Dallas Cowboys: Why the Rico Gathers experiment should be over

With the recent news of Rico Gathers’ suspension, is it about time the Dallas Cowboys cut ties with the former basketball player?

The NFL announced that tight end Rico Gathers will miss the first game of the regular season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. In late October of 2018, Gathers was arrested for possession of two ounces of marijuana in Frisco, Texas.

Gathers is still eligible to participate in offseason team activities such as minicamp and training camp, but will miss the first week of the regular season. The tight end was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Although he did not play football in college, he was a rather successful power forward for the Baylor Bears basketball program. The Cowboys drafted Gathers with the hope of molding him into a dominant red zone threat, much like Green Bay Packers’ Jimmy Graham.

However, Gathers has not transitioned to football well. Gathers did not play in a single game in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, he played in 15 games but only recorded 45 yards on three catches.

Though Gathers has the physical traits to play in the league, he has not been able to keep up with the pace of the game– after all, football is a very technical sport. He is often a liability in blocking and limited in the passing game.

Gathers is on the last year of his rookie deal with Dallas. The Cowboys currently have four tight ends on the roster: Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin, Dalton Schultz, and Rico Gathers. Dallas is by no means forced to cut Gathers. He is only making just over $500,000 in 2019.

Cutting or keeping Gathers would not really affect the financial situation for the Cowboys. But cutting Gathers could send a message to the team. The NFL will probably change the rules surrounding marijuana soon, but as of now, management needs to be firm with players to follow the rules at be– even if those rules are arbitrary or invasive.

If a player does something that he knows will get him into trouble, he is being selfish because he understands his decisions will impact the team. If the Cowboys decide to keep Gathers, it would only be for competition in training camp and practice.

Even if Gathers was eligible for Week One, it is still unlikely for Dallas to activate four tight ends for a game. Ultimately, whatever the Cowboys choose to do with Gathers, it will have no tangible effect on the team. But the coaching staff needs to become more strict, and Gathers just gave them a perfectly reasonable excuse to begin.

What do you think the Dallas Cowboys should do with Rico Gathers? Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below!