Why did Cowboys move on from Rico Gathers? The answer was clear to Jason Garrett

The Dallas Cowboys released tight end Rico Gathers and signed defensive back Tyvis Powell on Monday.

But the move was more about moving on from Gathers than making room for Powell. The Cowboys still had a roster spot and added tackle Lukayus McNeil on Tuesday.

They also plan to add another tight end to take some of the training camp reps off of Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin, Dalton Schultz and Codey McElroy, according to coach Jason Garrett.

Garrett said it was simply time to end the experiment with Gathers, a former basketball player at Baylor who the Cowboys picked in the sixth round in 2016 in hopes of converting him into a football player.

Gathers hadn’t played football since the eighth grade and showed some progress over the last three years.

But ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

“There were some things to like about him physically,” Garrett said. “He worked hard. I think at the end of the day, his inexperience ultimately was the issue with him. It was hard for him to play the way you need to play, play in and play out. Play with the instincts necessary, the temperament necessary to play. Into year four now, ultimately he didn’t show the growth that we wanted. Maybe if he goes somewhere else, he’ll learn from this experience and take advantage of it. Felt like that was best for our team.”

“Potential is great.” Garrett added. “You have to see the production and you try to give guys plenty of time, you try and put them in different environments where they can improve and ultimately have to make the right decision for your team.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2019 at 5:38 PM.