This is what’s really keeping Cowboys’ athletic TE Rico Gathers from flourishing
Tight end Rico Gathers is a flashpoint for controversy among Dallas Cowboys fans these days.
The former Baylor basketball player has become a fan favorite because of his transition from basketball and seeming potential for big-time plays because of his size and athleticism.
Gathers offered another glimpse in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 21-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals when he jumped over a defender to haul in a pass from Mike White.
It was an example of a play that no other tight end on the Cowboys roster can make.
Yet he continues to run fourth at the position behind Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz because they have more experience and are more trustworthy in the parts of the game that don’t involve getting the football.
Owner Jerry Jones caused a stir Saturday night when he talked about Gathers’ struggles as a blocker and openly discussed the possibility of cutting him so they wouldn’t lose a more roster spot for a more valuable player.
“At a point, and I’m not so sure we’re not at that point, if he can be consistent on a personal basis I’ll give him the time he needs to make those kinds of plays,” Jones said. “We talk about being a weapon in the red zone and he’s certainly that. He’s making those because of his obvious talent and physical advantage, size, leaping ability, strength, hands all that.
“He’s blocking well when he’s blocking the right man. He’s got enough there, but the angst comes when you’re sitting there looking at the guy who is not on the roster because you kept him on the roster.”
Coach Jason Garrett delved further into Gather’s challenges in his third year of playing the game after stopping in the eighth grade to focus on basketball.
Garrett lauded Gathers for making a big-time athletic play on the underthrown ball from White. He also acknowledged that Gathers might have run a bad route on the play by releasing inside instead of outside.
He also ran into a teammate on a route earlier in the game.
More pointedly, Garrett said Gathers struggles with understanding his assignments when the defense changes and he has to make a decision on the fly.
“Typically, it is fronts and assignments,” Garrett said. “When you have a real clear idea of what the front is and you know you have this guy, he can do a pretty decent job. He still has to work on his technique. But oftentimes in this game the front change, this guy slides over, the ball is snapped. For a guy just starting to play again after a long, long time, those times can be challenging situations that causes him to be hesitant and not use his physical abilities.”