The Dallas Cowboys are having trouble finding the end zone, prompting at least one analyst to suggest a solution to the team’s woes lies outside its roster. ESPN’s Robert Griffin III pushed the Cowboys to explore a blockbuster trade for Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
“But if I was the Cowboys right now, they don’t have a mismatch at tight end. They have the personnel outside, but that tight end is the one that they’re missing,” Griffin said on the September 25, 2023, episode of “Monday Night Countdown.” “I would be banging at the Atlanta Falcons’ door right now to try to go and get Kyle Pitts.
“They need a player like that. … They gotta find a way to find a mismatch in the red zone.”
The Falcons’ use of Pitts has been puzzling since selecting him with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the highest drafted tight end in league history. Pitts’ receiving yards have dropped dramatically after his standout rookie season, with him posting 9 receptions for 100 yards through the first three games. His 2023 average yards per game (33.3 yards) and 2022 average (35.6 yard) are down significantly from the 60.3 yards per game of his rookie season.
Even though his yardage is down, his on-field usage is relatively unchanged. In 17 games during his rookie season, Pitts was on the field for 74% of the team’s offensive snaps and was targeted 6.5 times a game. In 10 games in 2022 and three games this season, his snaps are 72% and 70%, respectively, and his targets are 5.9 and 5.7, respectively.
Pitts, 22, is still looking for his first touchdown this season, to go with his career total of three. Pitts has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $32 million rookie contract, not counting the potential for Atlanta to pick up his fifth-year option in 2025.
The 33rd Team’s Eric Mangini suggested that Pitts has been hamstrung by the Falcons’ quarterbacks, but he didn’t totally absolve Pitts.
“I don’t know how many catchable balls he had last season, but it wasn’t like he had top-flight quarterback play throughout,” Mangini wrote in a story published September 22. “Part of Pitts’ ability to reach his full potential falls on him. … I’m going to give him a little bit of the benefit of the doubt because he’s coming off an injury, but it should be way better than it is.”
The Cowboys Loved Kyle Pitts Heading Into the 2021 NFL Draft
Despite Pitts’ lack of scoring, it is hard to imagine Atlanta would trade the tight end without receiving a first-round pick in return. You may remember that the Cowboys loved Pitts heading into the 2021 NFL draft. In April 2021, the team released footage of owner Jerry Jones gushing over Pitts during their pre-draft interview with the tight end.
“Boy, I’ll tell you what. I’m excited to have you come into this league,” Jones told Pitts at the time. “And, man, what a pair up we could do with ol’ Dak Prescott and some of those guys that we’ve got out there with options to get you the ball. So, we can dream of visions of sugar plums around here.”
Things worked out for Dallas in that draft because the team landed two-time All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons. The Cowboys traded with the Philadelphia Eagles, down from No. 10 to No. 12, where they ultimately landed Parsons. Pitts was long gone by the time Dallas was on the clock.
Do the Dallas Cowboys Need Kyle Pitts?
It remains to be seen if the Cowboys red zone woes are due to a lack of proven scoring threats, execution or underwhelming play-calling. The answer likely is a mix of these explanations. Starting tight end Jake Ferguson has posted 10 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown.
Pitts still would represent a major upgrade for Dallas, but there is no indication that Atlanta wants to trade the tight end. He is two seasons removed from notching 68 receptions for 1,026 yards and 1 touchdown during his rookie season.
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Cowboys Pushed to Strike Major Trade for Falcons $32 Million Playmaker