Advertisement

sportsCowboys

Another run with Witten? A reunion with Dez? The Cowboys need to move on from both possibilities

Here’s why bringing back franchise greats in Jason Witten and Dez Bryant doesn’t make sense for this Dallas team.

Most of my best thinking happens during a shower, which is unfortunate not only for the brief interludes of lucidity but mainly because the laptop isn’t waterproof. Jerry Jones apparently likes to think in the shower, too. At least that’s when he says he ponders Dez Bryant’s return to the Cowboys. Next time, let’s hope a water main breaks on Preston.

Nothing against Dez or Jason Witten, for that matter. Couple of the best Cowboys ever. Next stop for both will be the Ring of Honor, the hallowed company they should be keeping these days.

Because it’s time to play the kids, isn’t it?

Witten came back last season after sitting in a TV booth for a year, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Dak Prescott missed him while he was gone. He’d also help make up for the absence of Cole Beasley.

Cowboys

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.

Or with:

Only that’s not how it worked out. He finished third on the team in catches (63) and fourth in yards (529), among career lows in both. But the problem wasn’t so much his numbers as everyone else’s.

The Cowboys targeted Witten 83 times, same as Randall Cobb. Except on Cobb’s targets, the Cowboys moved the ball 828 yards, nearly 300 yards farther than they did with Witten. You could argue they’d have been better off throwing the ball to Cobb more often.

Advertisement

You could also say the same about Blake Jarwin. Witten’s heir apparent caught 31 passes for 365 yards on 41 targets last season, roughly half as many as Witten. On those 31 catches, he totaled 160 yards after the catch. Witten had 171 on twice as many receptions.

Now, I won’t argue that Jarwin blocks as well or is a better leader. He may never match Witten in those areas. Witten’s not only a Ring of Honor cinch, he’s a Hall of Famer. But right now, Jarwin is a bigger threat, and he’s earned the right for more opportunities.

I know what you’re thinking: Why not reverse the roles and make Witten the back-up? Jason gets one last shot at a Super Bowl and everyone goes home happy.

Advertisement

Maybe that would even work, but the problem is that Witten has never played second fiddle to anyone. He’s rarely come off the field. It’s one of the reasons Martellus Bennett made a name for himself someplace else. Other teams have incorporated two tight ends effectively. Works pretty well in Philadelphia with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, anyway. But not here.

The question is whether Witten could really take a back seat. Jason Garrett had too much respect for Witten to ask him to do less. Maybe Mike McCarthy, an outsider now on the inside, could make it happen, but it ought to be a last resort.

Which brings us to Dez. Goes without saying that if Witten is an alpha male at tight end, Dez is the next step up on the psychological scale. The man always wanted the ball. Problem was, Prescott couldn’t find him enough.

In their two years on the field together, the lack of chemistry between Dak and Dez was obvious. One of the reasons Beasley became a star. Dak always knew where Beasley was going to be. He’d run his routes, and he’d be open when Dak looked.

Dez wasn’t nearly as efficient running routes, as you’re probably aware by now. He wasn’t any better when Tony Romo was his quarterback, either. But Romo could get the best out of Dez in pretty much any situation. He took chances. He didn’t care if Dez was open. He’d put the ball in spots where only Dez could get it, and for the most part, it worked fabulously.

The difference now is that Dak doesn’t have Romo’s arm talent, and he’s not a gambler, either. That’s a good thing, by the way. Ask Jimmy Johnson about turnovers and your odds of winning.

Bottom line: If Dak and Dez weren’t on the same page two years ago, what makes you think they would be now? Dez has been out two years, and with a significant injury, to boot.

And where, exactly, would Dez fit anyway? Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, a star on the rise, put up 1,000-yard seasons last year. Let’s take Cobb out of the equation because he mostly plays in the slot. Do you know how many targets Tavon Austin, Devin Smith and Cedrick Wilson had in all? Forty-one.

Advertisement

Do you think Dez would be happy with 41 targets? Not the Dez that I remember, smoke streaming from him on the sideline.

Even if Dez is different now, he’s 31, and the role he could play is best served by someone younger, no doubt cheaper, not to mention with a future.

No matter how spectacular the career or great the desire, sooner or later the time comes for every athlete to move on. If not, the team has to do it. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy thing to do at the Star. Or in Jerry’s shower, apparently.

Want exclusive content from Kevin Sherrington? Sign up for his weekly A La Carte newsletter here!

Advertisement

Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.