Dallas Cowboys: For Rico Gathers, is being a pass-catcher enough?
By Reid Hanson
Rico Gathers is a far better receiving option than a blocker, so what the Dallas Cowboys must decide is whether or not being a pass-catcher is enough.
The most talented tight end on the Dallas Cowboys roster may not make the final 53-man roster this year. When you say it like that, it sounds absolutely absurd. But that’s precisely what’s going down with tight end Rico Gathers this season.
Drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Rico Gathers came to the Dallas Cowboys as a mammoth project with equally mammoth potential. The college basketballer turned professional footballer hadn’t played organized pigskin since middle school, yet the Cowboys were willing to invest a draft pick based on his superior physical traits.
Standing 6’6” 285lbs, Rico looks like a lineman but moves like a receiver. His natural ball skills are apparent in the open field, and because of his reach and leaping ability, his catch radius is something unparalleled on this roster. It should really be no surprise that with the Dallas Cowboys, he’s been flashing as a pass-catcher while struggling with blocking.
Jason Garrett has spoken of his need to improve in the blocking game, as has Rico himself:
"“I just need to establish myself in the running game,” Rico said. “If I can do that everything else will take care of itself.”"
That’s because Rico has already established himself as the best pass-catching tight end on the roster. If he can become a reliable pass-protector and run-blocker, he’s a shoe-in for TE1. But without those skills, he somehow runs the risk of not even making the team. Or does he?
Mismatches are king
If the defense is showing blitz can Rico be trusted to make the “hot read” and be on the same page as Dak? Can Rico Gathers adjust his route to a change in coverage? Can he be trusted to make the right assessment, mid-play, and go to the spot where Dak is delivering the ball?
It’s hardly a revelation to say, the NFL is all about mismatches. In today’s game, the salary cap ensures parity across the league. But a few players, at a few positions, offer mismatches that are nearly undefendable. Tight end is one of those positions and Rico Gathers looks like he may be one of those players. Rob Gronkowski is the best illustration of a mismatch in today’s NFL. The 6’6” 265lbs tight end from New England has been the one constant in Tom Brady’s passing attack this past decade.
Teams scheme against him like they would a No. 1 receiver. He’s doubled and tripled. Bracketed and chipped. Held and cut. Yet, time and time again, Gronk makes the play under the most adverse of circumstances.
When you’re that big, that athletic, that physically gifted, you are nearly unstoppable – even if opponents know of your intentions. Rico Gathers has that type of mismatch ability.
Rico is certainly nowhere as polished as Gronk in any area of his game (Gronk is actually a very well-rounded tight end). But Gathers does have the size and natural skills to be that player. That’s why the Cowboys invested a draft pick in him and that’s why they’ve stashed him for the past two seasons.
Is being a pass-catcher enough?
So the question is being a pass-catcher enough? For this season at least? To that, the answer has to be a resounding “Yes!”
But before we move on we must first admit we don’t even know how competent Rico Gathers is in the passing game. We’ve seen flashes in training camp and highlights in preseason but do we know he understands the nuance of the position?
If the defense is showing blitz can Rico be trusted to make the “hot read” and be on the same page as Dak? Can Rico Gathers adjust his route to a change in coverage? Can he be trusted to make the right assessment, mid-play, and go to the spot where Dak is delivering the ball?
If he can’t then he can’t really even be trusted as a pass-catcher, either. The generic situations we saw in preseason last year show off his ability to dominate one-on-one but not necessarily his ability to make the right call in a real game situations – especially one that’s scheming against him.
But if he can, there is not only a place for him on this team but there’s a place for him in the starting lineup.
Some of the best tight ends are/were one-dimensional players. Tony Gonzalez was a poor blocker through most of his career. Jimmy Graham gives little effort to that area of the game. Antonio Gates wasn’t much of a blocker either. And Zach Ertz is an absolutely dreadful blocker. But their ability in the passing game more than made up for. As a result, they just weren’t asked to block very often.
If a tight end proves to be a feared weapon as a pass-catcher, he can make up for sub-par blocking. Ideally, you’d like a guy like Jason Witten or Gronk – a guy who can do it all and do it all well. But you can still be a valuable asset (and a Pro Bowler/Hall of Famer) if you’re only proficient in pass-catching.
The answer to the question is simple: Is being a pass-catcher enough for Rico Gathers to make the team?
Yes.
Hell, yes.
But we can’t assume he’s great in that role yet. And sadly, only the Dallas Cowboys coaches know for sure. Training camp will again give us a glimpse of how he’s doing in his coverage reads, route adjustments, and route running consistency. But only the coaches will know the full story.
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Winning one-on-one battles and making highlight plays may not be enough, but if Rico Gathers can prove to be a consistent and well-studied pass-catcher, it will be enough for him to make this team. Even if he’s not a great blocker.