Tight End

[OmerV]

Obviously we don't appear to have a top group of TEs, but we have spent the preseason trying to work in 4 players and give them all opportunities, and almost all of it with 2nd and 3rd string QBs that may not really even be good enough for those roles. It's been a hodgepodge just trying to get some looks and playing time for all of them. Once the season starts things should settle in, and while there is still no assurance the TEs will be special, I believe they will be adequate. I'm sure many will disagree, but once there is more stability or consistency with how they are used, I believe we will also see some more stability and consistency with their production. I really think all 4 can have solid hands and can catch the ball.

 

[Stash]

Obviously we don't appear to have a top group of TEs, but we have spent the preseason trying to work in 4 players and give them all opportunities, and almost all of it with 2nd and 3rd string QBs that may not really even be good enough for those roles. Once the season starts things should settle in, and while there is still no assurance the TEs will be special, I believe they will be adequate. I'm sure many will disagree with that, but in preseason there has been no stability or consistency with how they are used, and that will change, and that change should help. I really think all 4 can have solid hands and can catch the ball.

I disagree that Rico has been given the same opportunities that the others have. They've clearly played the other guys in front of him, and neither Jarwin nor Schultz have outperformed Gathers.

 

[The Quest for Six]

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.....

 

[Idgit]

TEs need to block in the offense, and then be options in the passing game. We’ve got one, in Swaim, in my book, and are making due at the backup spot. I had hoped for Jarwin, and I still think he could deliver with the OL stable and playing with Dak all the time because Dak clearly likes him. But he’s underimoressed in the preseason games.

Rico’s effectiveness in the passing game might get him on the roster, but he’s clearly not getting snaps because he doesn’t know all his assignments. It might even keep him off the team.

 

[jazzcat22]

I think Swaim will be adequate as the OP mentioned. Need to see more from Rico. I hope in game 4 they give him his chance in the 1st half as opposed to the 4th quarter.

Have not been impressed with Schultz and Jarwin seems to be ahead of him. Jarwin made some catches for 1st downs. But also had a few drops.

To me right now, Schultz would be the guy going to the PS if they only keep 3. Which they should. I was not a fan of them drafting Schultz. And it is not him, it was the position where they drafted him at. I still think a S there should have been the pick.

 

[Sydla]

To me, adequate isn't good enough.

Again, this is a franchise that stated once the offseason began that they were going to revamp the offense, make it more Dak friendly, etc.

And what did this plan consist of? Throwing together a TE group that by any rational basis, is one of the bottom third in terms of talent in the league. And then let's throw in the reality that our WRs, at least right now, are an average to maybe slightly above average group unless Gallup just explodes as a player.

I think they made a calculation based on cheapness and their overall flaw where they often overrate what they have on the roster............... and it could end up hurting them.

 

[glimmerman]

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.

 

[erod]

If Rico had any clue what he was doing, he'd be the starter.

But he's completely lost, so he's 4th string.

You can't have players in the box on the field that don't know what to do.

 

[CyberB0b]

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.....

That's a terrible metric for talent evaluation.

 

[OmerV]

I disagree that Rico has been given the same opportunities that the others have. They've clearly played the other guys in front of him, and neither Jarwin nor Schultz have outperformed Gathers.

I didn't say they all got the same opportunities, I just said they were trying to get opportunities for everyone.

And this wasn't intended as a debate over which guy is better - that has been going on ad nauseam in other threads. But just a side note on that, while Gathers hasn't got the same number of snaps, it seems he has got as many targets.

The intent was simply to say that preseason is not a good reflection of how things will be when the dust clears and the team isn't just trying to work guys into the game. Once the season starts, I personally doubt we see much of Shultz, or at least not early in his rookie season. I'm not convinced they wont try to slide him to the practice squad.

 

[viman96]

I disagree that Rico has been given the same opportunities that the others have. They've clearly played the other guys in front of him, and neither Jarwin nor Schultz have outperformed Gathers.

I would agree he has not played the same amount in the preseason games. I would think he has had enough opportunities over the last 2 years in meetings and practices to earn more playing time though.

 

[OmerV]

To me, adequate isn't good enough.

Again, this is a franchise that stated once the offseason began that they were going to revamp the offense, make it more Dak friendly, etc.

And what did this plan consist of? Throwing together a TE group that by any rational basis, is one of the bottom third in terms of talent in the league. And then let's throw in the reality that our WRs, at least right now, are an average to maybe slightly above average group unless Gallup just explodes as a player.

I think they made a calculation based on cheapness and their overall flaw where they often overrate what they have on the roster............... and it could end up hurting them.

Adequate beats the hell out of the disaster some are predicting. Besides, every team has units that are adequate. Nobody gets to have nothing but stellar units.

 

[Sydla]

Adequate beats the hell out of the disaster some are predicting. Besides, every team has units that are adequate. Nobody gets to have nothing but stellar units.

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.

 

[Bullflop]

I won't be surprised if we get a TE on waivers but it remains to be seen if a decent one becomes available. Other than, our TE corps is needy.

 

[Stash]

I didn't say they all got the same opportunities, I just said they were trying to get opportunities for everyone.

And this wasn't intended as a debate over which guy is better - that has been going on ad nauseam in other threads. But just a side note on that, while Gathers hasn't got the same number of snaps, it seems he has got as many targets.

The intent was simply to say that preseason is not a good reflection of how things will be when the dust clears and the team isn't just trying to work guys into the game. Once the season starts, I personally doubt we see much of Shultz, or at least not early in his rookie season. I'm not convinced they wont try to slide him to the practice squad.

I hope you're right on Schultz.

And I apologize if my post was derailing the intentions of your thread. That's not what I was looking to do.

 

[reddyuta]

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.

 

[millennial_legend]

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.

Jarwin sucks. Rico can catch and hold on to the ball, as did Swaim. The one decent-ish play Jarwin made, he screwed the pooch by fumbling it away.

Jarwin is my cut at TE if we don't keep 4.

 

[reddyuta]

Jarwin sucks. Rico can catch and hold on to the ball, as did Swaim. The one decent-ish play Jarwin made, he screwed the pooch by fumbling it away.

Jarwin is my cut at TE if we don't keep 4.

at this point i dont care who gets cut,nobody has distinguished themselves at all.I like Rico but Garrett wont play him because he doesnt know how to block and so wont see the field.

 

[tm1119]

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.

I’ve brought it up in other threads and it applies to several position groups on this team and the talent (or lack of) acquisition...but trying to figure out exactly what the problem with this front office is hard to pinpoint.
-is it just purely horrible judge of talent?
-arrogance? They truly believe “their guys” that were acquired late in the draft/UDFA’s/scrap heap signings can get the job done?
-is it the most obvious solution? Laziness and or pure incompetence?
-Did Jerry simply get cheap?

There has to be a reason why this team fails to identify extremely obvious flaws and fill them appropriately. It’s a real problem

 

[Aven8]

If I were the Cowboys I would see if I could talk Hanna out of retirement. This bunch is awful.