Latest news with #JakeFerguson
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jake Ferguson "definitely wasn't satisfied" with 2024 performance
Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson came into the 2024 season off of a strong second year in the NFL, but he wasn't able to build on it. After posting 71 catches for 761 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, Ferguson managed 59 catches for 494 yards without reaching the end zone at all. Quarterback Dak Prescott's injury impacted the passing game and Ferguson dealt with health issues of his own, but none of those things changed the way Ferguson felt about his year. Advertisement 'I definitely wasn't satisfied with how I played all last year. . . . My knee hurt, for sure,' Ferguson said, via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 'The concussion was weird. But I've said this before, if I'm on the field, I should be able to give it my all. I don't think I've ever played a full season and not scored a touchdown. That was something that I came into this offseason really working on. Just trying to really dial in on those things." Head coach Brian Schottenheimer chalked it up to a "fluke" season and said that Ferguson's physical condition and determination have been "noticeably different in a good way" this offseason. Keeping that up through the summer while avoiding injury should put the tight end on a path for a rebound in 2025.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Urged To Trade Struggling Tight End
Cowboys Urged To Trade Struggling Tight End originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys underwent some considerable offensive personnel changes throughout the offseason. Starting at the Cowboys parted ways with head coach and play caller Mike McCarthy and promoted Brian Schottenheimer to that seat. Advertisement They turned around and addressed some glaring holes on the roster. The trade for wide receiver George Pickens remains the most notable of these, but Dallas also installed rookie Tyler Booker at right guard and brought in an entirely new backfield comprised of rookies and veterans. Dak Prescott remains QB1 though they pursued and acquired Joe Milton III to serve as his new backup. All areas of the offense had some sort of makeover or overhaul besides the tight end position. It appears Jake Ferguson will headline this group once again with Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford slotting in behind him. But could the Cowboys offload one of those players to clear the way for another? Spann-Ford has been gaining momentum this offseason and has Schottenheimer believing in a big jump next season as he detailed in his press conference last week. Advertisement "This guy is not just a run blocker and a pass protector. This guy can be a weapon because of his size in the middle of the field, matched up on linebackers and safeties... He's already made the jump." For that reason K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire has urged the Cowboys to explore a trade for Schoonmaker. "For the Cowboys, the trades have all been about bringing in young talent, but perhaps it's time they consider cashing out on a drafted prospect the same way other teams have. The Cowboys should heavily consider seeing if there's a trade market for tight end Luke Schoonmaker." Schoonmaker has not lived up to the billing of a second-round pick. Despite that draft value, is there really a reason to send him away? Advertisement The idea of trading a low-usage player to add some draft capital sounds good in theory. But there really is no market for him out there. Schoonmaker may not be a No. 1 option and perhaps Spann-Ford surpasses him at training camp later this summer. At the same time, tight end depth has provides value in the form of insurance if Ferguson gets injured and misses time. Dallas needs the supporting cast pieces able to do some of the dirty work or step in when their number's called. Schoonmaker may be penciled into that spot next season but it does not mean the Cowboys need to find an off ramp. Related: Ex Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer Scores Unexpected Prize Related: George Pickens Is '99.9 Percent Perfect' Move To Cowboys Optimism This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cowboys mailbag: Dak Prescott optimism? Trevon Diggs' future? Summer standouts?
The waiting game for training camp is officially on. The Dallas Cowboys have wrapped up OTAs and mandatory minicamp. The next time the team gathers will be for its flight to Oxnard, Calif. We opened the floor to you to ask whatever is on your mind, and got some great questions. Let's discuss practice standouts, Trevon Diggs' future, the wide receiver depth chart, optimism for Dak Prescott and more. Advertisement I see no real reason to believe Dak Prescott will be a better QB than previously after another devastating injury and a year older. Tell me why I'm wrong. — Mark C. Personally, I do believe that Prescott is a quality top-half-of-the-league starting quarterback who can play at a top-10 level on any given Sunday. I do believe you can win it all with Prescott as your quarterback. But Prescott is going into his 10th season, and there's too much of a sample size of coming up short in the big moments and, in recent years, of injuries hampering his abilities to perform at his best. I understand the skepticism. If I were to sell somebody on why Prescott could be better than most of his previous years, I would start with the fact that CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens may be the best receiver duo Prescott has had in his career. That's not to dismiss the 2021 duo of Lamb and Amari Cooper, but this year's tandem has the potential to be even better. Prescott also has good chemistry with Jake Ferguson, who should be extra motivated in a contract year. The offensive line and running back situation are wild cards, but the floor for both would seem to be performing at a decent level. Does that mean Prescott will be better than what he's been previously? It's hard to see him topping his 2023 campaign when he was the MVP runner-up. But at this point in his career, it's not about how good he can be overall, but can he be at his best in the biggest moments. fired up for this 😤 — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 13, 2025 Who is currently standing out for the Cowboys during practice? — Dallas S. All of the necessary caveats apply before answering this question, specifically about how much physicality is limited during OTAs and minicamp. That essentially eliminates players on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as running backs, from really standing out. Pickens had a fantastic first day of mandatory minicamp. He's a big body, a deep-ball threat and a good route runner. I'm curious to see how Prescott incorporates him because Prescott hasn't really worked too much with a receiver of Pickens' style, outside of a couple of short stints with Dez Bryant and Michael Gallup. If Pickens can keep his head on straight throughout the season — a legitimate if — then this trade has potential to be a steal for the Cowboys. Advertisement Ferguson was the star of the second day of minicamp. He looked a lot more like his 2023 version, which is a welcome sight after he struggled in 2024 while dealing with injuries and quarterback instability. I also thought DaRon Bland looked pretty good. He's a physical cornerback, so I don't think these practices allowed him to play to his full extent, but he's always in position and has remarkable closing speed. Jonathan Mingo, Kaiir Elam and Brevyn Spann-Ford also had their moments. One player who really caught my attention was quarterback Joe Milton. He's very strong and makes throws down the field rolling to his off side look effortless. You can tell he still needs to process the game a little faster, but he's a young player in a new system. I'll be fascinated to see how he performs during training camp and preseason games. He has the tools to develop into something more for the Cowboys down the road. When is the earliest that they can get rid of Diggs without too bad of cap ramifications? — Daniel B. The earliest would be the 2026 offseason. According to Spotrac, the Cowboys could cut Diggs early next offseason and carry a dead cap hit of just under $6 million in 2026, saving more than $12.5 million, or designate him a post-June 1 release and save $15.5 million and spread the dead cap over 2026 and 2027 at just under $3 million each year. Unless there's a huge bounce back from Diggs in 2025, it's easy to see why the injuries and regression over the past two years would lead the Cowboys to want to get out of that contract. Diggs is a boom-or-bust type of player to begin with, but since his monster year in 2021, there's been a lot more bust than boom. Couple that with Bland being in the final year of his rookie deal and will be due a sizable extension, it's hard to imagine a realistic scenario in which this isn't Diggs' final year in Dallas. A bit skeptical of the backfield led by Javonte Williams, but wanted to know if you've seen any reason for optimism. — Kmason0903 As I mentioned earlier, it's been hard to get a real read on the running backs because of the nature of these practices, and I don't want to just provide feel-good fluff. However, there are reasons I would feel more optimistic, and they start with the offensive line. You know what you are going to get in Tyler Smith, but I feel like Cooper Beebe's confidence with all that comes with the center position will help him take a big step in his sophomore season. I think Tyler Booker is ready to hit the ground running. Even though I've seen some people saying that his great performance would be a wash, at best, as he takes over for a future Hall of Famer, I would say that Zack Martin was not performing at his usual Hall-of-Fame level last year before he was shut down with the injury. Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele are wild cards for me up front but the Cowboys feel optimistic. Advertisement In terms of the backfield itself, I think it's smart that the Cowboys haven't declared a formula already, as they did last year when they said it would be a committee approach. In the limited scope so far, I've seen some positive things from Williams, Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue, but training camp will be the time where players get to separate themselves. If nobody makes a strong impression, this could be a year the Cowboys fall into a committee approach. The difference from last year is that, top to bottom, you'd have to feel better about the committee members. Who do you expect to have the biggest total impact on the field this year between Mingo, Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin? — Reed C. From that group, I would cast my vote for Turpin. I think the bulk of the receiving production will come from Lamb, Pickens and Ferguson, with Mingo, Tolbert and Spann-Ford as my lead candidates to factor into the downfield passing game. However, I feel like Turpin will be used more as a playmaker than a receiver this year, which is better suited for who he is. This offseason, we've seen Turpin carry the ball out of the backfield and run quick routes close to the line of scrimmage that enable him to get the ball in space. There was some of that last year, but last year also featured some deep balls in third-and-10 situations that aren't what Turpin is built for. With Lamb and Pickens handling their business, the underneath should open up more for Turpin. (Top photo of Diggs: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- 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
5 days ago
- 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.
