[tps_title]Tight End Rico Gathers[/tps_title]
More practice squad Dallas Cowboys football players! The Baylor basketball star turned Cowboys tight end, sixth round pick Rico Gathers spent the season on the scout team simply learning the tight end position and the game of football as a whole.
The team is hoping that Gathers can be the latest “basketball style” TE to dominate the NFL, and they paid him as such this season – giving him an active player’s salary to continue working his way towards game day with the Cowboys.
I am always all for this team drafting the best player available to them in the first round of the draft (the philosophy that’s brought us the Space Cowboys, Byron Jones, and Ezekiel Elliott), and the BPA pick at 28 would likely be Alabama TE O.J. Howard if he somehow slips that late into the first round.
Miami TE David Njoku is also an intriguing name at the position, and there is no doubt that both hyper-athletic, versatile TEs would add a missing element to Dallas’ passing attack. Do the Cowboys already have this type of player in Rico Gathers though?
Gathers doesn’t necessarily have to be ready to start behind Jason Witten in week 1 of 2017, as Geoff Swaim and possibly James Hanna will be healthy once again, but his development progress is pivotal to the Cowboys draft strategy.
What if I told you that in 2016 the Cowboys drafted Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Jaylon Smith, and a TE with as high of a ceiling as OJ Howard – a consensus first round pick in the upcoming draft?
This could be the case with Rico Gathers, as he looks to go from a rebounding star to a football star at The Star.
For more 2017 NFL Draft content, check out my full prospect scouting reports at our parent site Slant Sports! You can also access my 2017 NFL Draft Board right here!
I think you nailed it with those variables and who will impact the draft. I think it’s fair to say that Chaz Green has been a disappointment. When you are not available it is disappointing and while he has shown some flashes at tackle it now looks like a position of need. I know there was talk of moving Collins to tackle but losing Leary will most certainly require us to take a tackle. Cooper is a bit of a wild card also as he may gel well with this line and be the guy he was originally drafted to be. And we still have Looney and Cleary. A guy of interest to me in the draft that often shows up in my mocks is Pat Elflein at C from Ohio State. I know he has played guard but wonder if he can play tackle. He is a great team leader and fits that RKG that Garrett likes. Good overview Sean.
Thanks as always for your loyal readership and responses, Randy. Really appreciated. Firm believer that a player’s best trait is availability, since you here it from good scouts all the time, and that is what it really comes down to on Chaz Green. I’ll have to take a look at Elfein. Thanks! Enjoy the Super Bowl.