Tag: Luke Schoonmaker

Is Jake Ferguson playing today? Injury news update for Cowboys tight end

Here’s the latest status for the Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson for Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Dallas Cowboys have been suffering from the injury bug all season, and there hasn’t been a position group that has been safe. Just when the passing offense was finally getting WR2 Brandin Cooks back, they lost a different key member of the receiving corps.

TE Jake Ferguson has been sidelined the last two weeks with concussion symptoms. He opened up about the severity recently, citing that his mental state was so impacted he once broke out in a crying fit over the simple inconvenience of being unable to locate his mobile phone. With that level of severity, there’s a question on whether or not he’d be ready to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14.

Fortunately, the answer is yes. Ferguson practiced all week and with no setbacks, he will suit up for the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The two games he missed were on short weeks; he was injured in a Monday night game against Houston, and then missed the Washington game six days later which was followed by the Giants game just four days after that.

In his absence Dallas turned to second-year, second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker, along with 2024 UDFA Brevyn Spann-Ford. The team has also added Princeton Fant to the roster, signed from their own practice squad. It is assumed with Ferguson active again, Fant will be among the inactive on Monday.

This Cowboys UDFA rookie making case to be featured in long-term plans

Brevyn Spann-Ford is the Cowboys’ best blocking TE who has the potential to be elite in the future, finds @ReidDHanson.

The Dallas Cowboys are masters in finding steals through nontraditional avenues. From Brandin Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin who were found in other professional leagues, to Dak Prescott and DaRon Bland who were found in the latter portions of the draft, to Tony Romo and Miles Austin who were signed as undrafted free agents, the Cowboys have a knack for finding treasure in the rarest of places.

When Dallas signed undrafted tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford following the draft last spring, they were hoping they found their next big treasure. Standing almost 6-foot-7, 270-pounds, “big” might be an understatement.

The rookie from Minnesota was in demand following the draft. Players his size don’t come around very often and to many scouts, Spann-Ford had a draftable grade. What transpired was a bidding war, with team pit against team in an auction the Cowboys are all too familiar with. As fate would have it, Dallas won, outbidding the competition by guaranteeing $225,000 and throwing in a signing bonus of another $20,000 for good measure.

The sizable deal came with sizable expectations. In order to justify the costs, Spann-Ford would need to make the roster out of training camp, and he’d have to contribute in some way on game day. On a unit led by Pro Bowler Jake Ferguson and backed up former second rounder Luke Schoonmaker, getting snaps wasn’t going to be easy for the 24-year-old rookie.

12 games into his professional career Spann-Ford has found a way to be that contributor the Cowboys needed him to be. Not only has he logged 76 snaps on special teams, but he’s helped pick up the slack left by Ferguson’s injury absence on offense too. At 230 snaps and counting, Spann-Ford isn’t just craving out an offensive role in 2024 but he’s making the case for a bigger role in the future.

A blocking specialist by nature, Spann-Ford is already the Cowboys’ top-rated blocker at the TE position. Blessed with the size of a left tackle, Spann-Ford has the potential to develop into an elite blocker one day, possibly giving the Cowboys a mismatch player to design plays around.

Ferguson, reportedly close to coming back, will likely seize back his role as true TE1 the moment he’s cleared to play. And Schoonmaker, a player who has stepped up in Ferguson’s absence, will likely continue to be a player the Cowboys seek to develop. At face value this isn’t good news for Spann-Ford stockholders, but a deeper look shows Spann-Ford’s value and role remain intact.

As a blocker, Spann-Ford’s numbers and screen time are never going to jump out at people. But for the offensive line nuts who love nothing more than watching a well-executed run scheme play out, Spann-Ford is must-see-TV. Not perfect, but starting to flash dominant characteristics, the Cowboys newest UDFA is a player on the rise who still fits plenty of TE2 roles and responsibilities. There will likely be a rotation at the TE position the rest of the way this season and the two backups will both demand opportunities.

The Cowboys rarely use three TEs at the same time (1.3 percent) but that doesn’t mean three TEs won’t play each week. Spann-Ford is an exciting player who may be carving out a major role for the near future.

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Is Jake Ferguson playing today? Injury news update for Cowboys tight end

Here’s the latest status for the Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson for Week 13 against the New York Giants.

The Dallas Cowboys cannot seem to get out from under the injury bug. The club, already down their franchise quarterback Dak Prescott for the remainder of the year, has struggled to get their downfield targets involved. CeeDee Lamb was just coming out of his early season funk when Prescott was lost in Week 9. He wasn’t getting much help.

Brandin Cooks had just nine catches through four games when he was placed on IR with a knee injury. He’ll return to the lineup in Week 13 against New York, but how much will he be able to contribute? The scheme has been unable to make Kavontae Turpin a serious inclusion in the offense more often than not. The development of third-year wideout Jalen Tolbert, second-year man Jalen Brooks or rookie Ryan Flournoy has been slow. The one guy who was established, TE Jake Ferguson, seems to have regressed from his Pro Bowl 2023.

And a concussion suffered in Week 11 will force Ferguson to miss his second consecutive game when the Cowboys take on the Giants Thanksgiving afternoon.

The third-year man out of Wisconsin caught 71 targets for 761 yards and scored five touchdowns in 2023. He’s failed to reach the end zone so far in 2024, disappointing fantasy owners left and right.

In his wake, Dallas will tun to second-year, second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker, along with 2024 UDFA Brevyn Spann-Ford. Schoonmaker had his finest game as a pro Monday after Ferguson was lost; he’d been relegated to afterthought with Spann-Ford usurping his snaps. The team has also added Princeton Fant to the roster, signed from their own practice squad.

‘The seas parted’: Cowboys’ unlikely hero could build off key TD catch

From @ToddBrock24f7: Second-year TE Luke Schoonmaker has soared since Jake Ferguson’s concussion last week. His timely grab Sunday could lead to bigger things.

Facing 3rd-and-5 from just outside the red zone, nursing a slim 13-9 lead with five minutes and change to play, the Cowboys offense was hoping for a dagger. A field goal- no sure thing this past Sunday- would extend their margin, but it would keep Washington within a single score.

The Commanders, understandably, focused on CeeDee Lamb, far and away the primary target within the Dallas passing attack all afternoon and season. Instead, Cooper Rush went a different direction, arcing a pass down the middle of the field to a wide-open Luke Schoonmaker. He had to extend his six-foot-five-inch frame and even leave his feet just to collect the throw, but the moment proved to be massive.

Not just in the Week 12 win, but maybe within the tight end’s football life.

“Well, the seas parted, right? I just needed to catch the ball,” he explained to reporters after the Cowboys’ thrilling 34-26 win. “Gosh, I didn’t even know what to do after that moment, but it was the best feeling.”

Schoonmaker’s score- his third catch of the afternoon and the third touchdown of his career- actually marked the first touchdown reception for a Dallas tight end all season.

“Someone needed to get a touchdown this year, so it was great to have that for the room.”

The Michigan man implied he was doing it for his position mates: third-stringer Brevyn Spann-Ford, practice squadder Princeton Fant, and John Stephens Jr., who’s been on injured reserve since last month, as well as Jake Ferguson, the concussed starter he was subbing for on nearly two-thirds of the offense’s Week 12 snaps.

“That’s what’s great about the room, is the competition and the chemistry,” Schoonmaker continued. “Every day, we’re going out there. Lunda [Wells, Cowboys tight end coach] is working us hard as ever. Just credit to him for each and every one of us, just taking the practice field to the game field, and that’s certainly helped everybody rise to the occasion and not have any dropoff at all.”

But coming through in that fourth-quarter gotta-have-it moment could well prove to be a turning point in Schoonmaker’s young career trajectory.

Since Ferguson went down in the first quarter of last week’s game with a concussion, Schoonmaker has been tasked with stepping up. And he’s made the most of his newfound opportunities: in 87 offensive snaps over the past two games, the 26-year-old has caught nine of 14 targets for 111 yards (by far his most productive two-game stretch as a pro)… and Sunday’s all-important score.

“It’s one thing to make plays,” head coach Mike McCarthy said of Schoonmaker in his postgame press conference, “but when you start making big plays, critical plays in games, it’s a whole different level, a big chunk of confidence.”

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Of course, Sunday’s fourth-quarter score ended up not being the definitive death blow that the Cowboys were looking for; there were five more insane minutes of football- and another 31 points still to be rung up- before the final gun.

“I didn’t even want to watch at some points,” Schoonmaker said of the final flurry of back-and-forth action.

The backup tight end still wasn’t thinking of his own individual growth even after the Cowboys pulled out the improbable win; he was far more excited about the team coming together- even as a mostly-ragtag bunch of injury replacements- to snap a five-game losing streak.

“That’s really what was said last night going into today, like, ‘Let’s get a win. Let’s play all together and everybody have each other’s backs, and let’s play this whole game.’ What a way to win today. Just the contribution all around was amazing.”

Schoonmaker’s timely contribution was huge, and just maybe a foundation to build on for the 2023 second-round draft pick who’s been used sparingly over just 28 regular-season games. His career numbers- 25 receptions for 232 yards- certainly don’t look like those of the game’s top tight ends. He’s already labeled a bust by a contingent of the fanbase who expects every Day Two selection to be an instant star.

But for right now, it’s one game, one day, one rep at a time for Schoonmaker, who was thankful that his one touchdown of 2024 came when it did.

“Oh my gosh. Just to win felt amazing,” he grinned. “The fact that we won just kind of takes over everything else. That felt great. Took a little breath, and now we forge forward.”

The suddenly-buoyed Cowboys… and an emerging Schoonmaker, too.

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Is Jake Ferguson playing today? Injury news update for Cowboys tight end

Here’s the latest status for the Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson for Week 12 against the Washington Commanders.

The Dallas Cowboys are running out of targets. The club, already down their franchise quarterback Dak Prescott for the remainder of the year, has struggled to get their downfield targets involved. CeeDee Lamb was just coming out of his early season funk when Prescott was lost in Week 9. He wasn’t getting much help.

Brandin Cooks had just nine catches through four games when he was placed on IR with a knee injury. The scheme has been unable to make Kavontae Turpin a serious inclusion in the offense more often than not. The development of third-year wideout Jalen Tolbert, second-year man Jalen Brooks or rookie Ryan Flournoy has been slow. The one guy who was established, TE Jake Ferguson, seems to have regressed from his Pro Bowl 2023.

And this week against the Washington Commanders, they won’t even have him as a concussion suffered Monday night against Houston will sideline him for Week 12.

The third-year man out of Wisconsin caught 71 targets for 761 yards and scored five touchdowns in 2023. He’s failed to reach the end zone so far in 2024, disappointing fantasy owners left and right.

In his wake, Dallas will tun to second-year, second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker, along with 2024 UDFA Brevyn Spann-Ford. Schoonmaker had his finest game as a pro Monday after Ferguson was lost; he’d been relegated to afterthought with Spann-Ford usurping his snaps.

Schoonmaker saw a career high 10 targets and set a career high with 56 receiving yards in Week 11. Spann-Ford did the same with four catches for 42 yards.

Cowboys shouldn’t let recent draft busts cloud eval of Michigan prospects

Two of the best DTs in the 2025 NFL draft class come from Michigan so the Cowboys must put bias aside. | From @ReidDHanson

Michigan draft prospects haven’t exactly panned out for the Cowboys in recent years. Two draft cycles ago the Cowboys double-dipped from the Ann Arbor powerhouse, using their first two draft picks on Michigan players.

In 2023’s first round, the Cowboys selected defensive tackle Mazi Smith. The 337-pound interior lineman didn’t have many skins on the wall, but he had a physical skillset that couldn’t be matched. One round later Dallas went back to Michigan to snag a tight end. Unconvinced Jake Ferguson was the long-term answer, the Cowboys pounced on the experienced Luke Schoonmaker at No. 58.

Schoonmaker didn’t have a very inspiring highlight reel playing in Michigan’s run-heavy offense, but he was an accomplished run blocker and represented one of the safer picks in the Cowboys’ 2023 draft class.

Neither has worked out for Dallas.

Smith’s rookie season delivered the lowest defensive snap count from a first rounder in over a decade. His sophomore season has been decidedly worse with Smith grading 124th of 124 interior linemen in 2024.

Schoonmaker hasn’t been much better.

The second-year tight end hasn’t just been playing behind Ferguson, but he’s working behind rookie undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford as well. The 26-year-old hasn’t seen a target in four weeks and has been hit or miss in many of his blocking assignments.

Both players have fallen considerably short of expectations, and both are on the path to becoming certified busts.

Dallas, an organization known for their draft prowess, hasn’t had a first-round pick struggle like Smith since they selected Taco Charlton in 2017. Charlton, a defensive end from (you guessed it) Michigan, flamed out in spectacular fashion. He only lasted two seasons in Dallas and hasn’t played a down of football since the 2022 season.

It’s not lost on the Cowboys fanbase some of the organization’s biggest draft mistakes have come from the University of Michigan. So, it’s only natural many of those fans balk at the idea of selecting another Michigan player in the 2025 NFL draft. While this is an understandable posture, it’s a mistake to give such bias legs to stand on.

Based on the Cowboys’ current trajectory, Dallas will be picking in the top 10 of the draft next April. Picking inside the top 10 will position them well for blue chip talent. A player the Cowboys could be looking at when they go on the clock in the first round might just be another player from the University of Michigan.

Mason Graham, 6-foot-3, 320-pounds, is widely regarded as the top defensive lineman in the draft class. The well-rounded DT is a model prospect who comes with a Pro Bowl profile. He’s versatile and he’s experienced. He doesn’t come with the same degree of projection as Smith and Charlton, and as an accomplished pressure player, he offers value that goes beyond the typical run-stuffing often associated with the DT position.

Right behind Graham on the prospect list is fellow Michigan DT Kenneth Grant. Grant, 6-foot-3, 339-pounds, is a physical marvel at the DT position. Like Smith before him, Grant makes Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. He’s stout enough to play nose tackle but explosive enough to penetrate as a pass rusher. Grant has conditioning concerns as a man his size often does, but he should not be passed over simply because there are similarities between him and Smith. He’s a different player.

The Cowboys weakest position on the field is generally believed to be their interior defensive line. Given development time and bust potential associated with the DT position in Dallas, it’s recommended the Cowboys use free agency to bring in a top flight DT this spring. But if the Cowboys don’t want to spend big on a veteran, Michigan has a couple intriguing talents who need to be considered. They shouldn’t be disregarded simply because of the school they come from.

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Cowboys’ offensive identity part dependent on Schoonmaker and Tolbert

The Cowboys have an abnormal competition going between two different positions groups, and it should pay dividends. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys played out of 11 personnel (three receiver sets) 62.09% of the time in 2023. They played out of 12 personnel (standard two tight end sets) 13.90%. They were extremely proficient in both, posting an EPA/play that ranked No. 3 and No. 6 respectively, but 11 personnel was clearly their bread and butter.

Where they go in 2024 is a matter of debate. It’s pretty clear 11 personnel will once again rule the offense, but will it dominate to the degree it did last season?

For the first time since 2018 the Cowboys will be without Michael Gallup. Gallup, essentially Dallas’ WR3, played a key role in their 11 personnel sets. He was a player defenses respected and someone who could handle the physical rigors of the X role on the outside.

Jalen Tolbert is the front runner to replace Gallup in Dallas’ top three. He’s as ascending player with all the tangible skills to be a starter and teammates have spoken glowingly of his progress. But with just 22 receptions and 268 yards to his name, Tolbert is far from a sure thing so the Cowboys’ ability to execute in 11 personnel efficiently in 2024 has to be somewhat in question.

12 personnel, Dallas’ second most frequent personnel package, stands to gain if Tolbert struggles. Luke Schoonmaker, the expected TE2, plays a key role in shifting the balance. If he can live up to his billing as a second-round draft pick, he could carve out a bigger role for those two TE packages.

In many ways it’s a battle between two players who play completely different positions. It’s Tolbert at WR and Schoonmaker at TE who may ultimately dictate the frequency of their usage.

In today’s NFL, 11 personnel is king and that’s not about to change in Dallas regardless of how Tolbert performs. That doesn’t mean 11 personnel is automatically going to get over 60 percent of the snaps. Plenty of high-powered passing attacks operate out of 12 packages because TEs have the ability to present significant mismatches.

Schoonmaker was drafted as a ready-made run blocker with downfield potential. He didn’t show much as a rookie but his scouting report stays the same. He’s more than capable of being a plus-blocker in the NFL and he has the athletic traits to be a weapon in the passing game as well. He could help fill the hole left by Gallup almost as much as Tolbert. To do so he’s going to have to get over his injury issues. A recent hamstring injury threatens to keep him out until training camp. He’ll have to hit the ground running in order to convince Mike McCarthy the offense needs more 12 personnel in 2024.

Tolbert has a somewhat similar challenge but also likely the inside track. Even if his numbers don’t reflect it, he was vastly improved in 2023. If he can show he’s capable of sliding into Gallup’s role, 11 personnel will probably be just as prevalent in 2024. That’s especially true if he can take snaps at the X spot.

This isn’t a traditional training camp battle since it’s an indirect competition, but it will be fascinating to watch nonetheless and could dictate the Cowboys’ offensive identity in 2024.

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For Cowboys, Schoonmaker, it’s not panic time… yet

Luke Schoonmaker and the Cowboys don’t have to worry until training camp kicks off, says @ReidDHanson.

Luke Schoonmaker is hurt. Again. The Dallas Cowboys second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft has seen far too much of the training room since joining the NFL. Lingering injuries stunted his growth as a rookie, setting him behind pace and limiting him to 368 offensive snaps in 2023. And now he has a hamstring injury that will keep him out of OTAs.

The concern today is more of the same, injuries, may be setting him for more of the same, underwhelming performance, in 2024. For being called the safest pick of their 2023 draft class, Schoonmaker has sure fallen short of expectations thus far.

Last year’s class was heralded to be rich in tight end prospects. It was the perfect draft for a TE-needy team like Dallas who hoped to add one early. As luck would have it, a run on the TE position went down early in the second round and the Cowboys were faced with a dilemma: do they roll the dice and hope a player of proper value falls to them later, or do they toe the line of over-drafting and take a player while options were available?

As most fans know, Dallas went with Option B and drafted Schoonmaker, the top TE from Michigan, with their second-round pick. He projected as Day 3 prospect by many but came with a degree of stability as a prospect.

Schoonmaker didn’t hail from a flashy upstart program, nor did he come from proven passing powerhouse. He came from a run-heavy Big Ten team. He was a blocker first and foremost and beyond that he was generally unglamorous.

Yet he tested well so the potential was there to become a solid pass-catcher down the road. But Schoonmaker was an older prospect, turning 25 in his rookie season, and therefore not someone drafted for his high ceiling, rather his high floor.

With his rookie season a bust, Schoonmaker looked to 2024 to show he was worth a second-round pick. It’s a situation that just suffered a setback with recent news a hamstring injury will be limiting him in OTAs. This on the heels of shoulder surgery soon after the offseason began.

For as upsetting as the news is, it’s better now than later. Schoonmaker is a smart player. He’s a focused player. He’s a player who just needs to execute. And that execution has to come in live action and the closest thing to live action before the regular season is training camp.

As long as Schoonmaker is good to go for Oxnard, CA, he’s in position to realize his potential as a top draft pick. The Cowboys are likely handling the situation cautiously because they, as much as anyone, want their TE2 ready to compete in training camp.

At the moment there’s nothing to worry about. As long as Schoonmaker is in position to compete when it matters, things should be fine. It’s only if he can’t make it back when people should start to worry. It’s then the TE2 role can really fall into question, and it’s then his future should fall into doubt.

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Cowboys Luke Schoonmaker sidelined from OTAs with another injury

The team’s 2023 second rounder cannot seem to shake the injury bug early in his career. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker faced a challenging and disappointing rookie season and his second year is not starting well for him either. After being drafted by the club, the Michigan product missed time during 2023 training camp due to a foot injury.

After already undergoing shoulder surgery after the end of the season, now Schoonmaker is missing more valuable time now thanks to a hamstring injury.

Schoonmaker is expected to be ready for the start of this year’s training camp in July. He entered his rookie year with high hopes following a promising college career yet struggled to find his footing in Dallas, literally. The tear hindered his ability to develop chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott.

When he did make it onto the field, Schoonmaker showed flashes of his talent but often failed to make significant contributions to the Cowboys’ offense.

Schoonmaker’s blocking, an area where he was expected to excel, was deemed subpar and seemed to negatively impacted the team’s rushing game.

By the end of the season, he had recorded only eight catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns, a stark contrast to the expectations set for a second-round pick.

This disappointing season not only raised questions about Schoonmaker’s future with the team but also highlighted the challenges of transitioning from college to the NFL. Moving forward, it will be crucial for Schoonmaker to address his physical and mental hurdles, refocus on improving his game, and work towards becoming the reliable player the Cowboys envisioned when they brought him on board.

Shoulder surgeries continue disappointing career starts of Cowboys’ Smith, Schoonmaker

Dallas revealed their two top draft picks from 2023 are going to be out for the duration of the offseason calendar. | From @ArmyChiefW3

This past season was essentially a wash for the Cowboys’ 2023 draft class. None of the first three players selected for the club were able to make a significant impact last year, a rare occasion for a club with a reputation for knocking drafts out the park. Second-year impact is now the focus, but that hasn’t gotten off to a great start, either.

Talking at the NFL’s spring league meetings, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy revealed that 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith underwent shoulder surgery this offseason. The injury news didn’t stop there as he revealed second-round tight end Luke Schoonmaker also had shoulder surgery. The Michigan product injured himself during training and underwent the procedure last week.

Smith underwent the surgery shortly after the season concluded and is He’s expected to miss anywhere between four-to-six months, making him unavailable to participate in upcoming OTAs and mini camps.

Dallas used the 26th overall pick on the massive defensive tackle from Michigan in hopes of shoring up their run defense. His rookie season did not go as planned and his play was overshadowed by weight loss questions. Something McCarthy also addressed on the second day of the league gatherings.

Smith played in all 17 games his rookie season but only lined up for 28% of the overall snaps. With the Cowboys reluctant to bring in any outside free agents, expecting Smith to play a significant role in year two has social media in an uproar. This is especially true after veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins chose to sign with Seattle over Dallas.

Schoonmaker’s timeline is expected to be similar to that of Smith. The backup tight end caught eight passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season.

Both players will miss the majority of team activities but should be ready for training camp tentatively scheduled for late July.

Dallas lost third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown for the season in the final preseason game last year with a torn left ACL. Before the injury, the linebacker turned heads during training camp which could have given this class a different feel.