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Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys have battles at both top and bottom of the tight end depth chart
The Dallas Cowboys are taking seven tight ends with them to training camp this weekend. They are a unique group, battling for space on the 53-man roster as each brings something different that the team can use on the field. There are big-bodied blocking options, run-after-catch guys, stretch-the-field threats; there's even someone who plays a lot of fullback. And while those at T=the bottom of this chart will battle to make the 53-man roster, the top spots aren't exactly settled either. Jake Ferguson didn't have the third-season leap many expected. Whether due to injuries, demands of the offense, or Dak Prescott's midseason departure, Ferguson had a down year in 2024. His success rate plummeted 15 percentage points, his yards-per-touch fell more than two yards, he fumbled four times, the firsts of his career, and he didn't score a single touchdown. If the offensive coaches are being honest about what they want the offense to be since their hiring, then Brevyn Spann-Ford has to be in play for the top tight end role. The coaches have spoken about wanting to control the line of scrimmage, and Spann-Ford is nearly 6-foot-8 and 280 pounds. He is an undersized offensive tackle who can move well enough to be a chain mover in the passing game. He played 305 offensive snaps last year and only received 14 targets, but Prescott is good when working with tight ends. Blake Jarwin played well with him before injuries, and Prescott has had great seasons with Jason Witten, Schultz, and Ferguson. Spann-Ford could be the next breakout tight end in the Prescott era. Luke Schoonmaker won't be the top guy in the room, but he will battle for the second-most snaps at the position. He had an underrated sophomore campaign, more than tripling his receptions and yards from his rookie year despite only having 43 more snaps on offense. He improved his success rate by over 15% and his catch percentage went up by over 20%. Schoonmaker aims to replicate Schultz's third-year breakout. Princeton Fant, John Stephens Jr., Rivaldo Fairweather, and Tyler Neville could all be battling for a final spot on the 53-man roster, and each will get a fair shot at it. Fant leads the way because he has experience being both a tight end and a backup fullback, plus he played in 64% of the special teams snaps last year. Stephens Jr. would've made the team in 2024 as a stretch weapon at the position before his season ended for the second-straight year with an ACL injury. He might now be outside looking in at Fant, or one of the two undrafted free agents (UDFA) the Cowboys have more contract control over going forward. Fairweather would look to do the same job of stretch tight end as Stephens Jr. He averaged over 15 yards per reception in his first three seasons at Florida International and scored six touchdowns in his first season after transferring to Auburn. Neville has a great story as a cancer survivor who became a team leader at Virginia. He is more like a large receiver than a tight end at the NFL level, but he would make the team with his abilities on special teams and his locker room presence. This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys have battles at both top, bottom of the tight end depth chart
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
5 underrated Cowboys who are shocking locks to make the 53-man roster includes 2 UDFAs
As the Dallas Cowboys begin their on-field work for the 2025 season, a consistent topic of conversation for the next six weeks will be roster composition. Trimming the offseason group from 90 down to 53 is the name of the game, for the front office, coaching staff, and locked in fanbase alike. Entering training camp, each NFL team has a subset of players who aren't concerned about making the team, and for the Cowboys that group contains a handful of players the fanbase may not expect to be 100% safe. There are players who serve a specific role that no one else can, even if they aren't hauling in 80 catches and making five inteceptions. Here's a look at five players the public might not be fully aware of, but who are ridiculously safe from getting a visit from Mr. "Coach needs to see you, bring your playbook". TE Brevyn Spann-Ford Brevyn Spann-Ford is a UDFA who is nearly the size of an offensive tackle. The 6-foot-7, 280-pound blocking tight end is now a lock to make the 53-man roster and will battle for the top tight end spot on the team. Jake Ferguson had a down season in 2024, and while Schoonmaker made a nice step up from his rookie season, it wasn't all that great or promising. Spann-Ford has such a high upside as a blocker that the Cowboys could start him to help their run game get off to a great start. DT Jay Toia Jay Toia might be the only actual run-stuffing defensive tackle on the team. Mazi Smith could take a third-year jump, but he is no longer a 330-pound player. Toia is a 340-pound big-bodied interior defender, and the team lacks anyone else to fill that type of role. The Cowboys tend to keep their draft picks, but have cut seventh-round prospects in the past. Toia will not be one of those players. Dallas doesn't have enough options at defensive tackle to lose Toia to waivers. DB Israel Mukuamu Israel Mukuamu was a Day 3 draft pick who survived his entire rookie contract by being available and versatile. He went from an outside corner to a safety to playing nickel corner in a playoff game against Tom Brady. Injuries at cornerback might have pushed Mukuamu from a 90% lock to a 100% guarantee, but he has made himself an almost invaluable depth piece. Nobody should be surprised if Mukuamu starts in the slot position this season until Trevon Diggs, Shavon Revel Jr., or Josh Butler are back and playing at a starter-quality level. WR Jonathan Mingo Dallas traded for Jonathan Mingo because he has incredible potential. He has the prototypical size to be an outside, 'X' receiver. He brings good athleticism and a strong ability to block. If he reached his potential, he could be another George Pickens-type playmaker. Mingo is young, and the Cowboys have a couple of seasons of control to try to develop him. He hasn't had a quality quarterback to play with, and multiple pass catchers have been paid after having great showings with Prescott such as Cedric Wilson, Randall Cobb, and Dalton Schultz. FB Hunter Luepke Mike McCarthy was a coach who loved playing with a fullback, but Schottenheimer might not want one in his offense. He should be a roster bubble player, but he is a lock because of the total package he brings. He catches the ball very well out of the backfield, which is something the offensive coaches require from their running backs. He can lead block or run the ball in short yardage. Luepke is also a significant contributor to special teams and will undoubtedly lock down one of the running back spots. You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 5 underrated Cowboys who are actually locks to make the 53-man roster
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hype growing for 3rd-string Cowboy, and for good reason
The Dallas Cowboys are never short on hype this time of year. Hopes and expectations are through the roof. Prior disappointments are but a distant memory. And optimism just seems to reign supreme under the summertime vibes of "anything's possible." Typically, hype like this will center around star players, new coaches, or high variance rookies. Those elements of the team bring the highest upside and have the most influence. But in this particular case the hype revolves around an undrafted, second-year player who sits No. 3 on most everyone's preseason depth charts, tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. Advertisement Like a few tantalizing TE prospects who came before him, Spann-Ford is captivating the fanbase. The 'what if's' are running rampant as Spann-Ford's immense potential fuels daydreams of finding yet another diamond in the rough for this exceedingly lucky franchise. Physically, Spann-Ford stands head and shoulders above the competition. His 6-foot-7, 280-pound build is a noticeable upsize to Jake Ferguson (6-foot-5, 244-pounds) and Luke Schoonmaker (6-foot-5, 250-pounds) and his career trajectory signals an undetermined ceiling for his future. Spann-Ford is already arguably the Cowboys' best blocker. His mammoth frame and physical skillset give him an obvious advantage. The Cowboys' renewed focus on improving the running game makes that blocking dynamic an especially valuable trait heading into the new season. Both the offensive coordinator, Klayton Adams, and the offensive line coach, Conor Riley, demand strong blocking contributions from their TEs. Playmaking downfield is obviously important too, but inline blocking is a staple that gets extra pull from this coaching staff. In Spann-Ford's first season, he saw an increase in snaps as the season progressed, even exceeding that of Schoonmaker late in the year. While it's extremely unlikely he'll leapfrog into a starting role in 2025, it's not absurd, and almost expected that he'll challenge for second most snaps at the position this season. With Ferguson a free agent after the season and Schoonmaker just a year behind him, Spann-Ford is under team control the longest of the top three. It gives the coaching staff the incentive to groom and invest in the 25-year-old. Advertisement As one can see, there are a few valid reasons fans are abnormally bullish on this young and ascending player. He plays a high impact position of need, packs truckloads of potential, fits the coaching staff perfectly and is under inexpensive team control for multiple years. It's ok to be excited about this guy. You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: There's a good reason this third string Cowboys player is getting hype
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dak Prescott Set to Host Offseason Retreat to Spark Cowboys Offensive Chemistry
Dak Prescott Set to Host Offseason Retreat to Spark Cowboys Offensive Chemistry originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is entering Year 10 of his career and grateful to be fully healthy again. Prescott looked good during mandatory minicamp and built a consistent rapport with newcomer George Pickens and his tight end duo of Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann-Ford and others. Advertisement As Cowboys players prepare for a brief break before the dog days of training camp on July 22, Prescott is set to host his annual retreat for offensive skill position players. Last year, the three-day retreat took place in Beaverton, Oregon, where the group got a chance to bond off the field while also building chemistry on the field. 'You can catch a lot of JUGS, you can catch passes, but you want them catching them from you, catching them from the quarterbacks,' Prescott said Thursday after the final day of the mandatory minicamp. 'And then ... there's that camaraderie. Getting those guys together ... getting George here in the last couple months. [We] know him, we're growing. But just getting to know him better, deeper, getting to know all the guys ...'' Prescott's 2024 season was cut short after he suffered a torn hamstring in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. As the unquestioned leader of the team, the 31-year-old signal-caller wants to ensure his teammates are approaching the upcoming season with a winning mentality. Advertisement 'It's been a great offseason,' Prescott said. 'It's going to continue to be a great offseason until we get to camp. Honestly, just the momentum, just staying healthy and the momentum of this minicamp, these OTAs, and making sure that I'm not the only one who keeps that momentum, but the rest of the guys and make sure some of these young guys are doing the things necessary and taking care of their bodies to hit the ground running when we get together in July.' Prescott will look to lead a Dallas offense that is full of firepower and could be one of the league's best. That happens in Oxnard near the end of July. But it happens in Oregon before that. Related: DeMarcus Ware Praises Cowboys Brian Schottenheimer Related: Kenneth Murray Trade Means Leadership Role in Revamped Cowboys Defense This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Rave About Shocking Rise Of UDFA 'Stealing' Snaps
Cowboys Rave About Shocking Rise Of UDFA 'Stealing' Snaps originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Every offseason, we see a player take a jump that not many see coming, and as OTAs and minicamp have concluded for the Dallas Cowboys, undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford appears to be that guy. Advertisement With a tight end room consisting of Jake Ferguson, who is coming off a down year, and Luke Schoonmaker, who hasn't amounted to anything substantial in his two seasons, Spann-Ford is making head coach Brian Schottenheimer take notice. Viewed by some as not the most fluid pass catcher, but more of a stud blocker, Spann-Ford has been putting in the work this offseason, to the point where some think that as we turn to training camp in Oxnard, he is the No. 2 tight end behind Ferguson. 'He had an incredible offseason, he really did,' Schottenheimer said of Brevyn. 'The size alone, he really moves well. I think he added like six or seven pounds of lean muscle mass. This guy is not just a run blocker, pass protector, this guy can be a weapon because of his size in the middle of the field, matched up on linebackers and safeties. "The thing I've loved about Brev from day one is you knew that this was not too big for him, mentally he knew I belong here doesn't matter how I got here, I belong here. He's pushing Fergie and Schoony and he's already made the jump, again he's another guy that when he puts the pads on you're going to see him and feel him.' Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Again, this was the Underwear Olympics, so when the pads come on in training camp, we will see if Spann-Ford – noticeable at 6-7 and 270 pounds – can carry over his good work. Advertisement But one thing is for certain – he's off to a cracking start. Says insider Mike Fisher: "Ferguson is the guy. But Spann-Ford is stealing snaps at tight end.'' While he still needs more polish as a pass catcher, he has shown he can be a viable option, having had three games with 20+ yards receiving, including a four-reception, 42-yard game against the Houston Texans last season. So the upside is there. Now he just has to make it count in training camp, because while Dallas won't be cutting Schoonmaker, it could easily "relegate" him to be the third tight end on the depth chart. And if that happens, who knows what that means for his Cowboys future, because Spann-Ford, right now, is showing him a clean set of heels. Advertisement Related: Cowboys Insider Says Miles Sanders Bidding For Starting Role at OTAs Related: Schotty Delivers Emotional Message To Dallas Cowboys This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
