Tag: Luke Schoonmaker

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.

Why the Cowboys should remain optimistic for TE Luke Schoonmaker’s future

Luke Schoonmaker had a poor rookie campaign, but the Cowboys should remain optimistic about what the young TE can still offer this offense. | From @ReidDHanson

Luke Schoonmaker’s rookie season didn’t go as expected in Dallas. As the No. 58 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Cowboys had high hopes for the former Michigan TE. He was supposed to make up for the loss of free agent departure, Dalton Schultz. He was supposed to be the TE1 by season’s end.

And with 37 collegiate games under his belt and entering the NFL at nearly 25-years-old, he was supposed to be a plug-and-play selection. Supposed to. Things didn’t turn out that way, but there’s plenty to remain hopeful about as Schoonmaker enters his second offseason.

Schoonmaker’s start with Dallas got off to a slow start when a case of plantar fasciitis kept him out of the action early in the offseason. Second-year TE Jake Ferguson held onto the TE1 spot with a firm grip but behind him the competition was wide open. After easing into training camp, the rookie started to rise up the depth chart.

Sean McKeon was largely capped in his potential and second-year player Peyton Hendershot took what appeared to be a step back. TE2 became Schoonmaker’s, almost by default.

But the rookie would go on to play just 368 offensive snaps in 2023. He caught eight balls for a total of 65 yards, but worse than that, it was the miscues that largely defined his rookie season.

With three official drops on his resume, Schoonmaker’s drop percentage sat at 20%. His shallow goal-line route in the Cowboys’ first matchup against the Eagles likely cost Dallas the game. And his blocking, perceived to be his bread and butter, wasn’t quite as polished as it was made out to be in the draft process.

It was a season to forget for the rookie TE and a pick many Cowboys fans wish they had back. Fan favorites like O’ Cyrus Torrence, Tank Dell and DeVon Achane were all on the board at the time of the pick, and all would have offered the offense far more in return.

But the story is not yet written on Schoonmaker and there’s reason to believe good days await the former second round pick.

One big factor to consider is the difficulty of the position. TE is part WR and part OL. It has all the blocking nuances of one and all the pass catching nuances of the other. It’s a notoriously difficult position in which to assimilate and its learning curve is unique to everyone – even seemingly polished players like Schoonmaker.

For every Ferguson and Witten who hit the ground running, there are dozens of prospects who struggle in the early days. Schultz, Schoonmaker’s predecessor in Dallas, only took 300 offensive snaps as a rookie. Hailing from Stanford, aka “Tight End U,” Schultz was also someone who the Cowboys thought would develop quickly. Yet like many who came before him, Schultz also took some extra time in his development. Schultz only had 13 receptions in his first two seasons in the NFL and didn’t truly breakout until his third season.

The impact of the plantar fascia tear clearly factors into Schoonmaker’s poor rookie season. He was robbed of offseason work, including valuable time in the weight room and practicing routes. A full offseason of both things should get him on a much better path in Year 2.

Finally, there’s the pressure. Ferguson established himself as a fan favorite and clear TE1 in the NFL. Playing in his first Pro Bowl this winter, Ferguson has a bright future with the Cowboys. Because of that, Schoonmaker doesn’t have the pressure of stepping up into the TE1 role in 2024. With Ferguson under contract for the next two seasons, Schoonmaker won’t face that kind of pressure until 2026 at the earliest. All Schoonmaker has to do is be the best TE2 he can be, and things will sort themselves out.

The Cowboys struggled mightily in 12 personnel last season and a big reason why is because Schoonmaker wasn’t a viable threat downfield. The Cowboys adjusted by playing their 11 personnel more often, and their 12 personnel far below league average. They would love to change that in 2024.

With better play from Schoonmaker, the Cowboys can shift back to more two-TE personnel groups. Their offense will then be less predictable and more in tune with league trends. So, while the TE1 position may not be open for Schoonmaker any time soon, a much bigger TE2 role could be instore for the second year TE and that could have a significant impact on the Cowboys offense in 2024 and beyond.

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Follow the Money: Breakdown of Cowboys TE salaries, cap hits

A breakdown of the cap spending at the tight end position and how Dallas has set themselves up to keep costs low with solid production. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Imagine a scenario where a young, bonafide starter who just made his first Pro Bowl leads a position group of other young talented players, all threats to make the team. Now imagine the entire collection doesn’t take up much salary cap space.

The tight end room in Dallas has a long list of potential contributors and might be the closest to fitting this description. The Cowboys have done the ground work, laying the platform for this to come to fruition. Now the players not named Jake Ferguson have to come through on the promise.

When churning the bottom of the roster, a player’s salary often contributes to his fate but the money aspect probably won’t be coming into play for these guys. With very little capital spent, this is where Dallas has managed to save a few dollars without sacrificing much.

12 personnel an offensive trend Cowboys couldn’t exploit in 2023

Passing out of 12 personnel groups has been highly productive in the NFL yet the Cowboys’ issues at TE have caused them to struggle in this area. | From @ReidDHanson

The NFL is a game of mismatches. Top offensive minds are constantly searching for ways to gain advantages by utilizing certain personnel groups. It’s something the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree has taken to new heights and something that’s consistently burned the Cowboys defense in recent matchups.

Adding an extra TE to the field often forces defenses to match personnel; achieved by swapping a DB for an extra LB on most occasions. This adjustment adds to the overall size of the defense but can come at the cost of speed and coverage ability. This situation is exploitable if the TEs brought in to facilitate the running game are also legitimate pass threats.

12 personnel often makes it’s biggest impact in the passing game. Even though the majority of the plays that take place with two TEs on the field are runs, it’s usually the passes out of this look that produce the biggest EPA gains.

In 2022 the Cowboys took big steps in their 12 personnel. With Dalton Schultz and surprising rookie Jake Ferguson leading the charge, the Dallas offense wasn’t just a rushing offense in two TE looks, but they were a downfield passing attack as well.

At an EPA/play of 0.22 on passing attempts, Dallas’ 12 personnel led the team in passing efficiency of personnel groups with >25 snaps.

Both the TE1 and TE2 were legitimate receiving weapons with run after the catch ability. It made up for the Cowboys’ issues at WR that season and kept the offense less predictable in what is traditionally a run-heavy personnel group.

In 2023, the Cowboys weren’t so fortunate. With Schultz playing for the Texans and the rookie Luke Schoonmaker coming in to work behind Ferguson in most two TE looks, Dallas’ 12 personnel took a step back. For as good as Ferguson was in Year 2, Schoonmaker had a tough time assimilating as an NFL pass catcher.

The Cowboys used 12 personnel 119 times less than they did in the previous season, and overall used it four percent less than the league average (15.2% compared to 19.2%). Their EPA/pass of 0.14 in12 personnel group ranking behind their 11 personnel, 10 personnel and 21 personnel groups.

If the Cowboys move on from Michael Gallup in 2024, like many suspect they will, the offense will need to get more from their TE2 to make up for it.

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The 4 most important 2nd-year players for the Cowboys in 2024

The Cowboys didn’t get a ton out of their draft class, but these players will need to play big in their second seasons. | From @TimLettiero

After a strong 2022 class that saw multiple draftees take starting roles, the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 class left a lot to be desired. Injuries, questionable development strategies and a flurry of other miscellaneous setbacks have lined this crop of players as ones to forget, but thankfully, time is on their side.

Dallas is facing an offseason filled with tough decisions, and because defections are inevitable, success will require younger players to step up. The pressure is on the 2023 class. Here are the four most important second-year names to watch in the 2024 season.

LOOK: Pollard’s strong drive ends when Prescott hits TE for early Cowboys lead

Dallas gets on the board first in Carolina.

Dak Prescott is continuing where he left off against the New York Giants in Week 10. Now in Carolina, the MVP candidate has put the pressure on the Panthers early with a touchdown on the club’s second drive.

The teams traded punts on the opening possessions, putting Dallas at their own 17-yard line to restart things for the offense. RB Tony Pollard, who hasn’t had the type of year he hoped for as the new No. 1 back, opened things off with a reception for 12 yards. He chipped in another 12 yards in back-to-back runs before later getting around the right edge on a pin-and-pull for 22 yards.

Now in the red zone, it took just two plays for Prescott to capitalize, finding rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker up the seam for the 18-yard score.

Reviewing the Cowboys TEs at the bye: The good, disappointing and curious

The Cowboys have gotten a mixed bag of results from their TE but there’s optimism for the future because there’s opportunity to improve. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys rolled the dice at the TE position this season. Instead of retaining five-year veteran Dalton Schultz another season, they decided to turn the page on their Stanford product. Their rookie fourth round pick, Jake Ferguson, had impressed in limited action and looked like he had all the makings of a top-line NFL tight end.

Peyton Hendershot, another 2022 rookie, also impressed in limited action. He didn’t have the blocking ability Ferguson did but he flashed impressive play-making traits with the ball in his hands. He looked like he could be a dangerous weapon as a TE3 and possibly more.

While optimism towards the two young TEs reigned supreme, their future was still based on projections and not reality. Ferguson only played 430 snaps as a rookie and Hendershot just 298. Both showed pass-catching ability but neither one logged more than 19 receptions or 174 yards over the season.

Banking on the second-year players to pick up where Schultz left off was a risky proposition, which is why the Cowboys likely targeted the position where they did in the 2023 NFL draft.

With the No. 58 pick in the draft, the Cowboys selected Luke Schoonmaker from the University of Michigan. It was a high pick for the position and received a fair amount of scrutiny at the time. Especially since the 2023 draft was seen to be abnormally deep in TE talent.

But Dallas saw a need and made their pick. The upcoming season was too important to leave in the hands of a pair of unproven second-year players with little draft pedigree. Schoonmaker’s presence stabilized the unit.

How is it all panning out?

Here’s who the Cowboys should’ve drafted in 2023 for immediate help

A look at what would have happened if Dallas knew how rookies would play early in their careers and focused on winning now with their draft haul. A way-too-soon Cowboys 2023 redraft shows who could’ve helped. | From @KDDrummondNFL

While normally it takes multiple seasons to judge a draft class, that isn’t necessarily the case for every situation. One of those is the 2023 Dallas Cowboys, who built themselves to compete for a championship this year.

Dallas’ draft class may have long term potential, but with the club already sitting in the fringe when it comes to the No. 1 seed race, it isn’t tough to see how a quicker impactful class could have been beneficial.

So while Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, Deuce Vaughn and an injured DeMarvion Overshown can eventually prove their worth, here’s a collection of rookies who were available and are thriving at positions Dallas could use some help.

Here’s a Cowboys-specific 2023 redraft from players who were available at the time Dallas picked, but they passed up on. Dallas had eight picks from their haul, how many of those players made it back to the organization?

Do the Cowboys regret drafting Schoonmaker instead of Torrence?

Given the troubles the Cowboys have experienced across the O-line, will they come to regret picking a Luke Schoonmaker over O’Cyrus Torrence? @ReidDHanson wonders if they do already.

When the Cowboys went on the clock at Pick No. 58 in the 2023 NFL draft, they had a decision to make. Do they address the position group they almost picked in the first round, when they were debating between DT Mazi Smith and OL Andrew Bergeron? Or do they address the TE position that appeared to have an immediate opening and a waning number of players left on the board?

As everyone knows, Dallas opted for the second option, selecting TE Luke Schoonmaker in the second round instead of Florida OL O’Cyrus Torrence, and kicking the can on their offensive line concerns. It was a decision questioned at the time and three weeks into the regular season, it’s a decision that’s being questioned even more so today.

The Cowboys offensive line situation has been an adventure in 2023. Tyler Smith missed the first two games of the season nursing a hamstring. Various bumps and bruises over those first two weeks forced three other unproven linemen onto the field as well.

Then in Week 3, Tyler Biadasz, Tyron Smith and Zack Martin were all sidelined with their own injuries. Just three weeks in, only one lineman has started all three games at the same position; Terence Steele at RT.

At this point, there’s no question the Cowboys could have used another good offensive lineman on the roster. The Dallas reserves have put up a noble effort, but effort isn’t what wins games.

Head coach Mike McCarthy essentially admitted to a conservative offensive gameplan because of the status of his offensive line. That attack only netted the Cowboys one touchdown in five trips to the red zone.

One can conclude a better offensive line would have resulted in a much different result in Arizona and a much more secure future going forward.

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 1 Q&A with Cowboys Wire

With a Week 1 matchup between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Cowboys Wire.

The New York Giants (0-0) and Dallas Cowboys (0-0) will square off on Sunday night in a Week 1 matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Giants opened the week as 3.5-point home underdogs but that has improved to +3 as of this writing.

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Cowboys Wire managing editor KD Drummond.