Time to sit Witten

[JoeKing]

I'm sitting home and brought up the SB XXVII we won against Buffalo first time around.

Jay Novachek just killed them.

Able to get downfield..

able to shake off LBers and safeties.

Witten no longer does this.

Its been said this is his last year and the team is going to pay his $8 mil as a goodbye gesture.

This makes little sense to me.

We desperately need production at TE going forward for the offense.

The backups are strictly blocking TEs.

A true pass catching TE is on the menu.

Does this draft have such a player and when would we take one?

I know some think Rico Gaithers is the answer but I don't see him being able to stay healthy.

He's an experiment that has failed.

The chances of drafting a good WR at #1 seems remote.

But TE at #2?

What say you.

Who?

This disrespect needs to stop. If the TE position is lacking, you don't fix the position by benching the best one you have. Develop better talent and when it is better than Witten, it can start. Until then Witten isn't sitting.

 

[Alexander]

This disrespect needs to stop. If the TE position is lacking, you don't fix the position by benching the best one you have. Develop better talent and when it is better than Witten, it can start. Until then Witten isn't sitting.

It is not about competition for Witten for regular down duty. You could spend years trying to "develop better talent" than a Hall of Famer.

But there comes a time where the staff stops it with the reverence and puts personnel on the field that can make the yardage when they need it.

If there is a 3rd and 15 (even 3rd and 10), the personnel package on the field shouldn't include him.

If they don't have anybody better than Witten for that situation, they need to go about finding a WR option that can step in. But having Witten as one of your five wide in an empty set in that situation is basically handicapping your chances for success.

I just think they bow to his wishes so much, they are not willing to rock the boat.

 

[JoeKing]

It is not about competition for Witten for regular down duty. You could spend years trying to "develop better talent" than a Hall of Famer.

But there comes a time where the staff stops it with the reverence and puts personnel on the field that can make the yardage when they need it.

If there is a 3rd and 15 (even 3rd and 10), the personnel package on the field shouldn't include him.

If they don't have anybody better than Witten for that situation, they need to go about finding a WR option that can step in. But having Witten as one of your five wide in an empty set in that situation is basically handicapping your chances for success.

I just think they bow to his wishes so much, they are not willing to rock the boat.

I can't argue those good points. He's been a yard short a lot from my observation. But they still don't have a viable replacement.

 

[Risen Star]

This disrespect needs to stop!!

LOL.

I wish I could cut him today.

 

[vaturkey]

I will say, he' reliable. However what is reliable supposed to cost? I think the days of him scaring the other team are over. Athletic linebackers can cover him all day long.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

When someone can beat Witten out, it will be time to sit him.

No need to push someone into the starting position that cannot beat him out.

And before someone brings up M.Bennett...if he is so good, how come not one team has kept him beyond his initial contract.

 

[G2]

It's not like we ONLY run one TE set formations. We simply don't have talented enough TE's under Witten for him to sit. It's ridiculous considering he still makes an impact. Obviously he's slowed and isn't the focal point on offense. But he shouldn't be with the highest paid WR and the best RB in the NFL.
Again, if there's a better TE on the roster they would have had opportunities to play over Witten being we run multiple TE sets.

 

[Alexander]

When someone can beat Witten out, it will be time to sit him.

As far as every down TEs, why would you have to get someone to beat him out?

And when is the last time you ever saw a team bench their living legend or even open his job up to an upstart? It simply is not what teams do.

The right way to handle this is to either reason with the player or to outright cut them to eliminate the debate. Otherwise you are going to spend a while trying to secure that one player that is going to make the legend step down.

The biggest problem anyone should have with the situation is that the staff needs to take charge and do the right thing when situationally it is the right thing to do.

Love you Jason, but we really need a faster guy on the field here split wide when it is 3rd and 15.

Knowing Witten's reputation and his nature, you know good and well he politics to be on the field, every play.

 

[Alexander]

It's not like we ONLY run one TE set formations. We simply don't have talented enough TE's under Witten for him to sit. It's ridiculous considering he still makes an impact. Obviously he's slowed and isn't the focal point on offense. But he shouldn't be with the highest paid WR and the best RB in the NFL.
Again, if there's a better TE on the roster they would have had opportunities to play over Witten being we run multiple TE sets.

I don't have any problem with him on the field when the personnel grouping calls for an in-line TE or multiple TEs.

But when he plays 98.4% of the snaps? That is part of the issue, most TEs top out at 80-85%. Witten's amazing durability does not help either.

 

[G2]

I don't have any problem with him on the field when the personnel grouping calls for an in-line TE or multiple TEs.

But when he plays 98.4% of the snaps? That is part of the issue, most TEs top out at 80-85%. Witten's amazing durability does not help either.

Again, until there are TEs on the roster who a proven better I'm fine with Witten.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

As far as every down TEs, why would you have to get someone to beat him out?

And when is the last time you ever saw a team bench their living legend or even open his job up to an upstart? It simply is not what teams do.

The right way to handle this is to either reason with the player or to outright cut them to eliminate the debate. Otherwise you are going to spend a while trying to secure that one player that is going to make the legend step down.

The biggest problem anyone should have with the situation is that the staff needs to take charge and do the right thing when situationally it is the right thing to do.

Love you Jason, but we really need a faster guy on the field here split wide when it is 3rd and 15.

Knowing Witten's reputation and his nature, you know good and well he politics to be on the field, every play.

By Sit, IMO, that means he is sitting during the whole game.

If it makes someone better to start another player but Let Jason come in a play as well...So be it. But I don't see that as sitting the whole game.

Putting someone in that is not better than Jason just to sit jason just to satisfy the fan base...That would be silly IMO.

If someone can beat him out and play the whole game...So be it.

If someone can be good enough that he earns more playing time...so be it.

As far as your other question when was the last time they benched a player....

Well It goes to another part of your post.

They Let Larry Allen go. They let Emmitt Smith go and they let Demarcus Ware go. All three legends and they could have kept all three if they wanted to but they did not. They knew it was time for them to go.

Also, this team used to never let young players play. That has changed over the last few years...some due to necessity (DBs) and others because someone just was flat out better (romo over Bledsoe and then they Left Dak in even when Romo came back from injury).

It just may be the case that they have yet to find someone who has proven they are good enough as a whole to beat out witten.

However this might make you happy as you can turn a smile upside down and make it a frown.

Maybe they are just to inept to find another TE right now to beat out Jason. Lord knows we went some years after Jay before we finally found our star TE...We may have the same situation during Jason's twilight years and later. So that should give you an extra aha rip on the team point that should keep you happy for some time.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

If anything the title of this thread should be...Why can't they find a TE good enough to make Jason Sit.

 

[G2]

If anything the title of this thread should be...Why can't they find a TE good enough to make Jason Sit.

Exactly. Fans are quick to swap out players/coaches with no answer of a viable and realistic replacement. Key word: Realistic.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Exactly. Fans are quick to swap out players/coaches with no answer of a viable and realistic replacement. Key word: Realistic.

Although they do not specifically use the anyone would be better argument here, that is what the underlying tone has to be in order to get rid of him without finding a proper replacement for him.

With that said...I have seen the anyone would be better excuse used and proven wrong before.

It would be nice to see us draft a player, or acquire a young player, that has the ability to beat out an aging Jason Witten and take over that job to make it better or at the very least not diminish it.

However if we cut Jason or sit him and we let someone just take over the job to placate those that think Jason has to sit...and that player sucks. Boy would the staff hear about it and how they are not letting the better player play or not getting a decent replacement first.

 

[Roland]

That is a definite fact...

Some people crack me up. Witten is Mr. Professional. Sure, he has gotten older and slower. But as far as reliable, none better. He does his job and does it better than any other TE we have. He can get you 5-7 yards almost every time its thrown to him. He is not going to get you YAC. With Witten, you get what you throw, whether it is 3,5,7 or 15. People whine about him not getting to the chains. In those cases, he is usually that safety valve, dump off receiver if no one else is open. Rarely drops passes, never misses his assignment. He is good for one false start a game, but I can take that as he is also good for redzone TD.Sure, you may find a better "explosive" TE, but as far as "overall" TE skills, I will stick with Witten (only have about 2 years left with him anyways).

 

[Roland]

Is this the thread where I bash our HOF tight end? Count me out

Right! I want my HOF TE replaced! He can't put up numbers like Gronk! To be honest, that is not his role. He knows his role and is one of the best at it.

 

[Carter]

Aslong as Witten gives you 3 Yards on 3rd & 5 the Cowboys are fine.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Time to sit Witten for who? Swaim, Hanna, IR'ed Rico?

"We need a young TE that can stretch the field"
"Whoa, why would we draft a TE high, we need a DT/DE/CB/Etc more than a TE"
"Second round TE again?"

Thats where I would look for one, but i'm not sure the organization views the TE position as a problem.

 

[Idgit]

We ought to change the name on the back of his jersey to 'Sitten. ' Right?

Who else is old that we can turn on. I'm getting bored with just Jason. Is Tyron old enough yet?

 

[atlantacowboy]

Aslong as Witten gives you 3 Yards on 3rd & 5 the Cowboys are fine.

His numbers were a bit down along with everyone else receiving passes from Dak. But he's still catching over 70% of the balls thrown his direction and his 8.9 YPC isn't bad either. He still blocks well. ......... still playing at a pro bowl level. What the heck do people want? There is only one gronk.