Following weeks of speculation, it appears that Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten is headed toward retirement for the opportunity to grab the ESPN Monday Night Football lead analyst gig. This has put Dallas without their most consistent asset in the passing game out of the mix for the 2018 NFL season.

It has also left a gaping hole at the tight end position on the roster with the expected departure of arguably one of the best tight ends the league has seen. During an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Friday morning, Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones stated that he the team feels comfortable with what they have on the roster behind Witten.

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The Cowboys currently have a group of unproven talent at the position in James Hanna, Geoff Swaim, Rico Gathers, and Blake Jarwin. Neither one of these players last season was able to crack double-digits in receptions, which presents a huge question mark in terms what to expect this upcoming campaign.

Meanwhile, Witten's departure will put more pressure on the Cowboys to address their receiving core with one of their most reliable options out of the mix. The team has brought in help at the wide receiver position in Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson to help make up for the departure of former Pro Bowler Dez Bryant. This sudden news could push the Cowboys to look through the draft to bring in a promising talent in either one of the remaining rounds.

Dallas still has eight more draft picks that include one in the second and third rounds respectably and a pair of fourth-round selections. This latest development could see the Cowboys take action to find Witten's replacement as early as the second or third round on Friday night with there still being plenty of talent on the board in terms of pass catchers. Although Jones has voiced comfort with the remaining group of tight ends on the roster, the team could still add more players to the mix through the draft.