Report: Rico Gathers survives roster cuts, despite arrest

Rico Gathers has a rabbit, a four-leaf clover and a horseshoe in his bag.

Despite news of his recent arrest for marijuana possession, and that coming on the heels of an offseason that saw him ride the bubble, the team has reportedly opted to keep him on the roster as they cut down bodies from 90 to the mandatory 53-man head count — according to Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News.

To say this is a surprise is an understatement, especially considering what players were released as opposed to Gathers. The former sixth-round pick is a physical behemoth with tremendous catching abilities, but his blocking and focus issues have plagued him through his first two seasons. The Cowboys appear all-in on him as the fourth-string tight end though, also opting to keep Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin and rookie Dalton Schultz in tow as well.

For the unknowing, here’s some background on Gathers and just how much the Cowboys have already invested in him:

The outrage that seems to ensue whenever the idea was floated that Gathers was very much on the bubble may be cult-like and a bit detached from reality, but it did nothing to change said reality. Fact is, as talented of a receiver as he might be, he leaves much to be desired in other arenas. It’s for these reasons the team seems to have cooled noticeably on a player they once had a ton of belief in, paying him a chunky $449,990 to essentially redshirt his rookie year on the team’s 10-man practice unit. For perspective, the Cowboys’ 53rd-man earned $450,000 that same year, with the typical practice squad seat being worth around $117,300 annually.

Gathers was the highest-paid practice squad player in the entire NFL at the time.

For those doing the math at home, the Cowboys gifted Gathers $332,690 in extra salary to remain with the team, despite him having not played a single snap of football since his junior high days. That’s a sizable investment to make in a sixth-round pick that would’ve been a seventh-rounder had the team actually have a selection in the final round that year, and it proves how determined they were to mold him into an NFL tight end — a tall task by every possible standard.

Now, two years later, a lot has transpired and not much of it is positive. Additionally, it’s made worse by the arrest news and the confirmation of such by his attorney. Still, it appears the Cowboys are not entirely sold on carrying only three TEs in the wake of losing Jason Witten, and wants to continue working with and on Gathers’ future for now.

How many more rabbits they’ll allow him to pull out of his hat, however, is yet to be determined.

Shared from: 247sports.com

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