Witten played 98.4% of the snaps in 2017

[kumizi]

Why do we suddenly need speed at the TE position when we haven’t had it any of the last 15 years again?

This is an incredibly simple minded take on the situation. The Cowboys lack big play explosiveness at their skill positions. TE is one of those positions.

 

[bark]

Considering he averaged 8.9 yards a catch last season and only had 101 YAC on 63 receptions that would mean he must have ran at least 7.4 yards down the field before he caught the ball. My guess is that would be a little higher if his QB could occassionaly throw a pass over 10 yards

https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/jason-witten-player-stats

Was wondering when this would be brought up. I’m guessing they assumed he caught the ball and ran backwards 2.4 yards and then fell down.
There’s been a whole lot of stupid in this thread. There is nobody better on this roster or practice squad. When there is we can talk then

 

[Cowpolk]

Stop it with this BS. Unless you can show a link, you are just making stuff up.

BTW, I'm Jason Garrett and I'm the HC of the Dallas Cowboys. If you don't believe me, prove it that I'm not.

No need to you just did Garrett does not post here

 

[Idgit]

This is an incredibly simple minded take on the situation. The Cowboys lack big play explosiveness at their skill positions. TE is one of those positions.

It really isn't. We've got 5 TEs on the roster. With the exception of Hanna, who's been on the roster since 2012, none of them are speed TEs. In fact, they're all slower than Witten was coming out (4.55 in the 40) by a fair margin.

You have to stop and think about what they're trying to do on offense when they put the team together. They want guys who can block inline, in space, and who can catch outlet passes in the passing game. They aren't a team that tries to stretch the coverage with a speed mismatch from the TE. We're a run first team that uses the big guys to block.

That's not going to change just because you guys want it to change. If we're going to add speed, though, it'll come from a replacement for Butler at WR or through the addition of a 3rd down back who's a coverage mismatch like we had in Dunbar and were reportedly looking for in Pumphrey last season.

Hanna - Combine
40 Yrd Dash: 4.49
20 Yrd Dash: 2.67
10 Yrd Dash: 1.57

Swaim - pro day
40 Yrd Dash: 4.71
20 Yrd Dash: 2.73
10 Yrd Dash: 1.66

Jarwin - pro day
40 Yrd Dash: 4.73
20 Yrd Dash: 2.76
10 Yrd Dash: 1.58

Gathers - pro day
40 Yrd Dash: 4.79
20 Yrd Dash: 2.79
10 Yrd Dash: 1.71

 

[Idgit]

Stop it with this BS. Unless you can show a link, you are just making stuff up.

BTW, I'm Jason Garrett and I'm the HC of the Dallas Cowboys. If you don't believe me, prove it that I'm not.

Wait...but I'm Jason Garrett.

 

[IheartRomo]

Witten is still the best football player on the team

This is a borderline schizophrenic post. I don't believe that a single person on planet earth could truly believe this. Downright insanity.

 

[Cowpolk]

Stop it with this BS. Unless you can show a link, you are just making stuff up.

BTW, I'm Jason Garrett and I'm the HC of the Dallas Cowboys. If you don't believe me, prove it that I'm not.

Cool I am Jerry Jones and you are fired that should make a lot of posters happy

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

Why do we suddenly need speed at the TE position when we haven’t had it any of the last 15 years again?

And we haven’t won anything in those fifteen years!

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

The problem here is that too many posters look at his role one-dimensionally...how he affects the passing game, without thought for how he impacts the running game.

If a LB has to worry about the TE running by him, that doesn’t affect the running game? Do I need to explain?

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

Witten is still the best football player on the team

And that’s a major major major problem all in it’s self!

Would he be the best player or even best TE on the current world champions?

 

[Idgit]

And we haven’t won anything in those fifteen years!

That's not an argument for changing things willy-nilly. We've got three top-100 picks if we don't trade up for anybody. Let's spend them on actual holes instead of trying to replace a probowl starter just because it'd be satisfying because he's old and at the end of a great career. TE is a minor need compared to the holes at other positions. Especially when anybody with a lick of sense understands that Witten is not retiring and going to be getting the lion-share of the 1TE snaps no matter what.

 

[Cowpolk]

And that’s a major major major problem all in it’s self!

Would he be the best player or even best TE on the current world champions?

They would have 2 great tight ends

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

That's not an argument for changing things willy-nilly. We've got three top-100 picks if we don't trade up for anybody. Let's spend them on actual holes instead of trying to replace a probowl starter just because it'd be satisfying because he's old and at the end of a great career. TE is a minor need compared to the holes at other positions. Especially when anybody with a lick of sense understands that Witten is not retiring and going to be getting the lion-share of the 1TE snaps no matter what.

Oh I didn’t say Witten was the problem with our team. But he is definitely part of, if just minute of the offensive problems.

 

[xwalker]

Witten always gets praised for "not letting anyone take him off the field", but even he has to see that we'd be better served as a team if he took less snaps.

Witten is not "wired" to see it that way, but it's not really his job to make that decision. Garrett should already have limited him to less snaps in 2017, but he just won't do it

 

[hornitosmonster]

You football geniuses think we are going to replace Witten with a Gronk type. Because tight ends like that grow on trees. The day Witten is gone is the day we will wish for a tight end half as productive as him.

 

[TheCount]

It really isn't. We've got 5 TEs on the roster. With the exception of Hanna, who's been on the roster since 2012, none of them are speed TEs. In fact, they're all slower than Witten was coming out (4.55 in the 40) by a fair margin.

You have to stop and think about what they're trying to do on offense when they put the team together. They want guys who can block inline, in space, and who can catch outlet passes in the passing game. They aren't a team that tries to stretch the coverage with a speed mismatch from the TE. We're a run first team that uses the big guys to block.

That's not going to change just because you guys want it to change. If we're going to add speed, though, it'll come from a replacement for Butler at WR or through the addition of a 3rd down back who's a coverage mismatch like we had in Dunbar and were reportedly looking for in Pumphrey last season.

Hanna - Combine
40 Yrd Dash: 4.49
20 Yrd Dash: 2.67
10 Yrd Dash: 1.57

Swaim - pro day
40 Yrd Dash: 4.71
20 Yrd Dash: 2.73
10 Yrd Dash: 1.66

Jarwin - pro day
40 Yrd Dash: 4.73
20 Yrd Dash: 2.76
10 Yrd Dash: 1.58

Gathers - pro day
40 Yrd Dash: 4.79
20 Yrd Dash: 2.79
10 Yrd Dash: 1.71

Where’d you find a 4.55 combine time for Witten?

That’s a lot faster than what I remember. That’s faster than Jimmy Graham.

4.55 is definitely speed TE category.

 

[Zman5]

No need to you just did Garrett does not post here

Wrong.

 

[Zman5]

Cool I am Jerry Jones and you are fired that should make a lot of posters happy

Now I know you are BSing for sure. Jerry would never fire JG.

 

[kskboys]

Why do we suddenly need speed at the TE position when we haven’t had it any of the last 15 years again?

Ever. I can't recall even one speed TE that we've ever had.

 

[Oh_Canada]

Witten is still the best football player on the team

Are you joking?