Something is up at tight end for the Dallas Cowboys, and it could lead to more than one roster surprise
There is something brewing at tight end for the Dallas Cowboys following recent additions. And it should be expected to be one of the best training camp battles for the high-powered offense.
There’s a four-year deal worth $52 million that says Jake Ferguson is the top tight end in the Dallas Cowboys. But after him, the depth chart is a huge mystery.
Even before the NFL Draft, tight end looked like one of the positions that will deliver one of the most fun battles once training camp comes around. Former second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker will need to fend off the rise of Brevyn Spann-Ford, the former UDFA that is developing into a complete player at the position.
Many project Spann-Ford to wind up as TE2 thanks to his run blocking and production as a pass-catcher. Schoonmaker has the second-round pedigree, but he’s struggled to put things together in three years in the NFL.
And now, new faces will make things intriguing to the point that Schoonmaker’s spot on the roster isn’t even guaranteed.
Cowboys are high on their undrafted tight ends
While Spann-Ford and Schoonmaker are a fun battle to watch at TE2, there will also be battling at TE3 and TE4 (the likely final roster spot for the position). Dallas signed two tight ends in undrafted free agency. It so happens they were the two highest-paid players of their UDFA class.
Michael Trigg (Baylor) signed for a guaranteed $280,000 per Spotrac. The amount made him the sixth-highest paid UDFA across the league. D.J. Rogers (TCU) closely followed at $200,000 guaranteed. No other Cowboys UDFA received $200,000 in guaranteed money this offseason.
When it comes to undrafted free agency, money reveals plenty. For the Cowboys, the highest-paid undrafted rookies in each class have often been the ones with a legit chance of making the roster. Spann-Ford is an example but not the only one. Fullback Hunter Luepke was one of the highest-paid UDFAs of his class, and he also made the team as a rookie.
There’s a reason Dallas spent at the position, and it’s that they see roster upside in the players.
The signings followed multiple reports suggesting the Cowboys were interested in drafting a tight end at some point in Day 3.
Assuming Schoonmaker and Spann-Ford both make the roster, only one of Trigg and Rogers is likely to survive cuts in late August. But at this point, I wouldn’t say Schoonmaker is a roster lock.
Why Cowboys could have two UDFAs make the 53
To be clear, I’m not betting on Schoonmaker being cut. He made my Cowboys 53-man roster projection following the draft. All I’m saying is he needs to show something more.
In three years, Schoonmaker has played 17 games each season and has averaged 16 catches and 146 receiving yards per year. He scored three total touchdowns in that span. That’s not enough.
For Schoonmaker to be left out, though, the Cowboys would likely have both Trigg and Rogers on the team. There’s a reason to believe that could happen: They’re both very different kinds of tight ends.
Trigg was more of a “big slot” at college, playing most of his career unattached from the offensive line. Rogers, meanwhile, is more of a traditional Y-tight end. The Cowboys have favored the latter over the years yet paid Trigg more money.
Ultimately, financials provide hints. But the football field will reveal more about where these rookies stand. But there’s no question tight end is bound for multiple battles. We should expect the unexpected.