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Has an identity crisis contributed to Cowboys' struggles to land second tight end in draft?
rsabin@dallasnews.com | Bio
6:21 PM on Mon., Feb. 6, 2012 | Permalink
This is the fourth part of a series examining how the Cowboys have addressed each position group via the draft.
When the Cowboys selected tight end Martellus Bennett in the second round of 2008 draft, the Cowboys hedged their bets on a player viewed as a project. At 6-7, Bennett was an intriguing prospect who flashed raw athleticism that seemed well-suited for a position requiring such a versatile skill-set .
Based on physical talent alone, Bennett was believed to have tremendous "upside" - a buzz word used by draft gurus to characterize players with potential. The Cowboys felt so strongly about Bennett's future with the club that on the eve of the draft they dealt former 2006 second-round pick Anthony Fasano to Miami.
Four years later, Bennett still seems to be in the developmental stage of a career that is at the crossroads. His contract with the Cowboys set to expire, he will enter free agency with an abbreviated resume that includes a line noting a total of four touchdown receptions - all of which were achieved during his rookie season.
Perhaps known more for his flamboyant alter ego, "Marty B" than his football prowess, Bennett never materialized into the dynamic offensive weapon many in the Cowboys organization hoped he'd become. Instead, Bennett played a role that didn't quite fit his outsized personality, serving as a capable blocker who operated in the shadow of the team's more accomplished tight end, Jason Witten.
The Cowboys, under the supervision of Bill Parcells , began to value Witten's position when they selected him in the third round of the 2003 draft. In short time, Witten became a featured player in the offense. After making 87 catches for 980 receiving yards, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in just his second season.
Until this past December, he was invited back to the game every year - a testament to his productivity as well as the fact that the Cowboys never found a tight end in the draft capable of making the offensive impact he could.
When Fasano was selected in 2006 with the 53rd overall pick, the Cowboys envisioned the Notre Dame product complementing Witten in the passing game. By that point, the Cowboys had scrapped most formations deploying a fullback and were committed to the idea of running a large number of their plays with "12" personnel.
Fasano, who was considered to be a better receiver than a blocker, was expected to be a viable target. But when Parcells left after the 2006 season, Fasano's value declined and he faded into the background. When he was shipped to Miami for a fourth-round pick, he left Dallas with only 28 catches, 269 receiving yards and one touchdown.
The decision to trade Fasano signaled that the Cowboys were looking for more production out of their second tight end. To this day, that search continues. With Bennett's future undetermined as he heads out into the open market, the Cowboys could explore different options in the draft or simply turn to the player they selected in 2009 - John Phillips.
Phillips, a sixth-round pick who missed the 2010 campaign with a torn ACL, has been a solid contributor, floating between the "F" tight end and fullback positions in the two seasons he has played. But the Cowboys, as evidenced by the roles they have designated for him, see Phillips as an extra body to place on the line rather than someone who regularly runs extended routes over the middle of the field.
Then again, the Cowboys may have accepted the fact they can't expect too much more out of their second tight end especially in an offense that runs a third of its plays out of three-receiver formations. Although Bennett and Phillips were deployed sporadically and made little impact offensively in the 761 snaps they played, they were still key components of the offense.
After all, the Cowboys used multiple tight-end sets on 34 percent of the plays they executed in the 2011 season. And no team with two tight ends on the field simultaneously ran the more often or gained a higher total of rushing yards than the Cowboys did during that 16-game stretch.
For that reason, Bennett - an strong blocker - was more valuable than outsiders believed and his ability to shield defenders is one of the reasons why the Cowboys reportedly didn't elect to trade him to Cincinnati in 2009 for a second-round pick. But whether the Cowboys determine he is worth keeping for years to come has yet to be determined.
First they must decide exactly what they want their second tight end to be.
rsabin@dallasnews.com | Bio
6:21 PM on Mon., Feb. 6, 2012 | Permalink
This is the fourth part of a series examining how the Cowboys have addressed each position group via the draft.
When the Cowboys selected tight end Martellus Bennett in the second round of 2008 draft, the Cowboys hedged their bets on a player viewed as a project. At 6-7, Bennett was an intriguing prospect who flashed raw athleticism that seemed well-suited for a position requiring such a versatile skill-set .
Based on physical talent alone, Bennett was believed to have tremendous "upside" - a buzz word used by draft gurus to characterize players with potential. The Cowboys felt so strongly about Bennett's future with the club that on the eve of the draft they dealt former 2006 second-round pick Anthony Fasano to Miami.
Four years later, Bennett still seems to be in the developmental stage of a career that is at the crossroads. His contract with the Cowboys set to expire, he will enter free agency with an abbreviated resume that includes a line noting a total of four touchdown receptions - all of which were achieved during his rookie season.
Perhaps known more for his flamboyant alter ego, "Marty B" than his football prowess, Bennett never materialized into the dynamic offensive weapon many in the Cowboys organization hoped he'd become. Instead, Bennett played a role that didn't quite fit his outsized personality, serving as a capable blocker who operated in the shadow of the team's more accomplished tight end, Jason Witten.
The Cowboys, under the supervision of Bill Parcells , began to value Witten's position when they selected him in the third round of the 2003 draft. In short time, Witten became a featured player in the offense. After making 87 catches for 980 receiving yards, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in just his second season.
Until this past December, he was invited back to the game every year - a testament to his productivity as well as the fact that the Cowboys never found a tight end in the draft capable of making the offensive impact he could.
When Fasano was selected in 2006 with the 53rd overall pick, the Cowboys envisioned the Notre Dame product complementing Witten in the passing game. By that point, the Cowboys had scrapped most formations deploying a fullback and were committed to the idea of running a large number of their plays with "12" personnel.
Fasano, who was considered to be a better receiver than a blocker, was expected to be a viable target. But when Parcells left after the 2006 season, Fasano's value declined and he faded into the background. When he was shipped to Miami for a fourth-round pick, he left Dallas with only 28 catches, 269 receiving yards and one touchdown.
The decision to trade Fasano signaled that the Cowboys were looking for more production out of their second tight end. To this day, that search continues. With Bennett's future undetermined as he heads out into the open market, the Cowboys could explore different options in the draft or simply turn to the player they selected in 2009 - John Phillips.
Phillips, a sixth-round pick who missed the 2010 campaign with a torn ACL, has been a solid contributor, floating between the "F" tight end and fullback positions in the two seasons he has played. But the Cowboys, as evidenced by the roles they have designated for him, see Phillips as an extra body to place on the line rather than someone who regularly runs extended routes over the middle of the field.
Then again, the Cowboys may have accepted the fact they can't expect too much more out of their second tight end especially in an offense that runs a third of its plays out of three-receiver formations. Although Bennett and Phillips were deployed sporadically and made little impact offensively in the 761 snaps they played, they were still key components of the offense.
After all, the Cowboys used multiple tight-end sets on 34 percent of the plays they executed in the 2011 season. And no team with two tight ends on the field simultaneously ran the more often or gained a higher total of rushing yards than the Cowboys did during that 16-game stretch.
For that reason, Bennett - an strong blocker - was more valuable than outsiders believed and his ability to shield defenders is one of the reasons why the Cowboys reportedly didn't elect to trade him to Cincinnati in 2009 for a second-round pick. But whether the Cowboys determine he is worth keeping for years to come has yet to be determined.
First they must decide exactly what they want their second tight end to be.