Dallas Cowboys: Replacing an Aging Jason Witten

Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar (89) celebrates scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Dallas beat New York 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Gavin Escobar was taken with the 47th overall pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft, and yet has seen a total of only 28 passes thrown his way in his first two seasons.

Picked directly after Escobar was running back Le’Veon Bell, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bell has already managed 2,221 rushing yards and 16 TDs in his first two years in the league, and in the post-DeMarco era in Dallas, fans may be (understandably) wondering why Escobar was picked so highly and used so little.

The Dallas Morning News’s Rick Gosselin believes he has the answer for this:

"“It’s clear the Cowboys have never had a plan for Escobar. Either the scouting staff whiffed on him when it was building the 2013 draft board, or the coaching staff has whiffed on Escobar in his development.”"

However, I don’t think it is as simple as that. Instead, I think the Cowboys did not predict that Witten would still be as effective as he is today, and thought that Escobar could potentially step into Witten’s role, after taking a backseat for a few years.

That transition could be very close at hand, but only if Escobar can establish himself as a more effective run-blocker. The Cowboys, with possibly the best offensive line the league, can hardly afford to sacrifice that blocking on the edge with their tight end. Witten has always been an effective blocker, using his size and strength to open up holes for the backs, as well as staying in to help protect his quarterback on occasion.

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While being an elite blocker is certainly not a necessity to fill Witten’s long-time role, Escobar still needs to develop that skill somewhat. In fact, during Escobar’s rookie season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com commented on his blocking ability:

"“Gavin Escobar will probably never be a good blocker. The question is whether he can be a good enough blocker to get on the field.”"

This question was answered in 2014, as Escobar was given some opportunities in the passing game, and clearly became the No. 2 receiving tight end on the team. The Cowboys evidently think he’s skilled enough as a blocker to warrant some playing time, and yet It remains to be seen if he has improved enough to allow him an even larger role.

Putting his blocking ability aside, Escobar’s athleticism and natural ability seem to point towards a player that could be a dangerous weapon as a receiver. The Cowboys have already shown that they see this potential in the red zone, as one-third of Escobar’s 18 career receptions have gone for touchdowns.

This is interesting when considering Escobar’s role in relation to the aging Witten, because though Witten has often led his team in targets and receptions, only once (2010) has he led the team in touchdowns. Jason Witten is one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he produces receptions and yardage, but he’s never been a touchdown machine, averaging less than five scores per year.

Escobar, on the other hand, already shows an affinity for finding the end-zone, and he may actually be a bit more of a field-stretcher than Jason Witten. He’s been criticized for his lack of speed, and yet Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (via Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports) claimed that Escobar may have “the best hands [he’s] ever seen.”

The Cowboys must be careful with Escobar, or risk a repeat of the Martellus Bennett incident. The team used a second round pick on Bennett only to use him little in four years, see him leave in free agency, and emerge as a top tight-end elsewhere in the league. If Escobar truly has the potential some believe he does, the Cowboys need to utilize him before his contract expires in 2016, or risk seeing him light up the scoreboard in a different uniform.

Next: James Hanna