Cowboys roster analysis: WR, TE
by Todd Archer
IRVING – On to the second week of our roster analysis, and this time we touch on the strength of the offense: wide receivers and tight ends.
Jason Witten has been to three straight Pro Bowls and was rewarded with a lucrative extension last summer. Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn had their multi-million dollar bonuses picked up in the off-season and give the Cowboys one of the best 1-2 combos in the league. Patrick Crayton is one of the best No. 3s in the game.
The good news for those four is Tony Romo has complete trust in all of them and the issues that seemed to plague other quarterbacks involving Owens have not crept up with Romo. Yet.
After Witten and the top three receivers, however, there are questions.
Wide receivers
Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Jamaica Rector, Isaiah Stanback, Jerard Rabb, Jamel Richardson, Jerheme Urban, Mike Jefferson
Owens led the league in drops but he was playing with a broken hand and a torn tendon that required two off-season surgeries. He still put up great numbers (85 catches, 1,180 yards, 13 TDs) last year, but the impact he had didn't seem to match. He missed assignments. He ran poor routes. He did not do much downfield blocking. He gets a fresh start with a new, friendlier position coach in Ray Sherman and feels like he has something to prove. That's always a good for a team needing its stars to be stars.
The acquisition of Glenn might be one of the best moves in Jerry Jones' tenure. Glenn has been dependable and productive in his four seasons, but that came under Bill Parcells' watchful eye. Things that did not come up under Parcells have for other coaches with Glenn. Still, he is dangerous and he has the speed and quickness that make him difficult for cornerbacks to read.
Crayton, who is entering a contract year, has improved each season. He will not blow by defenders, but he runs great routes and is tough to tackle. Think of the Seattle playoff game where he carried two defenders in for a touchdown. He has the best hands on the team.
After the top three, however, there are questions. Fourth-round pick Stanback is making the switch from college quarterback to receiver and is recovering from a serious foot injury. He looked explosive during his rehab, but just how raw is he? Austin and Hurd made the team as undrafted free agents last year, and Jones believes they have the potential to become replacements for Owens and Glenn in the future. That's a lot to put on young players. Austin has more speed. Hurd has better hands. Austin has lots to learn. Hurd can make the great play but has lapses on the easy ones.
Richardson excelled in the CFL and is physical. Rector is in a make-or-break part of his career. He has been around for two years and has to make an impact. Urban is intriguing because he catches everything but is rather slight. Rabb was given a $15,000 signing bonus, so the Cowboys like his potential.
One of the biggest questions entering camp is how many receivers do they keep? Owens, Glenn and Crayton are locks. Stanback should be a lock, but last year's fourth-rounder (Skyler Green) didn't make the club out of camp. Austin and Hurd have high ceilings. Can the Cowboys keep six receivers on the 53-man roster? If so, they will have to go light at another position (running back?).
Tight ends
Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Andy Thorn, Tony Curtis, Adam Bergen, Rodney Hannah
LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN
Tight end Jason Witten could be more of a downfield target this season. Witten is one of the top tight ends in the game and is entering the portion of his career where his athletic talent and knowledge of the game are at their heights. If the off-season was any indication, Witten will have the chance to get down the field more often this year than in previous seasons. He has also developed as a blocker over the years, which separates him from other tight ends who barely show a willingness to do the dirty work. He needs to be more productive inside the 20, but some of that can be traced to Parcells' desire to run the ball in for touchdowns.
Fasano, a second-round pick last year, was having a good off-season before a shoulder injury derailed him for the final few weeks. He didn't require surgery, but it's never a good thing to miss time and this might be something that has to be monitored during training camp by the coaches and trainers. His rookie season did not go as planned, but his conditioning has improved a lot in his second year and he has good hands. He also did some lead blocking but that was not his strength. The Cowboys will not be as reliant on the two-tight end set this year, but Fasano can be a security blanket on underneath routes for Romo.
This is where it gets tricky. If the Cowboys lose Witten or Fasano, the depth is an unknown. Thorn came in late last season and overtook Curtis, who frustrated the coaches with an indifferent attitude at times. He has spent the off-season in NFL Europa, and that's not a good thing with a new coaching staff to impress. Thorn has benefited from the off-season conditioning program, but could he handle the rigors of being counted on? Not sure.
Bergen might be able to win the No. 3 job. In 30 games with the Cardinals the last two seasons, he had 43 catches for 381 yards. At 6-4, 267 pounds, he has good size, but can he play special teams? Hannah was a basketball player at Houston before moving back to football. He has some skills, but his lack of experience will hurt his chances. He could be a prime practice squad candidate.
IRVING – On to the second week of our roster analysis, and this time we touch on the strength of the offense: wide receivers and tight ends.
Jason Witten has been to three straight Pro Bowls and was rewarded with a lucrative extension last summer. Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn had their multi-million dollar bonuses picked up in the off-season and give the Cowboys one of the best 1-2 combos in the league. Patrick Crayton is one of the best No. 3s in the game.
The good news for those four is Tony Romo has complete trust in all of them and the issues that seemed to plague other quarterbacks involving Owens have not crept up with Romo. Yet.
After Witten and the top three receivers, however, there are questions.
Wide receivers
Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Jamaica Rector, Isaiah Stanback, Jerard Rabb, Jamel Richardson, Jerheme Urban, Mike Jefferson
Owens led the league in drops but he was playing with a broken hand and a torn tendon that required two off-season surgeries. He still put up great numbers (85 catches, 1,180 yards, 13 TDs) last year, but the impact he had didn't seem to match. He missed assignments. He ran poor routes. He did not do much downfield blocking. He gets a fresh start with a new, friendlier position coach in Ray Sherman and feels like he has something to prove. That's always a good for a team needing its stars to be stars.
The acquisition of Glenn might be one of the best moves in Jerry Jones' tenure. Glenn has been dependable and productive in his four seasons, but that came under Bill Parcells' watchful eye. Things that did not come up under Parcells have for other coaches with Glenn. Still, he is dangerous and he has the speed and quickness that make him difficult for cornerbacks to read.
Crayton, who is entering a contract year, has improved each season. He will not blow by defenders, but he runs great routes and is tough to tackle. Think of the Seattle playoff game where he carried two defenders in for a touchdown. He has the best hands on the team.
After the top three, however, there are questions. Fourth-round pick Stanback is making the switch from college quarterback to receiver and is recovering from a serious foot injury. He looked explosive during his rehab, but just how raw is he? Austin and Hurd made the team as undrafted free agents last year, and Jones believes they have the potential to become replacements for Owens and Glenn in the future. That's a lot to put on young players. Austin has more speed. Hurd has better hands. Austin has lots to learn. Hurd can make the great play but has lapses on the easy ones.
Richardson excelled in the CFL and is physical. Rector is in a make-or-break part of his career. He has been around for two years and has to make an impact. Urban is intriguing because he catches everything but is rather slight. Rabb was given a $15,000 signing bonus, so the Cowboys like his potential.
One of the biggest questions entering camp is how many receivers do they keep? Owens, Glenn and Crayton are locks. Stanback should be a lock, but last year's fourth-rounder (Skyler Green) didn't make the club out of camp. Austin and Hurd have high ceilings. Can the Cowboys keep six receivers on the 53-man roster? If so, they will have to go light at another position (running back?).
Tight ends
Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Andy Thorn, Tony Curtis, Adam Bergen, Rodney Hannah
LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN
Tight end Jason Witten could be more of a downfield target this season. Witten is one of the top tight ends in the game and is entering the portion of his career where his athletic talent and knowledge of the game are at their heights. If the off-season was any indication, Witten will have the chance to get down the field more often this year than in previous seasons. He has also developed as a blocker over the years, which separates him from other tight ends who barely show a willingness to do the dirty work. He needs to be more productive inside the 20, but some of that can be traced to Parcells' desire to run the ball in for touchdowns.
Fasano, a second-round pick last year, was having a good off-season before a shoulder injury derailed him for the final few weeks. He didn't require surgery, but it's never a good thing to miss time and this might be something that has to be monitored during training camp by the coaches and trainers. His rookie season did not go as planned, but his conditioning has improved a lot in his second year and he has good hands. He also did some lead blocking but that was not his strength. The Cowboys will not be as reliant on the two-tight end set this year, but Fasano can be a security blanket on underneath routes for Romo.
This is where it gets tricky. If the Cowboys lose Witten or Fasano, the depth is an unknown. Thorn came in late last season and overtook Curtis, who frustrated the coaches with an indifferent attitude at times. He has spent the off-season in NFL Europa, and that's not a good thing with a new coaching staff to impress. Thorn has benefited from the off-season conditioning program, but could he handle the rigors of being counted on? Not sure.
Bergen might be able to win the No. 3 job. In 30 games with the Cardinals the last two seasons, he had 43 catches for 381 yards. At 6-4, 267 pounds, he has good size, but can he play special teams? Hannah was a basketball player at Houston before moving back to football. He has some skills, but his lack of experience will hurt his chances. He could be a prime practice squad candidate.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:31 PM
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