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March 15, 2012
Cowboys still in need of a third tight end and don't have anyone in mind at the moment
The Cowboys have filled most of their needs in free agency, with six signings. But they still have some work to do. Dallas still has need for a No. 3 receiver to go with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant and a third tight end to pair with Jason Witten and John Phillips.
They have three young receivers on their roster who, despite no catches among them, have shown potential. There also is the possibility the Cowboys will re-sign Kevin Ogletree to a minimum contract. (Ogletree visited with the Giants on Thursday.)
But at tight end, the Cowboys have no one they are “specifically… targeting to bring in,” according to coach Jason Garrett.
"We'll just continue to go through this process, evaluate our needs at all positions and then figure out who might be available, who might fit," Garrett said. "We've talked about a lot of different guys [at the tight end position], but nobody really specifically right now that we're targeting to bring in. We're talking about a lot of different guys, watching tape, just seeing if anybody is interesting to us as we go along here."
The Cowboys are set at the starting spot with seven-time Pro Bowler Witten, who led the team with 79 catches for 942 yards and scored five touchdowns. They used no tight ends or one tight end on 671 plays last season, according to STATS, Inc. But they went with two tight ends on 320 plays and with three tight ends on 26 plays.
Phillips had only 15 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown last season, a year removed from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The Cowboys are hopeful Phillips can ascend to the No. 2 tight end role that Martelluls Bennett has held.
"That's certainly a possibility," Garrett said. "He's been that No. 2 tight end at different times when Martellus hasn't been available to us over the past couple of, three years, and has gone in and done a really nice job both as an on-the-line tight end, the backside tight end and he's a guy that can go in the backfield and can play the quasi-fullback position. So John's done a really good job. He's a versatile. He's the right kind of guy. He's only getting better."
But there is no one on the roster to replace Bennett, who left for the Giants one-year, $2.5 million offer. The Cowboys had Kellen Davis in for a visit, but he opted to return to the Bears with a chance to be the starter. John Carlson, another tight end in whom the Cowboys had interest, signed with the Vikings.
Kevin Boss, Leonard Pope, Dante Rosario and Dallas Clark are tight ends still on the market. Clark will sign somewhere he can start, possibly following Peyton Manning.
Bennett had only 17 catches for 144 yards, but he was the team's best blocking tight end.
"Martellus did a really nice job for us in the role he had since he's been here," Garrett said. " He's an outstanding blocking tight end, ...and he's grown as a receiver since he's been here."
-- Charean Williams
Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...yone-in-mind-at-the-moment.html#storylink=cpy
Cowboys still in need of a third tight end and don't have anyone in mind at the moment
The Cowboys have filled most of their needs in free agency, with six signings. But they still have some work to do. Dallas still has need for a No. 3 receiver to go with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant and a third tight end to pair with Jason Witten and John Phillips.
They have three young receivers on their roster who, despite no catches among them, have shown potential. There also is the possibility the Cowboys will re-sign Kevin Ogletree to a minimum contract. (Ogletree visited with the Giants on Thursday.)
But at tight end, the Cowboys have no one they are “specifically… targeting to bring in,” according to coach Jason Garrett.
"We'll just continue to go through this process, evaluate our needs at all positions and then figure out who might be available, who might fit," Garrett said. "We've talked about a lot of different guys [at the tight end position], but nobody really specifically right now that we're targeting to bring in. We're talking about a lot of different guys, watching tape, just seeing if anybody is interesting to us as we go along here."
The Cowboys are set at the starting spot with seven-time Pro Bowler Witten, who led the team with 79 catches for 942 yards and scored five touchdowns. They used no tight ends or one tight end on 671 plays last season, according to STATS, Inc. But they went with two tight ends on 320 plays and with three tight ends on 26 plays.
Phillips had only 15 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown last season, a year removed from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The Cowboys are hopeful Phillips can ascend to the No. 2 tight end role that Martelluls Bennett has held.
"That's certainly a possibility," Garrett said. "He's been that No. 2 tight end at different times when Martellus hasn't been available to us over the past couple of, three years, and has gone in and done a really nice job both as an on-the-line tight end, the backside tight end and he's a guy that can go in the backfield and can play the quasi-fullback position. So John's done a really good job. He's a versatile. He's the right kind of guy. He's only getting better."
But there is no one on the roster to replace Bennett, who left for the Giants one-year, $2.5 million offer. The Cowboys had Kellen Davis in for a visit, but he opted to return to the Bears with a chance to be the starter. John Carlson, another tight end in whom the Cowboys had interest, signed with the Vikings.
Kevin Boss, Leonard Pope, Dante Rosario and Dallas Clark are tight ends still on the market. Clark will sign somewhere he can start, possibly following Peyton Manning.
Bennett had only 17 catches for 144 yards, but he was the team's best blocking tight end.
"Martellus did a really nice job for us in the role he had since he's been here," Garrett said. " He's an outstanding blocking tight end, ...and he's grown as a receiver since he's been here."
-- Charean Williams
Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...yone-in-mind-at-the-moment.html#storylink=cpy
