You may or may not have heard of Father Time before, but he is a mythical old man that represents time’s constant one-way movement. Father Time catches up with all of us at some point, but for professional athletes he kind of comes out of nowhere. Unfortunately, it is starting to look as if the old man has finally started to catch up with the Dallas Cowboys’ future Hall of Fame tight end, Jason Witten.
As a fan, it’s always difficult to see your favorite professional athlete coming to the end of their career. Jason Witten is probably my all-time favorite player and his professionalism both on and off the field will truly be missed by the Cowboys organization. He is an ambassador of the sport and personifies exactly what teams look for in their players.
Unfortunately, the fact that he contemplated retirement during the off-season would suggest this could possibly be the last season we see him suit up for America’s Team, despite what his new 4-year contract extension would indicate. Whether it is his desire to spend more time with his family or maybe he is starting to feel like he’s lost a step, we should all start to prepare ourselves for when he does decide to fade into the shadows.
I personally didn’t want to admit it at first, but it was noticeable throughout the 2016 season that Jason Witten was not playing up to his normal standards.
He is noticeably a step slower in the passing game, but is still a reliable target because of his veteran saviness to create separation. His 69 receptions for 673 yards were some of the worst numbers he has put up in his entire career since entering the NFL in 2003.
He also surprisingly struggled as an in-line blocker last season. This was an area of his game where he was among the best at his position in the entire NFL, but took a noticeable step back in the 2016 season.
There were just too many times last season where Jason Witten looked a little bit lethargic on the field, which to me suggests that his age and Father Time has started to catch up to him. I’m hoping that I’m wrong, but I’m wondering if we will see more of the same in 2017.
His low production in the receiving game could be explained by the Cowboys offense focusing more on the running game, but that doesn’t quite explain everything else. It may be time for the Cowboys organization to start looking for his successor and the 2017 draft class has some pretty good TE options.
Jason Witten will not only go down as one of the best tight ends to ever play in the NFL, but THE BEST Dallas Cowboy to ever play for the organization.
I don’t know about you, but I will definitely start to appreciate him more every time he steps on the field in 2017. At the very least, that’s what he deserves from all of us if this is indeed his last season to play in the NFL.
If father time has caught up to Jason Witten then what does that say about the other te’s on our roster If the other Te’s on this roster can’t out play the old man Then we gotta problem on our hands at the position. He might have to play out the whole extension unfortunately because of the lack of TE production outside of him. I hope not
Travis, I wouldn’t be surprised if they drafted another TE. I don’t think they have a starting caliber TE on the roster, with the exception of Jason Witten.
I hope so I been looking at Evan Engram He would be a match up nightmare in our offense
Engram would be a matchup nightmare in the passing game, but he doesn’t offer anything in the running game with his blocking. I don’t think is a fit in Dallas
I feel vindicated by your column as to his blocking ability last year. Hof er for sure, but there is a definite decline due to his age.
Jason Witten has lost a step, but he still playing at a pretty high level. I’m just hoping that he doesn’t start declining rapidly as a player.
Yeah I was encouraged to see the extension but in reality I know it was just to free up some cap space. Like you, Witten is one of my all-time favorite players and will miss him. I am very anxious to see how Gathers looks in camp and pre-season. I also thought Swaim was beginning to show us something before he went down last year. I think we will draft a TE at some point but I don’t feel it is paramount this season. I love Engram as well but he is not, at all, the kind of TE we would be looking for. I can see them drafting Butt in the 3rd or so but I saw recent word that he thinks he will be ready in camp. All bets would be off at that point and he could move back into the 1st round.
I’m also interested to see how Gathers looks, but I get the feeling he still has a ways to go. Swaim was definitely good backup but I don’t think he is a starter. The Cowboys have bodies for the position, but I don’t think Jason Witten’s successor is on the roster. I think if there is a good TE available that is the BPA, they should draft him.
Hopefully our future TE’s are already on the roster. Swaim has looked good at times and Rico has the size to be a beast in the passing game as well as mowing down opposing players in the running game.
I really think that Swaim is a really good #2 TE, but I don’t know if he could handle the responsibilities as a starter. And I think Gathers needs more time to develop and learn the game. He could be used in certain situations, but I think he still has a ways to go until he’s ready to be relied upon.
Rico to the rescue. I too notice a decline in witten play, in 2014, when everytime he caught the football, there was no yac. In addition, the seam routes seem to disappear, as well. With Rico, you have the threat of the deep seem route, and blocking off the edge. Remember Rico was killing it, during practice squad practice, last year. I think he is ready, training camp will be the key. Can you imagine Dez, Williams, Beasley and Rico as Dak’s weapons, along with Zeke, out of the backfield.
The return to the glory days, yes sir!!
I really hope Gathers is ready to contribute, but I just don’t see it happening. I hope I’m wrong, but I think he probably needs another year to develop and learn the game. He could definitely be used in certain situations, but I just don’t think he’s ready to be a regular contributor.