Blogging The Boys
John Stephens Jr. remains a name to watch.
On the day of the first padded practice of training camp, the Cowboys made some contract news. No, not Micah Parsons, but they did sign Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson to a four-year, $52M contract to keep him with the club for the foreseeable future. As for on the field, coinciding with the padded practice was an uptick in intensity and trash talk.
Dak Prescott and the offense gave a few verbal jabs to cornerback Troy Pride after CeeDee Lamb got the best of him on a nice play. As the team prepares for their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams on August 9th, expect the energy to increase even more. As for today’s undrafted free agent of the day, he’s somebody who we’ve waited to see emerge over the last few seasons.
In the absence of another undrafted free agent tight end, Brevyn Spann-Ford, John Stephens saw more opportunities at Sunday’s practice. Stephens, a converted college receiver, is a unique prospect because of his ability to be a mismatch in coverage. He’s too fast for linebackers and can outjump smaller defensive backs for jump balls. Since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Stephens has had very strong training camps.
Unfortunately, both of his professional seasons have been derailed by season-ending knee injuries in each of his first two years. Now healthy again, Stephens looks to push for a spot on the roster.
To have a chance, he’ll have to amaze the coaches at practice and in the preseason games, as he has Ferguson, Spann-Ford, and Luke Schoonmaker all ahead of him on the depth chart.
