Dallas Cowboys: 5 midseason breakout candidates

Rico Gathers, Tight End

Of all the possible midseason breakout candidates, Rico Gathers seems to be the most unlikely. Certainly, fans want the massive 6-foot-6, 282-pound former basketball star to become the next superstar for America’s Team.

But despite his athletic prowess and the fact this is his third season in Dallas, Gathers has yet to earn the full trust of this Cowboys coaching staff. And until he does (if he ever does), he’ll never achieve the type of success fans want him to.

Trying to make the transition from college hoops to the NFL is nearly impossible. Especially if you haven’t played organized football since the eighth grade like Gathers. Still, the Cowboys thought enough of his potential to select him in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

And after a year on the practice squad, Gathers marveled fans by scoring touchdowns in each of his first two preseason appearances last year. Unfortunately, a concussion landed Gathers on Injured Reserve and stunted his development.

With the retirement of longtime starting tight end Jason Witten in May, Gathers figured to finally start playing a role on the team. The 24-year old made the active roster for the first time and has now played in six regular season games, recording two catches for 46 yards.

The Dallas Cowboys are still struggling to find consistent production from their tight end position, with starter Geoff Swaim being the best of the lot so far. But the Cowboys have also run plays designed to take advantage of Rico Gathers unique skill set as a receiver. Expect to see even more of those opportunities in the second half of the season as Gathers continues to slowly earn more trust from this coaching staff.