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Dallas Cowboys 2018 Positional Breakdown: Tight Ends

By Steven Mullenax

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 24: Jason Witten #82 of the Dallas Cowboys is tackled by Shaquill Griffin #26 of the Seattle Seahawks in the second half at AT&https://thelandryhat.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=129967&action=edit#;T Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 24: Jason Witten #82 of the Dallas Cowboys is tackled by Shaquill Griffin #26 of the Seattle Seahawks in the second half at AT&https://thelandryhat.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=129967&action=edit#;T Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys have several players at their tight end position. Possibly too many. Let’s breakdown this group with an eye on 2018.

For the Dallas Cowboys, the position of tight end is associated with just one player. That being future Hall of Famer Jason Witten. As the franchise’s greatest tight end, and one of the best every to play the position in all of football, Witten sets an impossible standard that cast a mighty shadow many have wilted under.

But at 35-years old, Witten is taking his career year-by-year at this point. And one day, maybe someday soon, the legend will hang up his cleats. Fortunately for the Cowboys, there is a current logjam at the tight end position in Dallas.

Let’s scan the Cowboys current depth chart at this position and try to parse where the future of tight end in Dallas might lie.

Tight Ends

Roster

Jason Witten, TE

James Hanna, TE

Geoff Swaim, TE

Blake Jarwin, TE

Rico Gathers, TE

2018 Free Agents

None

Breakdown

Beyond Witten, the Cowboys have four tight ends vying for a spot on the active roster this upcoming season. And that’s not including anyone Dallas chooses to sign in free agency or select in the upcoming draft.

Let’s start with Hanna, who is under contract in Dallas for one more season. His $2.75 million salary could certainly be a reason to cut him this offseason, but the Cowboys seem to trust him both as a blocker and a receiver. And that is something this coaching staff covets.

Swaim is coming off a down season, but showed promise as both a pass catcher and a blocker early on. I’m just not sure he’s seen enough snaps to fully develop. Maybe something changes, as Swaim also has one more season under contract.

Jarwin was prompted to the active roster last season when other teams were rumored to be interested in him while on Dallas’ practice squad. He’ll get a better chance to prove why that was this offseason.

Finally, a concussion slowed the development of Gathers last season. The former basketball player looked like a potential stud scoring two preseason touchdowns until he landed on Injured Reserve and never returned. Gathers should get every opportunity to prove that production wasn’t a fluke this offseason.

Next: All-Time Best Dallas Cowboys By Position – Offense

I’m unsure if the Dallas Cowboys feel like they have Jason Witten’s successor on their roster right now. And that might spur them to draft one come April. But the Cowboys certainly have plenty of promising tight ends to develop, any of whom could turn the corner and prove themselves to be very valuable in 2018.

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