Witten has screwed the Cowboys twice now

[vlad]

I hope I'm wrong since he's one of my all time favorite players, but this seems like such a stupid, stupid move. Just so stupid. Maybe he'll do something unprecedented for a physical football player in his mid-30s who took a year off.

We have so many people to pay, and it didn't seem like TE was that big of a problem compared to any upside on the field I imagine he will bring.

 

[vlad]

Last year, he retired unexpectedly, leaving the Cowboys to go into the offseason with subpar TE talent. This year, he throws a monkey wrench in the plans again, at the last minute, and puts the franchise in an odd position.

He's going to leech snaps from any TE they may draft, and hinder the development of the guys already on the roster. He's definitely taken them out of the free agency mix for TEs.

Last year doing it last minute I don't disagree with at all, but this year the adults in the room needed to tell him no. They had an easier time telling Romo he couldn't even compete for a job when he was reportedly crushing it in practice. Did they make him work out?

 

[TwoDeep3]

Witten retired on or about April 26th in 2018. His unretirement is 11 months later. So this two year baloney is inaccurate.

I don't believe I could come up with a more perfect scenario of this fanbase disapproving of every move this team makes than the Witten unretirement. Nothing satisfies this crowd.

Too many argue money as if this were Madden. Others suggest ridiculous trades, just like Madden. Even more proffer the idea of signing a guy who is oft injured and his "skill set" will suddenly improve, as if this were Madden and you were ramping up his rating.

I think this entire board has gone Mad...den.

 

[Melonfeud]

Give me Witten. I love watching the slowest human on Earth get open on every play.

that got me laughing,and I'm not even drinking

 

[TheStarInFLA]

Give me Witten. I love watching the slowest human on Earth get open on every play.

Very insightful

 

[Joe Realist]

Last year, he retired unexpectedly, leaving the Cowboys to go into the offseason with subpar TE talent. This year, he throws a monkey wrench in the plans again, at the last minute, and puts the franchise in an odd position.

He's going to leech snaps from any TE they may draft, and hinder the development of the guys already on the roster. He's definitely taken them out of the free agency mix for TEs.

 

[beware_d-ware]

Word is Witten is only going to get 25 snaps a game. There will still be plenty of room for Jarwin et al to handle the other 2/3rds of the snaps. It probably means Swaim isn't coming back, but this isn't costing us a lot of money nor is it blocking our "young talent" (Schultz and Jarwin are the Nick Hayden of TEs IMO) from getting reps.

Honestly, Witten's probably going to get used the most near the goal line, which given our red zone woes could be a nice benefit.

 

[cern]

it had to be very painful for jerry, Stephen, charlotte, Eugenia, john and everyone else named jones to see witten fail so miserably as an announcer. they can be forgiven for offering him mercy, if you will. I think he'll keep off the weight, block less, and be used to catch the ball over the middle, mostly on third downs. and hopefully he can impart some of his vast knowledge of the game to the other tight ends. it could work. i'm hoping so, even if just for one year.

 

[SSoup]

Witten didn't screw us last offseason. He'd been declining for years and only an idiot would willfully choose not to see the end was near (if not already here).

The trash heap of TEs we played with in 2018 (all of whom were making only hundreds of thousands as the low-paid, spare-part, 2nd and 3rd stringers they all are) EASILY matched the production Witten gave us in 2017 while sucking up 12 million of our cap dollars.

Similarly, Witten didn't screw us this year. We chose to let him back in and we agreed to pay him 3-5 times what he's worth anymore for the privilege. He didn't do anything to us. We're doing it to ourselves. If we're being screwed, we're screwing ourselves.

 

[JoeKing]

Last year, he retired unexpectedly, leaving the Cowboys to go into the offseason with subpar TE talent. This year, he throws a monkey wrench in the plans again, at the last minute, and puts the franchise in an odd position.

He's going to leech snaps from any TE they may draft, and hinder the development of the guys already on the roster. He's definitely taken them out of the free agency mix for TEs.

If a fan can't be happy and appreciative for a Cowboy legend's 15-year career then I don't know what kind of fan you think you are. Witt did not choose the timing of his own retirement, that was ESPN's doing. Even still, Witten had communicated to the Jones's and Garrett that he had auditioned for the MNF gig, so they did have some fair warning that Witten's departure was an imminent possibility.

And now that Cowboys legend has decided to forgo that MNF gig and come back to the Cowboys to help them win a ring, you have an issue with it? Seems to me it is only you that has screwed someone twice and that's by tarnishing the good name of our Cowboy legend. Way to revise history to validate your own lack of appreciation for a great Cowboy. ​

 

[Cowpolk]

Give me Witten. I love watching the slowest human on Earth get open on every play.

Except for the fact that he is not slow

 

[BigCatMonaco]

Agreed..

How did the 3 main TEs do for the season without witten?

85 receptions
665
5 TDS

In 2017 when he was there.

They combined for

69 catches
663 yards
6 TDS.


So these young guys who witten hinders so clearly in all your minds, averaged considerably less yards per catch, and scored One fewer TD. They also gained only 2 more yards on 16 more catches.

 

[BigCatMonaco]

Except for the fact that he is not slow

I can admit he’s slow.
But slow doesn’t have anything to do with his ability to get open. His game was never predicated on speed. He’s still quick enough out of his breaks to make 4.5 Lbs look silly.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Jarwin and Shultz were doing better toward the end of the year. If Witten is taking some snaps then so be it. He gets open. Everyone complains about the 3 yard catches. That’s usually because he is working back towards the QB.

You just said it... Jarwin and Shultz (much younger, faster and quicker) were doing better at the end of the year, so why bring Witten (very old and much slower) to take not some but about 90% most of all snaps from them? How is that going to be better for the Offense?

 

[glimmerman]

You just said it... Jarwin and Shultz (much younger, faster and quicker) were doing better at the end of the year, so why bring Witten (very old and much slower) to take not some but about 90% most of all snaps from them? How is that going to be better for the Offense?

Something tells me that he won’t be taking that many snaps. Like Lee, I think he will be a coach that gets in there and plays some.

Now if he goes in and is not coming off the field and the staff isn’t telling him to then I am having a problem. I heard JG told him to take himself out when he wanted a break and that can’t happen anymore. JG better grow a pair and do what’s best for the team and the drive and his job.lol

 

[Blast From The Past]

Give me Witten. I love watching the slowest human on Earth get open on every play.

I see what you did their

 

[TwentyOne]

Last year, he retired unexpectedly, leaving the Cowboys to go into the offseason with subpar TE talent. This year, he throws a monkey wrench in the plans again, at the last minute, and puts the franchise in an odd position.

He's going to leech snaps from any TE they may draft, and hinder the development of the guys already on the roster. He's definitely taken them out of the free agency mix for TEs.

I liked him until last year. The way he handled his departure wasn't ok.
And now, coming out of retirement leaves a bad taste:

• is it because of the money ?
  
• does he really wants to play ?
  
• will he be giving it all even if we wont have a winning season ?

then, he just takes a spot away from our other TEs. We have Swaim and 2 more who need all the reps they can get. Maybe even a 4th draftpick.

I dont like that signing at all.

 

[RamziD]

We moved on already. Why get back?

Call me crazy, but I prefer the TEs we have now plus whoever we draft

Agreed

 

[OmerV]

This is BS. Witten just wants to play football, and the team didn’t have to sign him. If this turns out to be a bad thing, that’s on the team, not Witten. I still don’t see how it screws the team anyway as long as his snaps truly are limited. How many teams have a hall of famer playing 2nd team?

 

[Hennessy_King]

Winning teams learn to move on from players past their prime. Hence the 23 year drought.