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Depending on who you ask, there’s a varying level of how people think the Dallas Cowboys will fare in the absence of Jason Witten.
Dallas will operate without ESPN’s newest employee for the first time since 2002. Think about how long that’s been. “Hot in Herre” by Nelly came out in 2002. Let that sink in.
As it currently stands there are four cogs in the Cowboys tight end machine: Geoff Swaim (the most veteran), Rico Gathers (the most hyped), Blake Jarwin (perhaps the most stable), and newly drafted Dalton Schultz.
Schultz, like Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz, hails from Stanford University. Stanford is quietly developing a reputation for producing NFL-quality tight ends, beyond Ertz and Schultz lies another in Coby Fleener.
Fleener has played with quality quarterbacks like Andrew Luck (before everything went bad) and Drew Brees. He’s looking for another one after being released by New Orleans on Monday.
Per a league source, Saints have released TE Coby Fleener
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) May 7, 2018
Despite being involved in two pass-heavy offenses (although the Saints of 2017 is a bit of an outlier), Fleener has never done anything remarkable. He’s also never been horrible.
Fleener’s career highs:
- Targets - 92 (2014 in Indianapolis)
- Catches - 54 (2015 in Indianapolis)
- Yards - 774 (2014)
- Touchdowns - 8 (2014)
Fleener’s career lows:
- Targets - 30 (2017)
- Catches - 22 (2017)
- Yards - 281 (his rookie season in Indy)
- Touchdowns - 2 (his rookie season and last season)
Coby Fleener will turn 30 years old this September, and he’s dealt with concussions in the past. This wasn’t just a one time thing, there’s a bit of an unfortunate pattern involved. From NOLA.com back in December.
Fleener’s partnership with the company came after he’d already been diagnosed with four concussions since college -- one at Stanford, two during his four years with the Indianapolis Colts and one during Saints training camp this year.
Then, in Week 12, the 29-year-old Fleener suffered his fifth such brain injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit when the Saints played the Los Angeles Rams.
The reality is that Coby Fleener is a name that a lot of people know, and he’s therefore one that people might be inclined to bring in. There are certainly worse options out there, and it’s not like the Cowboys have apparent answer at the tight end position anyway.
What say you, BTB? Are we down with Coby Fleener or nah?