The Dallas Cowboys offense took a huge step back in the 2017 NFL season. Needless to say, that side of the ball will be an area of focus heading into the offseason.

Fortunately, the Cowboys should not worry about the tight end position as far as Rico Gathers is concerned. Gathers posted a heartfelt message on Instagram regarding his future as the best tight end in the NFL:

“Facts is facts,” Gathers said. “It’s only the beginning. Truth is I’m ready for more. Been ready for more. The dilemma of me not being ready is over. I got a piece of it last year and it felt so good doing it, y’all will never understand that feeling. It was like the most epic scene of movie before the power goes out in ya house for a few hours and you forget all about what you was watching. I watched those two games the other day and I told myself ‘Ima be the next best tight end in this league’ and I believe that with all my heart. lol y’all continue to hate while I continue to shine I love y’all, y’all make me better. God knows my heart and that’s all that counts to me.”

It is encouraging to see Gathers is confident in his skill set despite having yet to make his career debut. Regardless, his path to the league has already been an interesting one.

The Cowboys selected Gathers with the 217th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after a decorated basketball career at Baylor. Unfortunately, he has been riddled with injuries ever since officially making his transition to football.

Gathers showed some signs of promise during the 2017 NFL preseason where he caught seven passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in two games. However, he is optimistic that his basketball background will continue to help him develop into a potential threat at tight end.

It goes without saying that some of the NFL's best tight ends share the same basketball pedigree as Gathers does. That said, he will be hoping to emulate the likes of Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates in the near future.