The Dallas Cowboys have bet on Blake Jarwin. After the team brought Jason Witten back in 2019, Jarwin didn't get the playing time many hoped him to, leaving doubts as to whether or not he's starting material. However, the front office signed him to a four-year contract, securing him through 2024.
Jarwin has shown impressive flashes in his few opportunities to do so and it's not hard to expect a breakout season from him. While his pass-blocking skills are in question, there's no doubt he's proven himself as a receiver, often showing off his speed and ability to do damage after the catch.
Now that Head Coach Mike McCarthy is in Dallas, we should expect something more from the tight end position. During his time coaching the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy put a lot of attention to the position. Big names like Jermichael Finley, Jared Cook, Martellus Bennett, Marcedes Lewis, and even Jimmy Graham spent time with McCarthy's Packers.
Some were better than others, but they all put up big numbers thanks to the use the Packers' offense gave them. With Jarwin set to be McCarthy's next tight end, I'm intrigued by a comment the coach made in 2018 when speaking of the position.
“The tight end position in this offense is difficult, I think that goes understated, frankly. The tight end position, outside of the quarterback and the center and guards, the volume of responsibility is significant. Obviously they have run-game responsibility. They're multiple position players, so they have formation variation responsibility. So with that, they have characteristic traits being in the backfield, being out of the backfield, being extended as a receiver, and then obviously the pass game, route running and route-running principle responsibilities.” McCarthy on PackersNews.com in June, 2018.
For a long time, the Cowboys haven't had a “big” season from a tight end. Many exclusively credit this to Scott Linehan's lack of tight end usage, but there are more factors to it. As much as Cowboys Nation loves Jason Witten, there's no denying he hasn't been the same in the last few years.
Call me optimistic, but I'm legitimately excited about Blake Jarwin's potential breakout in 2020. He's a very talented 25-year-old tight end that's already spent three years in the NFL. McCarthy and Kellen Moore might have something big in store form him.
