Cowboys already have a tight end the Philadelphia Eagles wanted

Friday marks a week since the second and third rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft, a week since Dallas officially nabbed Connor Williams and Michael Gallup.

The former was taken with the 50th overall pick of the draft, and it’s arguably the most celebrated selection the Cowboys made. It’s a move that fortified the best offensive line in the NFL, the final infinity stone in a gauntlet of destruction.

Some pundits and fans thought the Cowboys would take a tight end with that pick, what with the news of Jason Witten’s apparent impending retirement breaking that morning (spoiler alert, he officially retired the next Thursday). Part of this many may have included the reigning world champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia traded up from the 52nd spot to the 49th with Indianapolis (the Eagles gave up the 169th pick as well) to jump in front of the Cowboys. They took tight end Dallas Goedert from South Dakota State.

The move worked out great for the Cowboys obviously, considering Connor Williams was the player they wanted so badly that they even chose him over Earl Thomas. What’s more is the Cowboys already have a tight end that the Eagles wanted. Who’s that? Blake Jarwin.

In late October of 2017 the Eagles had interest in poaching Cowboys practice squad tight end Blake Jarwin. Dallas said not so fast and finally found a reason to ultimately release Kellen Moore (who they brought back on the practice squad before he became the quarterbacks coach this offseason) in order to make room for Jarwin.

Jarwin is entering his second season in the NFL after going undrafted out of Oklahoma State last year. That the Cowboys carried four tight ends with him is another sign of their long-term faith in the prospect.

It made sense last season that perhaps the Cowboys viewed the future at the tight end position as (hopefully) Jarwin, Rico Gathers, and something else (no discredit to Geoff Swaim). That future is now as Witten has retired, and that future already involves a commodity the Philadelphia Eagles wanted.

So while the Eagles think they got the tight end Dallas wanted in the one named after the Cowboys (they didn’t as the Cowboys had no interest in selecting Goedert at that pick), Dallas has had the one Philadelphia wanted all along in Blake Jarwin. Funny.