Blogging The Boys
What changes do you think the Cowboys should make to their tight end room?
The Cowboys have a lot of work to do this offseason, but one position that might cut them some slack is at tight end. They already have five young prospects signed up for 2025, including a former Pro Bowler and a second-round pick entering his third season. Of all the roster spots on offense and defense, TE may be the only one where Dallas can afford to do nothing and rely on existing assets.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, Princeton Fant
This time last year, Ferguson was coming off being a Pro Bowl alternate and generally considered one of the rising stars among NFL tight ends. But with a knee injury in the 2024 season opener, a concussion in Week 11, and the loss of his starting quarterback, Ferguson’s third season never really got going. Despite only missing three full games, he often looked a step slower physically and never found the same chemistry with Cooper Rush that he’d enjoyed with Dak Prescott.
With one year left on his rookie deal, Ferguson is going to be hungry to get back to 2023 form and clearly establish his worth before free agency. Arguably the most talented TE that the Cowboys have had since Jason Witten, he’s earned the chance to put last season behind him and return as the undisputed starter. And with Dallas needing to do some work at upgrading the WR room, trusting Ferguson to bounce back may be a necessity.
If there was a benefit to Ferguson’s absences and issues last year, it was more opportunities for Luke Schoonmaker to show what he’s got. A 2023 second-round pick, Schoonmaker was almost invisible as a rookie but finally got enough work to show that he’s a capable NFL player with the potential to at least be a solid number two. Like trusting in Ferguson to bounce back, this is another test of faith as you’re counting on Schoonmaker’s third-year development to yield a strong player in a key supporting role.
John Stephens Jr. has become the new Rico Dowdle in Dallas. A former wide receiver who’d bring position flex in the NFL, Stephens has been tracking toward a roster spot the last two years but suffered major injuries that have kept him out of real games. If healthy, he could be a valuable player providing depth at two positions and a helpful redzone target. But like we used to say with Dowdle, Stephens’ ability to actually stay healthy is the thing holding him back now.
Brevyn Spann-Ford and Princeton Fant are other undrafted prospects from the last two years that the Cowboys have some hopes for. Spann-Ford was TE2 during Ferguson’s absences and otherwise appeared in every game. They haven’t done enough that the team wouldn’t consider some other options in free agency or the draft, but they wouldn’t be the worst options for the bottom of your...
