Dallas Cowboys fans across the nation are doing backflips after hearing the news that Jason Witten is back with the team. Jason Witten immediately addresses what was a clear need at the tight end position for Dallas but will his return make the Cowboys a better team in 2019?
The simple answer is yes but there is still cause for gloom and doom fans like myself to be a tiny bit concerned. There are several reasons to question the move to bring Witten back. First of all, Jason Witten has been out of football for an entire year. Even when he did play last it is clear that he has lost a step from his prime years. He will no doubt bring leadership and blocking ability that was lacking at the position last season. Even still, rust has to taken into account as a factor.
Another negative is the price tag. The reported $5 million dollar contract will not break the bank but for a team that wants to sign Demarcus Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper; AND go after Earl Thomas while still retaining Sean Lee, something has to give. The current group of tight ends have a lot to prove but they all come fairly cheap.
With regard to the current tight ends on the roster, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Shultz really started to come on towards the end of last season. Throwing Witten back in the mix could result in stagnating the development of those players that represent the future of the tight end position.
Lastly, by bringing in a future hall of famer and a Cowboys legend, additional pressure is placed on the Dallas Cowboys to win immediately. Many teams have folded under the pressure when similar moves were made. Another legendary tight end, Tony Gonzalez decided to play one more year with the Falcons after they lost in the NFC championship game in 2012. Running back Marshawn Lynch unretired and came home to Oakland in 2017 after the Raiders won 13 games the previous season. Then there is HOF QB Brett Favre who decided to unretire for the umpteenth time after his Vikings lost to the Saints in heartbreaking fashion in the 2010 NFC championship game. None of those stories wound up with a happy ending.
Perhaps I am just being a Debbie downer here but in my experience it is the subtle quiet moves that make the difference in football and not the loud popular moves. Either way, whether my concerns are valid or I am just a wet blanket, Jason Witten is back and tight end is no longer an offseason priority for the Cowboys.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode