Gosselin: Despite one breakout game, Escobar looking like a wasted pick for Cowboys

Cotton

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Gosselin: Despite one breakout game, Gavin Escobar looking like a wasted pick for Cowboys

Rick Gosselin
rgosselin@dallasnews.com

I’m not sure if it was Jerry Jones or Jason Garrett or personnel guru Will McClay or offensive coordinator Bill Callahan or then-tight ends coach Wes Phillips — but someone pounded the table when the Cowboys were on the clock with the 47th overall pick of the draft and said, “We’ve gotta have Gavin Escobar.”

Running back Le’Veon Bell was still on the board. He went on the 48th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bell starts for the Steelers and ranks third in the NFL in rushing this season.

Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins was still on the board. He went on the 49th pick to the New York Giants. Hankins starts for the Giants and has been an inside force this season with 21/2 sacks, four quarterback pressures and two passes broken up.

Weakside linebacker Jon Bostic was still on the board. He went on the 50th pick to the Chicago Bears. He starts for the Bears, although he has been sidelined the last three games with a back ailment.

Cornerback David Amerson was still on the board. He went on the 51st pick to the Washington Redskins. He starts for the Redskins and has helped them field a top-10 pass defense.

Strongside linebacker Jamie Collins was still on the board. He went on the 52nd pick to the New England Patriots. He starts for the Patriots and leads them in tackles (61) this season.

The second round has never been a discard round. There are starters to be found — and historically, the Cowboys have found them. Larry Allen, Darren Woodson, Ken Norton Jr., Dixon Edwards and Darrin Smith all arrived in Dallas via the second round and all wound up starting on championship teams for the Cowboys in the 1990s.

Which brings us back to Escobar.

Three games ago, Escobar had what appeared to be his long-awaited breakout game. He caught a career-high three passes for a career-high 65 yards and a career-high two touchdowns, propelling the Cowboys to a 31-21 victory over the Giants that gave them sole possession of first place in the NFC East with a 6-1 record.

But the Cowboys haven’t thrown a pass his way in the two games since then. And the Cowboys have lost both games, falling behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the East.

If you don’t start in the NFL, you need to play special teams. Escobar has yet to make a tackle on special teams in his 25-game career. As an offensive weapon, he has started only one game and caught only 16 career passes. What exactly did the Cowboys see in Escobar that made them believe he was the 47th-best player in the 2013 draft?

Travis Kelce was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs at the top of the third round in 2013. He has 32 catches and four touchdowns in 2014 after missing his rookie season with a knee injury. Jordan Reed, who was drafted later in that same round by the Redskins, has 67 receptions in his two NFL seasons.

When you draft a player in the second round, you need to envision the contribution he can make and pave a path to the field for him. You need a plan for him.

It’s clear the Cowboys have never had a plan for Escobar. Either the scouting staff whiffed on him when it was building the 2013 draft board, or the coaching staff has whiffed on Escobar in his development.

The fact there were no passes thrown his way these last two weeks mystifies me.

Two games ago Tony Romo spent the evening under duress. The Redskins pounded him and eventually knocked him from the game. When you have no time in the pocket, just find someone who towers over the defenders and throw it to him. That’s Escobar at 6-6, 260. He’s hard to miss. Yet Romo missed him.

Brandon Weeden played tentatively last weekend in his first start in Romo’s absence. Again, the easiest receiver for an embattled quarterback to find is a guy 6-6, 260. That’s the quick and simple read. Just lob it up there and allow Escobar to use his size and muscle. But Weeden didn’t find him, either.

My guess is neither Romo nor Weeden was even looking for Escobar. Neither was offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, for that matter. Escobar was on the field for only six offensive snaps against the Redskins and 12 against the Cardinals.

Bell, Hankins, Bostic, Amerson and Collins all could be helping the Cowboys right now. But the Cowboys wanted Escobar.

If the Cowboys aren’t going to utilize him, why draft him?
 

Rev

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Say it ain't so.
 

L.T. Fan

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E is underutilized and the coaches are astoundingly inept in not taking advantage of his skills. That or there are considerations most of us cannot see.
 

Smitty

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E is underutilized and the coaches are astoundingly inept in not taking advantage of his skills. That or there are considerations most of us cannot see.
Given that three second round picks at TE have come in and been underutilized behind Witten, I'd say it's the coach's fault (along with the GM... maybe even more the GM since it is actually his job that he's letting the coach do).

There is a disconnect either in how we are using him, or the importance/role we place on selections we make in the 2nd round. Maybe they think it's ok to use their 2nds on utility players if they get a projected starter in he first, but they'd be wrong.

We could sure use another Parcells for personnel.
 

L.T. Fan

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The guy has been nothing but productive every time he has been utilized. One of the primary jobs of a coach is to put productive people on the field. The is no more fundamental duty of a coach than that.
 

p1_

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The guy has been nothing but productive every time he has been utilized. One of the primary jobs of a coach is to put productive people on the field. The is no more fundamental duty of a coach than that.
Kinda like utilizing a running game that works. Hmm, what a novel concept.
 

ravidubey

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E is underutilized and the coaches are astoundingly inept in not taking advantage of his skills. That or there are considerations most of us cannot see.
In order for him to be used he has to be on the field, and if the formation only calls for 1 TE then he has to get in line. It's ridiculous.

They are failing to use the three-TE sets that were so successful against the Giants.

All I know is we really could have really used them against Washington.
 

22cowboysfan22

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This one is on the coaches. Escobar has looked very good this year when he's been given opportunities. The 2nd TD catch against the Giants was a thing of beauty, and he's vastly improved as a run blocker from last year. I'm really not sure why Hanna is still getting so many snaps given that the difference in blocking between him and Escobar is now fairly small, and Escobar is much more of a threat in the passing game.
 

Jiggyfly

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Given that three second round picks at TE have come in and been underutilized behind Witten, I'd say it's the coach's fault (along with the GM... maybe even more the GM since it is actually his job that he's letting the coach do).

There is a disconnect either in how we are using him, or the importance/role we place on selections we make in the 2nd round. Maybe they think it's ok to use their 2nds on utility players if they get a projected starter in he first, but they'd be wrong.

We could sure use another Parcells for personnel.
Parcells struck out on every 2nd round pick he drafted, oh the absurdity of this statement.:lol
 

Clay_Allison

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Given that three second round picks at TE have come in and been underutilized behind Witten, I'd say it's the coach's fault (along with the GM... maybe even more the GM since it is actually his job that he's letting the coach do).

There is a disconnect either in how we are using him, or the importance/role we place on selections we make in the 2nd round. Maybe they think it's ok to use their 2nds on utility players if they get a projected starter in he first, but they'd be wrong.

We could sure use another Parcells for personnel.
Parcells was here when we picked Fasano and he blew most of his second round picks.
 
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