Dallas Cowboys: Replacement Tight End production may come from here
By Sean Martin
The Dallas Cowboys are entering life post-Jason Witten in 2018. Without a true replacement at tight end, where might the replacement production come from?
Ever since the Dallas Cowboys drafted Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick back in 2016, fans have been calling for a larger role in the passing game from the Ohio State product. There’s no denying that the team has made him a focal point of their offense when they can, seeing the wheels fall off last season once Elliott was sidelined for a six-game suspension.
A rush-first offense thanks to their offensive line, this same front will be responsible for giving quarterback Dak Prescott enough time to find his new receivers. Gone are Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, but new to the Cowboys backfield behind Elliott is Darius Jackson, Bo Scarbrough, and even Tavon Austin.
This stable of versatile running backs gives the Cowboys plenty of targets in the passing game when looking to replace the reliability of Witten. It says a lot about the now Monday Night Football analyst that it may take any combination of four running backs and five actual tight ends for Witten’s former team to move on.
The potential for the Cowboys to be even more explosive on offense with the ball in the hands of these backs is high. Of course, running back coach Gary Brown remains in place as one of the few positional coaches not cycled through for 2018, along with offensive coordinator and play-caller Scott Linehan.
This would make any drastic changes in the Cowboys approach quite the surprise, although Linehan deserves a fair chance to execute this offense with all their pieces in place. It was Linehan himself that helped the Cowboys make a mid-draft trade for Austin, who the team immediately listed as a running back.
The Cowboys clearly want to see Elliott carry this offense with whatever volume of touches he’s prepared for in 2018, while also finding Austin, Jackson, and Scarbrough in the passing game to be less predictable.
Prescott’s ability to keep Dallas ahead of the chains by completing high percentage throws should be an overwhelming strength for this Cowboys offense in 2018. Tight ends Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and rookie Dalton Schultz will have their say in this production as well.
While rookie running back Bo Scarbrough’s natural ability to help in the passing game may be limited (keeping him on the roster bubble ahead of training camp), Jackson and Rod Smith are both capable receivers behind Elliott.
Smith is coming off his best year yet in the Cowboys offense, rushing for 55 yards and adding another 202 through the air thanks to a late surge in 2017. His effortless ability to beat linebackers with quickness and above average route running is a trait shared throughout this new-look Cowboys offense.
It won’t be long until we get an inclination for just how different the Cowboys offense can look in 2018, with the team set to report to training camp this week.
Eventually, the pads will come on, the offensive line will hammer open holes for Elliott, and a few of these receivers will look exceptionally good against air.
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Also just 18 days away from their first preseason game, the true tests of the Cowboys readiness for competition without both Witten and Bryant are on the way. The easy answer is potentially staring them down in the backfield.
The Dallas Cowboys don’t have to reinvent the wheel to score points this season, as just throwing it may be good enough.