Davison: Gavin Escobar becoming forgotten man on Cowboys roster

Cotton

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Gavin Escobar becoming forgotten man on Cowboys roster

BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@star-telegram.com

Tight end Gavin Escobar has played one offensive snap the past two weeks. He didn’t get any offensive action against the Bears in Week 3, and saw the field only once offensively against the 49ers last Sunday.

For a former second-round pick in a contract year, Escobar has quickly become a forgotten man on the Cowboys roster. All of this has happened after he garnered his fair share of praise in training camp for how quickly he recovered from a torn Achilles that ended his 2015 season prematurely on Dec. 19.

“I’m happy to be on the team,” Escobar said on Tuesday. “I just go out there and do what I can.”

Escobar said his sharp decline in playing time has nothing to do with a possible setback injury-wise, adding that he is feeling better and better each week.

“Technically I was cleared by training camp, but I wasn’t full go,” Escobar said. “I’m starting to actually feel like myself in practice, so that’s good I guess.”

Geoff Swaim, a seventh-round pick out of Texas last season, has emerged as the No. 2 option behind Jason Witten at tight end.

For his part, Escobar has never complained about his role or playing time since the Cowboys made him a second-round pick in 2013. He hasn’t made an impact that is expected from a second-round pick, and his days with the Cowboys seem numbered.

He has played a total of 11 offensive snaps and an additional 37 on special teams this season.

Escobar voiced no displeasure with his role even though he is headed into free agency after the season.

“Honestly, I really don’t think about it,” Escobar said. “I really just try to take it week-to-week and focus on what I can do to get on the field and help the team.”
 

dallen

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He should be happy to be on the team because we should cut him when Hanna is healthy
 

Cotton

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He should be happy to be on the team because we should cut him when Hanna is healthy
Hell, why wait? Swaim has already shown to be more productive than him. Cut him now.
 

L.T. Fan

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Hell, why wait? Swaim has already shown to be more productive than him. Cut him now.
Hard to produce when not used. I have always been puzzled as to why he was drafted so high and then used sparingly. It seems like he has displayed food speed and hands.
 

Genghis Khan

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If we ever draft another second round TE while Witten is still here I'm breaking shit.

Fortunately I think won't as long as we have Beasley.
 

Jiggyfly

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I just don't understand how somebody can have the 3 game stretch he had in 2014 and score that many TD's, show good hands and then disappear from the offense.

That just makes zero sense its not like he start dropping passes like Bennett.
 

Texas Ace

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Amazing how all the TEs we draft in the second round suck while they are in Dallas playing behind Witten.
Yup, which is why I'm not ready to give up on him.

Look, it may just be that the guy can't play. If that's the case, so be it.

But since we used a premium pick on the guy, why not try to get the most out of him? And by that, I don't mean running those stupid TE screens to him. Witten is an all-timer and I love the guy, but he's not an elite player anymore and he's 34. Why not give a snap here and there to Escobar that normally would go to Witten?

It's kinda like the RB rotation thing. When you have a decent option on the bench, why not give them a few touches and allow the starter a breather here and there?

That's the best example of how our staff just doesn't know how to properly utilize that 2nd TE -- you don't see them getting 1st team snaps. They think the only way to get a 2nd TE involved is to draw a specific play for them or have them in a 2 TE set, and that's not true.

Just give the guy a few snaps that would normally go to Witten and see how he does with them. I don't think that's likely to happen, but I wish it would.
 

BipolarFuk

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Fuck Gavin Escobar.

I hope he's the first deported when Trump is president.
 

bbgun

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Okay, we knew he wasn't much of a blocker, but why did he fail as a receiver? That was his specialty, no? Not nimble enough to beat linebackers?
 

Genghis Khan

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Someone was talking about this the other day, Broaddus maybe. They drafted Escobar because they wanted to run 12 personnel. But when Beasley emerged, they were a better team in 11 personnel so they don't use a second TE nearly as much as they anticipated. And when they do, I'm assuming they're looking for a better blocker and that's Swaim.

Wonder what we'd get in a trade for Escobar? :lol
 

Jiggyfly

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Okay, we knew he wasn't much of a blocker, but why did he fail as a receiver? That was his specialty, no? Not nimble enough to beat linebackers?
He has shown the ability to get open when he was scoring TD's in multiple games.
 

L.T. Fan

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Okay, we knew he wasn't much of a blocker, but why did he fail as a receiver? That was his specialty, no? Not nimble enough to beat linebackers?
That's the question in some people's minds. I don't know whether he failed as a receiver or he just wasn't utilized as one.
 

Jiggyfly

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Someone was talking about this the other day, Broaddus maybe. They drafted Escobar because they wanted to run 12 personnel. But when Beasley emerged, they were a better team in 11 personnel so they don't use a second TE nearly as much as they anticipated. And when they do, I'm assuming they're looking for a better blocker and that's Swaim.

Wonder what we'd get in a trade for Escobar? :lol
That makes sense but it still no excuse for not using him as a receiver when he was getting snaps last year.

Or why the stopped going to him other than fade routs in the redzone.
 
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