IRVING, Texas – Jason Witten doesn't see himself as some old veteran with rapidly declining talent, trying to hang on for another year in the NFL. No, the Dallas Cowboys tight end envisions himself as someone who can still greatly contribute in his 11th season with the franchise.
Why should the 31-year-old think differently? He's coming off a record-setting, 110-catch season and his eighth trip to the Pro Bowl. Witten has caught at least 79 passes each of the last six seasons and he has never recorded less than 942 receiving yards during that time.
So when he's asked about the Cowboys selecting tight end Gavin Escobar in the second round of last month's draft, Witten, who has provided all of the answers you would expect from a team captain, doesn't sound like someone worried about losing his job any time soon.
"He's done a good job," Witten said of Escobar on Tuesday. "He works hard. He's a good kid. I think he's just trying to learn. He's bright-eyed and he wants to get better at it. There's a lot to this position and he seems like he's open to working at it."
Witten sees the addition of another tight end as simply another option on offense, something that should make the group more effective.
And while Witten said he understands that his reception total might come down with more balls being thrown to Escobar and second-year tight end James Hanna, he doesn't seem to be expecting a significant decrease.
"I think I'm going to continue to do what I do and play the way I play," Witten said. "I do think you add weapons in there and if it takes your catches down a little bit, it doesn't matter. I think it's just adding the way you attack as an offense and the way we seem like we're doing it as an offense will continue to make us better."
Heck, Witten would be fine with catching half as many balls as last year if it was part of a 12-4 Cowboys regular season, right?
"Absolutely," Witten said with a smile. "Absolutely."
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