Tight End

[OmerV]

We have a QB that struggled last year due to OL issues and, what some claimed, was a lack of talent at the WR and TE spots. Remember all the discussions about lack of separation, etc.

So when the offseason began, they told everyone they were going to revamp the offense, make it more Dak friendly, etc.

The fruits of that plan is a TE group that, at best, is adequate and a WR group that has no real upper level playmakers (unless a rookie develops and/or a guy who has been in the league for multiple seasons somehow reverses his career trajectory).

So sure, while no one has loaded units all over the field, when your offseason goal is to improve the pass offense around the QB and this is what you come up with, yeah, I think it's fair to question what the front office was thinking and excusing the lack of talent in the passing game as "hey, you can't have stellar units everywhere" kind of misses the point.

In other words, if we had better WRs, you could argue that this TE group is adequate for this team. Or vice versa, if you had some real stud(s) at TE, you could then argue that we didn't need to go out and grab an elite WR talent or two.

But when both are questionable in an offseason that the front office said would involve a revamping of the offense around their QB, it kind of makes you wonder what exactly they were actually thinking.

This thread isn't about WRs. It's about the TE position, and when I say adequate, I don't mean inadequate. I don't mean they can't get open or create some separation. That would be inadequate.

What we lost with Witten at the point in is career he was at is experience and knowledge, but I think we gained some athleticism. Not that we have Jimmy Graham, but Jarwin is quicker than Witten, and Rico is a bigger target that can go up and over DBs, and they both have good hands. Swaim can be a steady, consistent player to help with the transition, but I think that's really what his role is - to provide some stability while others learn and improve.

 

[OmerV]

all of them are terrible.Jarwin was supposed to be decent but he cant block and hasnt shown enough with catching the ball.I would play 3-4 WR sets the maojrity of the snaps and keep just 2 TEs.

I haven't noticed a serious deficiency in catching the ball with any of the 4 TEs, so I don't know where you get this.

Again, remember this was preseason with the team just finding ways to get everyone some playing time, and without game plans, and with pretty weak 2nd and 3rd team QBs. It does not resemble regular season in which there will be no need to find playing time for everyone, and there will be game plans, and it will be with the 1st team offense. If they fail in that situation, then we have a basis to condemn them, but given the circumstances, preseason does not tell us anything remotely definitive.

 

[gimmesix]

Swaim seems to be the front runner and will get the most snaps. Rico is still apparently a project but will be the playmaker. He has the most promise if he can learn the assignments. Schultz is a rookie and still on the learning curve as well. Jarwin is the TE the staff seems to like.

I was surprised and confused as to why Rico didn’t get more work with the starters. I am wondering if he will get kept at all now. I am not sure how many TE we will carry this year. SJ eluded to is possibly keeping more than 5-6 WR this year. If so then we will have to go short at another position.

I still think we'll go with four tight ends, based more on potential. I'm back to six at the receiver spots, so I think there will be room.

QB (3): Prescott, Rush, White (I had White going to the practice squad, but thought he had some better moments against Arizona and don't feel solid about Rush this year.)

RB (3): Elliott, Smith, Jackson (Dallas is still playing Scarbrough ahead of Jackson so he might make the 53, but I feel Scarbrough should be on the practice squad at best.)

FB (1): Olawale

WR (6): Beasley, Gallup, Williams, Austin, Hurns, Thompson/Lenoir (My gut is to go with Lenoir on the practice squad after a poor performance against Arizona. However, keeping Thompson would be based on training camp reports instead of anything shown in the preseason since he hadn't played until the Arizona game, and didn't really do anything in that one.)

TE (4): Swaim, Jarwin, Gathers, Schultz (I will be highly disappointed if Gathers is cut. I'd be OK if Schultz goes to the PS.)

OL (8): Smith, Williams, Looney, Martin, Collins, Fleming, Edwards (I can't see us keeping Green, but if Frederick is placed on IR, I think we'll pick up another center.)

DE (4): Lawrence, Charlton, Gregory, Armstrong (I think Charles Tapper is on the outside looking in, but could make it over one of the bottom DTs.)

DT (5): Collins, Woods, Crawford, Jones, Ward/Ealy/Price/Ross (I thought Ealy looked a little better as an interior pass rush erthan he had at DE, but Jones would probably be my favorite as the fourth DT if he's not sidelined by injury. I haven't seen enough separation or good things from Ward, Ealy and Price to pick one of them as the fifth. Who knows? Daniel Ross might even beat them out.)

LB (6): Lee, Smith, Wilson, Vander Esch, Thomas, March-Lillard (The other linebackers have not impressed.)

CB (5): Jones, Awuzie, Lewis, Brown, Ward (Lewis, Brown and Ward all played better against Arizona than they did in the first two preseason games.)

S (4): Heath, Woods, Frazier, Robinson (Robinson is only being kept for numbers. Hopefully, we do something to better the depth)

ST (3): Bailey, Jones, Ladouceur

NOTE: This projection totals 52 players. I think the 53rd spot will go to an offensive lineman not currently on the roster unless Frederick gets some really good news by the final cutdown.

 

[Sydla]

This thread isn't about WRs. It's about the TE position, and when I say adequate, I don't mean inadequate. I don't mean they can't get open or create some separation. That would be inadequate.

What we lost with Witten at the point in is career he was at is experience and knowledge, but I think we gained some athleticism. Not that we have Jimmy Graham, but Jarwin is quicker than Witten, and Rico is a bigger target that can go up and over DBs, and they both have good hands. Swaim can be a steady, consistent player to help with the transition, but I think that's really what his role is - to provide some stability while others learn and improve.

You can't separate the TEs from the WRs though because in the end, it's about who Prescott has on this team to throw to.

If we had much better WRs, then sure, the TEs being adequate is something most people could live with. The fact we have questions at WR means that the TEs being just "adequate" probably isn't good enough.

But if people want to try to convince themselves TE is fine, have at it.

 

[cowboyblue22]

they have four jags at tight end but a hall of fame tight end couldn't help them to make a deep run in the playoffs so I think the tight end position will be okay

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

The Cowboys had Jason Witten, A complete tightend and a first ballot Hall of Famer for 15 seasons yet he didn't lead the Cowboys to a Superbowl.....The Cowboys aren't getting to the playoffs or Superbowl based on what a tightend does in this offense so I think the tightends will be fine.....

Witten got us closer to the a SB than what we would have done without him.

Look at the teams that made the playoffs. The top TEs almost all made the playoffs.

Gronk
Ertz
Olson
Walker
Kelce
Rudolph

Those are likely the six best TEs in the NFL and they all made the playoffs.

TEs are important. And I'd prefer us to carry three with one being an all-around traditional TE, the other an elite blocker with limited receiving skills, and a slot TE that is used strictly as a mismatch.

 

[OmerV]

You can't separate the TEs from the WRs though because in the end, it's about who Prescott has on this team to throw to.

If we had much better WRs, then sure, the TEs being adequate is something most people could live with. The fact we have questions at WR means that the TEs being just "adequate" probably isn't good enough.

But if people want to try to convince themselves TE is fine, have at it.

And, like I said, I think the TEs will be adequate targets for Prescott. If the WRs prove to be inadequate, that is not the fault of the TE's, that's the fault of the coaches and management of the team.

As for having questions at WR, it doesn't seem you actually believe that. It seems you have already determined that the questions at WR have been answered, and the answer is that the WRs is bad. If you really believed there were still questions that would leave open the possibility that the questions could be answered either positively or negatively.
Ultimately, I don't believe in predetermining everything, as if preseason is identical to regular season, and is if preseason dictates how the regular season will go. History has proven time and again that is not a safe bet, and that teams that have done poorly in preseason have often done well in regular season, and teams that have done well in preseason have failed in the regular season. Preseason is a series of glorified scrimmages, and is largely centered on backup players and even players that will end up on the practice squad or cut. It's not remotely in any sense apples to apples with regular season.

 

[Shake_Tiller]

Troubled to see somewhere -- no link -- that Rico has run routes that have put defenders in the area of other targets. You don't need interceptions or critical completions because someone has missed an assignment and runs a defender into another receiver's route. That might explain the trepidation more than simply the fact his routes aren't good. Time will tell how this shakes out. Seems premature to write off all the TEs, including Rico, but it doesn't seem premature to consider bringing in a veteran TE who can block.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

The Cowboys had Jason Witten, A complete tightend and a first ballot Hall of Famer for 15 seasons yet he didn't lead the Cowboys to a Superbowl.....The Cowboys aren't getting to the playoffs or Superbowl based on what a tightend does in this offense so I think the tightends will be fine.....

And for those too young to remember...

Jason Witten did not show much during the preseason his rookie year. He did not do much during the season, come to think of it, other than play with a broken jaw. Dan Campbell -- yes, Dan Campbell -- started ahead of him.

The young TEs will do their part this season, whoever they may be.