The Dallas Cowboys have a pair of immensely talented players at the tight end position. Jason Witten is the best tight end in football, and will someday find himself in Canton barring catastrophic injury. Martellus Bennett may be the most physically gifted tight end in the game, and is an emerging star. While having such a wealth of talent at one position may be a luxury now, it may prove to be a problem in the near future. How long can we realistically expect Martellus Bennett to sit quietly behind Jason Witten? Another year? Another two years? Then what? Jason Witten isn’t going anywhere. He is signed through 2012, so Bennett has to know that his turn will never come in Dallas. This might be a different situation if Witten were 36, but he is 26. Sure, the Cowboys can employ more double-tight end sets and get Bennett more involved. But why should Bennett settle for 35-40 receptions every year, when he has to know he is capable of being one of the best in the game elsewhere?
I’m not sure that Cowboy fans know what they have in Martellus Bennett. This is not a backup tight end we have on our hands. Martellus Bennett is a star waiting to explode. His physical tools are unmatched by any other player at the position. Yes, I said any other player at the position. Kellen Winslow, II may be close. Yeah, Antonio Gates was an okay basketball player in college, but Martellus Bennett received a 2nd round grade from the NBA’s draft advisory board out of high school. In addition to his great physical attributes, Bennett has very natural hands, and seems to take pride in his blocking. Bennett is also ridiculous after the catch.
Take off your HBO Hard Knocks glasses for a second here. Let’s say Jason Witten had gone down for the season at some point during last season’s training camp. Being a rookie, inexperience and immaturity and all, do you think Bennett would have caught any less than 55-60 balls in a first full season as a starter? That sounds like a legitimate NFL starter to me.
Before I get tarred and feathered, or burned at the stake, let me clarify. I am not in any way suggesting that the Cowboys part ways with the best tight end in football, Jason Witten. What I am saying is that I think Martellus Bennett will be a top 5-10 tight end himself. If he continues to improve, Martellus Bennett would be completely justified in asking out of Dallas after this season or the next. You only get one NFL career, and if you are a stud, you should not have to spend it playing second fiddle to anyone. It’s all peachy now, but don’t be shocked if we have an ugly situation on our hands in the near future.