Latest news with #JakeFerguson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys' Jake Ferguson Labeled 'Bounce-Back Candidate'
Cowboys' Jake Ferguson Labeled 'Bounce-Back Candidate' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After being named to the Pro Bowl in 2023, this past season was a disappointing one for Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson. Advertisement But it might not have been all his fault. In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, he lists some of the players he thinks are poised for a bounce-back in 2025. And the Cowboys star is one of the players that he mentions. "With the Cowboys' uninspiring running back group, expect Prescott to fire away through the air for stretches in the upcoming term," Moton wrote. "He'll have enough targets to spread around for Ferguson to get back into Pro Bowl form." Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott missed a good portion of the season due to a hamstring injury, so he only played in eight games. Not so coincidentally, that is when Ferguson was getting more consistent targets. Advertisement The 26-year-old tight end finished the 2023 season with 761 yards and five touchdowns, which are some very solid numbers for a second-year tight end. However, this past season, he was targeted almost 20 less times. But his QB will hopefully be able to stay on the field and throw him the ball in 2025. Dallas missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020 this past season. As a result, Ferguson and the rest of the offense will be looking to help lead the team back to the postseason to redeem themselves after what was a disappointing 2024 all around. Related: Cowboys' George Pickens Offers Laughing Review of 'Beautiful' Steelers Trade Related: The Bar Is Low and That Might Be the Best Thing for the Cowboys This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Strengths, weaknesses and wildcards at Cowboys TE position in 2025
The Dallas Cowboys bring back a lot of familiar faces at the tight end position for 2025. Their top three players are are expected to return to previously held roles. Depth behind those three is largely comprised of undrafted free agents, fringe roster players and camp bodies. Based on this, the TE position looks like a fairly unexciting position to watch this summer in training camp but then again, maybe not. For as bland as the competition looks on paper there are plenty of storylines to follow. A simple SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) shows much is hinging on a variety of factors making concern and excitement valid emotions this preseason. Strength of Cowboys TE group: Jake Ferguson For as terrible as Ferguson looked last season, he has undeniable chemistry with Dak Prescott and is a shoo-in to be the Cowboys' No. 3 passing option in 2025. Ferguson is just one year removed from a Pro Bowl and is entering the last year of his rookie contract. He has plenty of motivation to bounce back and should see plenty of opportunities with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens dominating the defense's attention Weakness of the Cowboys TE group: Depth It's not a specific player per say, but rather a role that's concerning. The Cowboys don't appear to have a credible threat to push Ferguson in 2025 and if the TE1 has a repeat of last year, that could put Dallas in an ugly situation this season. Luke Schoonmaker is a better player than many give him credit for, but he hasn't shown the ability to truly take over as a starter. The third-year player out of Michigan is a solid TE2 but he's not someone the Cowboys want to lean on just yet. Schoonmaker is a player to watch this preseason because not only must he produce this season, but he's probably the favorite to be the starter next season. Wildcard at TE on the Cowboys: Brevyn Spann-Ford Spann-Ford had an inspiring rookie season as an undrafted free agent. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound monster out of Minnesota hit the ground running as a blocker. He's likely the best blocking TE on the roster heading into training camp and has the potential to be something special someday in the NFL. Whether that happens or not depends on his maturation as a pass catcher. Spann-Ford may never become someone who's dynamic after the catch, but his size and frame make him a mismatch machine if he can just play with more reliability and consistency as a route runner and pass catcher. 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!
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- 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
19-06-2025
- 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
19-06-2025
- 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)
