Getty Blake Jarwin
You’d never know the Dallas Cowboys broke up with ex Jason Witten after 17 years of football marriage.
The Cowboys so quickly and matter-of-factly moved on from the future Hall-of-Fame tight end, who joined the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, that Witten is now an afterthought. They don’t miss him. They don’t hate him. They’re indifferent, the death knell of any relationship.
Part of the quick-forming apathy, despite the indelible legacy left behind, stems from his younger, faster, athletically-sexier replacement in fourth-year man Blake Jarwin. No sooner did Witten have both feet out the door than did Jarwin receive a four-year $24.2 million contract extension, taking home $9.2 million guaranteed — more than double Witten’s one-year, $4 million Raiders pact. How’s that for a flex?
Cemented as the new TE1, Jarwin steps into a different tax bracket and, with that, a different set of responsibilities and expectations. Chief among them: Be better than his predecessor, something the brain trust feels he’s perfectly capable of.
“I think Blake Jarwin has had an amazing camp,” Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said Thursday on 105.3 The Fan, per Pro Football Talk. “He’s right there top handful of all-time favorite Cowboys is Jason Witten. But it was hard to be a tight end in this organization when 82 was around. Certainly he’s getting to spread his wings now, whether it’s Coach (Mike) McCarthy, the offensive staff, his teammates, he keeps showing up out there. I don’t know how much you guys have been able to get out to see any of the practices. But he’s just — he’s really coming in to his own, and nothing would surprise me with him in terms of what his production could be this year. He just keeps getting better. His rapport with Dak is outstanding, and I really think he’s got a chance to step right in there and be a really good, if not great, tight end for us.”
A 2017 undrafted free agent by way of Oklahoma State, Jarwin has been buried in obscurity during his first three professional seasons. When he wasn’t taking a backseat to Witten, the 6-foot-5 safety blanket was fighting for scraps in a committee approach. Following a mostly redshirt rookie campaign, Jarwin made 16 appearances (four starts) in 2018, logging 27 catches for 307 yards and three touchdowns.
Witten’s 2019 unretirement pushed Jarwin down the depth chart, and the result was another nondescript year: 31 receptions, 365 yards, three TDs. He flashed potential, however, especially toward the end of the year, when it became clear Witten, 37, was (literally) on his last legs.
Jarwin, as Jones mentioned, indeed has popped (and nearly gotten popped) in training camp. Although overshadowed by a supporting cast that boasts Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb, he’s delivered standout play after standout play on the receiving end of quarterback Dak Prescott.
From the Aug. 23 in-house practice report:
Another productive day for tight end Blake Jarwin in the passing game. After a pair of tip-toe touchdown catches on Friday, he had back-to-back catches of 30-plus yards from Prescott in team drills.
Jarwin won’t be able to match Cooper or Lamb’s target share, but, given his size-speed skill-set and the team’s surrounding hype, he’s a virtual lock to eclipse Witten’s 529 yards and four TDs from last season.
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Schultz Stepping Up
Dallas lost Witten, retained Jarwin, and added former Chiefs blocking specialist Blake Bell. But the forgotten man of the TE room is 2018 fourth-round pick Dalton Schultz, who’s performed well — if under the radar — in camp.
Schultz enjoyed a particularly good practice Friday, according to the team’s official website, as he “continues to get plenty of work in the passing game.”
Considered as the third tight end behind Blake Jarwin and Blake Bell, Schultz had another busy day of work, catching several passes over the middle in team drills.
Schultz, who’s logged just 13 career catches, has the inside track on TE3 duties over Cole Hikutini and should be assured a spot on the 53-player regular-season roster.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL