Who will benefit most from the Dallas Cowboys offensive overload?
Who might benefit most from the Dallas Cowboys possessing a plethora of offensive weapons?
The Dallas Cowboys should field one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL this upcoming season. With the majority of the cast returning that ranked first in the league in total offensive yards in 2019, the Cowboys choose to add yet another weapon to this group with their top selection in this year’s draft.
The addition of Oklahoma playmaker CeeDee Lamb gives the Cowboys the top wide receiver corps in football, as the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is expected to start alongside four-time Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper and the up-and-coming Michael Gallup.
Considering the fact Dallas already has running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in the backfield, both of whom are legitimate receiving threats, the Cowboys’ overall offensive attack is expected to be nothing less than spectacular.
But with so many mouths for quarterback Dak Prescott to feed, it’s anyone’s guess who might be showcased from week-to-week. But one insider believes tight end Blake Jarwin could find himself open more often than not.
Here’s how longtime writer Nick Eatman responded to a recent mailbag question that appeared on DallasCowboys.com when asked about whether the team may see more explosive plays generated by busted coverages due to the amount offensive weapons they’ll have on the field.
"” … the guy who will probably get open a lot is Blake Jarwin. I can see him streaking down the field wide open because Cooper is doubled and Gallup and CeeDee are already getting their attention plus the defense just bit on the play-action to Zeke. That’s the guy who probably finds himself open a lot this year.”"
Despite playing opposite of future Hall of Famer Jason Witten, Jarwin was still able to start in a career-high seven games in 2019. Yet, as a 16-game starter, Witten still received more than double the targets of Jarwin, 83 as opposed to his 41. Jarwin finished his third season in Dallas recording 31 catches for 365 yards and three touchdowns.
With the 38-year old Witten leaving Dallas for Las Vegas this offseason as a free agent, Jarwin has now been slotted in the starting role. And the Cowboys’ belief in him was solidified when the team inked him to a new four-year contract worth up to $24.25 million, that according to ESPN.
ALSO READ: Why Amari Cooper might be primed for his best season yet
At the end of the 2018 regular season, in the Cowboys’ final matchup of the year against their NFC East foes, the New York Giants, Jarwin first flashed his true playmaking ability as a tight end. The undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State, who was at the end of his second season in Dallas, put on a show by racking up seven receptions for 119 yards and three scores in an impressive season finale.
That ability would flash once again last season when Jarwin would record back-to-back games with a touchdown against both the Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. And he would do so on his only two targets of those matchups in Weeks 7 and 8.
The Dallas Cowboys have a plethora of offensive talent set to take the field in 2020. But don’t be surprised if it’s tight end Blake Jarwin who benefits the most as opposing defenses scramble to cover everyone but No. 89.