Inside The Star
Rookie minicamps are underway as an influx of 257 drafted rookies gathers along with another few hundred undrafted free agents to begin their quests to make an NFL roster.
Some rookies can look absolutely terrible on the practice field, but their draft status gives them immunity from anything other than media criticism.
Others like late-round picks and undrafted free agents can have an incredible minicamp but still not make a roster over higher draft picks or established veterans.
This happens every year across the NFL, and one of the intricacies of managing a roster is deciphering whether or not a young player will make it back to the practice squad after being released.
Last season, the Cowboys got cute with undrafted free agent LB Isaiah Land.
Land showed flashes of sideline-to-sideline ability during minicamps, but was released in favor of an established veteran on the defensive line.
The Indianapolis Colts scooped him up off of waivers and the Cowboys lost a player at a position they would soon wish they had more depth.
Today begins a series of choosing position groups on the roster where the Cowboys' brass will have tough decisions to make at roster cutdown time.
We start with the tight ends, and there definitely be some heated conversations in the Cowboys' facility when the time comes to make roster cuts.
This section is reserved for players on the depth chart who are all but guaranteed a spot on the Week 1 roster.
The third-year tight end is poised to make an even bigger leap than his sophomore season.
Jake Ferguson, without Dalton Schultz ahead of him on the depth chart improved greatly in all aspects of his game.
Fergie exploded onto the scene after a quiet rookie season of 19 receptions on 22 targets for 174 yards and two touchdown receptions.
His first year as the unchallenged TE1 saw Ferguson haul in 71 receptions on 102 targets for 761 yards and five touchdowns.
Year three for Ferguson should be even more explosive as he continues to hone his craft and develop as a player.
He has no challengers for the top tight end spot on the roster. No, not even from a 2nd round pick in 2023.
That 2nd-round pick is Michigan's Luke Schoonmaker, taken with the 58th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The selection of the former Wolverine was much maligned by Cowboys Nation, who felt there were more pressing needs than a run-blocking tight end.
Cowboys fans concerns were actually validated when Schoonmaker failed to make an impact expected from a top 60 pick in the draft.
He improved down the stretch but his impact to the offense was minimal, posting just eight receptions for 65 yards and two touchdown receptions.
That stat line is a normal game for...
