm not sure if they would bother with that this far into the project.

But I readily admit, that's a guess. You are right that for all we know the team may already be solid on keeping Rico, but if that's the case, who would get cut if we only kept 3? I'm not sure any of them could clear waivers to get to the practice squad, and I don't think Swaim would even be eligible.

Right now I am seeing 5 on the roster

Rico
Swaim
Jarwin
Schultz
Wellls

If they keep 4 then wells maybe the odd man out if they are in on Rico.

If they keep 3 then Swaim is in and Jarwin is in, will come down to see how well Schultz pick up in the system. Rico or Schultz won’t make waivers. Someone will take the work we did with Rico and use him. Schultz will be a gamble a team will take. Wells I am not sure about. Not sure how many we kept last year.

 

[OmerV]

Right now I am seeing 5 on the roster

Rico
Swaim
Jarwin
Schultz
Wellls

If they keep 4 then wells maybe the odd man out if they are in on Rico.

If they keep 3 then Swaim is in and Jarwin is in, will come down to see how well Schultz pick up in the system. Rico or Schultz won’t make waivers. Someone will take the work we did with Rico and use him. Schultz will be a gamble a team will take. Wells I am not sure about. Not sure how many we kept last year.

Last year they started the season with 3 TEs (Witten, Hanna and Swaim), with Rico on IR and Jarwin on the practice squad. They added Jarwin somewhere around mid season in order to protect him from getting signed off the practice squad by the Eagles. I believe at various times over the years they have carried 3 or 4.

I think Wells, if he sticks at all, is purely practice squad. He's the only one of the 5 that is almost certain to clear waivers.

 

[glimmerman]

Last year they started the season with 3 TEs (Witten, Hanna and Swaim), with Rico on IR and Jarwin on the practice squad. They added Jarwin somewhere around mid season in order to protect him from getting signed off the practice squad by the Eagles. I believe at various times over the years they have carried 3 or 4.

I think Wells, if he sticks at all, is purely practice squad. He's the only one of the 5 that is almost certain to clear waivers.

With the log jam of DE and WR it will be interesting to see but I am thinking 3 TE. And it’s Rico job to lose. Otherwise we roll with Swaim, Jarwin and Schultz.

 

[InTheZone]

Rico Gathers gaining weight, hopes to gain some playing time in Dallas
Posted by Michael David Smith on June 11, 2018, 12:02 PM EDT

Getty Images

When the Cowboys spent a sixth-round draft pick on Rico Gathers in 2016, they knew it would take a while for him to develop: Gathers, who played basketball at Baylor, hadn’t played football since middle school.

But after two NFL seasons and zero regular-season games played, it’s time for Gathers to finally show what he can do on the field. Toward that end, Gathers said he is gaining weight to get into the 280-285 range, significantly bigger than the 265 he weighed in at a year ago, when he said he like he was getting pushed around too much in the preseason.

“Last year was a big adjustment,” Gathers said, via the Dallas Morning News. “I was going for more trying to be quicker, trying to be faster. But that hurt me in the blocking gamea lot where I felt like I was just a body, just a body catching a blow.”

A bigger Gathers will, he hopes, be a better Gathers.

“Now coming off, I’m delivering the blow,” Gathers said. “I’m delivering the shot.”

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett seems to like what he sees from Gathers during offseason practices.

“He’s a different player now than he was a couple of years ago when he first showed up,” Garrett said. “But he just needs to play more football.”

Gathers isn’t the tight end who will make people forget Jason Witten, but he’s hoping that he can at least get on the field at a position where the Cowboys are now trying to replace one of the best ever to play it.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...ht-hopes-to-gain-some-playing-time-in-dallas/



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So much early hype from him. He was already slow and sluggish out there, now he's going to be 20lbs heavier?

 

[Bleu Star]

I’m holding off on discussing how the great Rico can be used until he makes the roster.

You may as well start discussing now because he's making the final 53. Bet that.

 

[LocimusPrime]

You may as well start discussing now because he's making the final 53. Bet that.

Sounds like a friendly sig bet opportunity


Just messing but I know you're just playing Bleu cause he's not gonna make the 53. They had a camp report on this mornings radio and Fish said the same. Rico isn't gonna make the 53 as of right now. He's getting 4th string reps. But to be fair, that's of right now. Things could change in camp.