Jason Witten on brink of retirement, Cowboys on verge of panic
With Jason Witten on the verge of retiring, here’s why the Dallas Cowboys should begin to panic.
Jerry Jones was back to doing Jerry Jones things on Thursday night as he managed to agitate the Dallas Cowboys fan base once again — this time in the first round of the draft from inside AT&T Stadium. Now, with news breaking on Friday of Jason Witten’s probable retirement, the Cowboys seemingly screwed up big time. Is it time for the Cowboys to enter panic mode?
Cowboys fans inside their home stadium sprinted towards the exits on Thursday night following their team’s first-round draft pick. In a move that stunned some, Jones and company decided to draft linebacker Leighton Vander Esch from Boise State.
Whereas linebacker is a position that needs some overhaul, many expected Dallas to take a receiver. The Cowboys’ receiving corps is looking a bit thin after the release of Dez Bryant and with every receiver still on the board at the time of their pick, a majority of people thought drafting a receiver was a no-brainer. Alas, Dallas drafted a linebacker in which many view as Sean Lee 2.0.
Hours before the start of the second round, news broke out of Cowboys camp that 15-year veteran tight end Jason Witten is on the verge of retirement. Witten is said to be keen on joining the Monday Night Football staff. This is horrible news for the Cowboys. Whereas Witten has been a shell of his former self in recent years, he’s still been a productive tight end in Dallas.
Witten finished the 2017 season second on the team in catches and third in receiving yards. With Dez Bryant — who led the team in both of those categories last season — now gone and Witten likely departing, that leaves Terrance Williams as the No. 1 target.
Williams caught 53 passes (third on the team) for 568 yards (second) and 0 touchdowns last season. Now, I’m not a math magician, but having a No. 1 who only tallied 568 yards and failed to find the end zone looks like a losing equation to me.
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Heading into the second day of the draft, the Cowboys have to address the serious lack of receiving talent. Luckily, this draft is filled with talented receivers. The Cowboys have the No. 18 pick in the second round, but don’t be surprised if they make some moves if receivers start going early. In addition, tight end is now a serious area of concern as well. With only one tight end off the board to this point, there are plenty of options on that front, as well.