The Dallas Cowboys tight end position has been a picture of consistency for decades. That is why last season, after Jason Witten retired, Cowboys fans found themselves in the unfamiliar territory of lamenting their clubs status at that position compared to the rest of the league. That is all supposed to change this year since Jason Witten has come out of retirement but is he the answer to the Dallas Cowboys tight end woes?
First of all, don’t expect the Jason Witten of 2019 to perform at the same level as prime Jason Witten. Secondly, don’t expect the 2019 Jason Witten to perform at the same level as even the 2017 version. Truth be told, Jason Witten is old, slow, and has not played football in a year. He will rusty and a shell of his former self. That said, he is still the most accomplished blocking tight end on the roster and that is the most valuable trait on this offense which is predicated on running the ball. Additionally, slow as he may be, he will still find a way to get open on 3rd down or near the goal line and will without a doubt catch any ball thrown his way. Ultimately, having Jason Witten back improves the tight end group and the offense as a whole compared to last season but it will not make them elite at the position.
The biggest down side of Jason Witten’s return is that it impedes to a degree the development of the young Dallas Cowboys tight ends who had emerged in the latter part of 2018. Blake Jarwin has the potential to be a legitimate weapon in the passing game. He has good hands, decent speed, and the ability to separate and run after the catch. Jarwin has improved as a blocker but still has a tendency to get overpowered which will limit his opportunities. Last years 4th round pick Dalton Schultz is the other option at tight end and he is expected to take another stride in his development this season. Schultz can catch and is a decent blocker but he needs to continue to develop in both of those areas, especially as a blocker. Schultz could become the heir apparent to Jason Witten if he reaches his full potential and he needs to show some growth this season. If he does not, the Cowboys may be looking to draft a tight end early in the 2020 draft.
It was widely believed that the Dallas Cowboys would only carry three tight ends this year and after cutting Rico Gathers last week that seems to be the case. However, both Jarwin and Shultz are banged up and there have been whispers from some of the www.dallascowboys.com writers that undrafted free agent TE Codey McElroy has had a great start to training camp. It is possible that he can find a way to make the team especially if there is an injury to one of the other three TE’s. It is also possible that the Dallas Cowboys might seek to trade for a veteran or poach a player waived by another team in that scenario.
As it appears now, the Dallas Cowboys tight end group will be improved from 2018 but it will still be one of the weaker position groups on the roster overall.
*Photo by Kieth Allison ;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
