The Position Breakdown series takes each position group for the Dallas Cowboys and looks at players, their standings, contract numbers, and a prediction for each player’s upcoming season.
This version is looking at the tight end situation of Dallas, so let’s jump right into it.
THE1
Luke Cleaner #86
Age: 24
Experience: Beginner
College: Michigan
2022 Statistics: (college)
Settles: 599
Goals: 45
Receptions: 35
Yards: 418
Yards per catch: 11.9
Landing: 3
Drops: 2
First down: 23
Penalties: 2
2023 decade:
Maximum cost- $1,139,398 (0.5% total maximum)
Dead Cap – $3,342,441
Base salary- $750,000
Signing Bonus- $389,398
Drop 2023:
Tom – If Schoonmaker isn’t TE1 by the end of September, the plan won’t go well. He was drafted in the second round to replace Dalton Schultz, and that’s not just in the sense of having a similar style. Hopefully, he’ll be Dak Prescott’s security blanket as well as a reliable possession receiver and serviceable blocker.
Schoonmaker might be able to do everything Schultz did, but better. While it may not be the initiator right out of the gate, people will be very happy with it. My favorite thing is his sure hands and hunting radius. If you look at any highlights from his Wolverines career, he always seems to pull passes behind him. Schultz has gone down a lot in the past year, and if Schoonmaker can rectify that, this offense should be looking for bright days ahead.
Mike – The problem with tight ends is how long they take to reach their potential, and for Schoonmaker that means he’s a year behind in development behind Jake Ferguson. The one thing Schoonmaker has more though than Ferguson is blocking. At this point, even with Ferguson playing a year in the NFL, Schoonmaker is the better all-around blocker, and in the NFL as a tight end, you have to be a good blocker to get serious shots. But what works in Schoonmaker and Ferguson’s favor is that they have very different skill sets that compensate for each other. In this new Texas coast offense currently being installed, there will be heavy 12-man elements, which means both tight ends get on the field at the same time. The damage they will be able to do while both players are on the field using their different abilities will be interesting to watch. For me, this year Schoonmaker and Ferguson will split the workload as the primary tight end with Schoonmaker passing Ferguson in the next couple of years. But this season, Schoonmaker is looking to get about 20-30 receptions and somewhere around 300 yards, and about three or four touchdowns.
TE2
Jake Ferguson #87
Age: 24
Experience: two years
College: Wisconsin
2022 Statistics:
Snaps: 629
Goals: 22
Receptions: 19
Yards: 174
Yards per catch: 9.2
Landing: 2
Drops: 0
First down: 8
Penalties: 2
2023 decade:
Maximum cost – $1,046,221 (0.4% total maximum)
Meat Cap – $0
Base salary- $870,000
Signing Bonus- $176,221
Drop 2023:
Tom – I will touch on something that needs clarification. Many were dismayed about using Dallas in the second round to pick Schoonmaker to become the starter so soon after seeing multiple discussions about how the duo of Ferguson and Hendershot meant they could let Schultz walk. Both are correct. Ferguson showed enough last season that there was reasonable hope that he would at least be on duty as a starter if needed. But he is very inexperienced and the staff clearly think Schoonmaker is an upgrade. Something like an insurance policy before the draft, Ferguson is now a different type as TE2.
I still think he will play an important role and he was a good fourth-round catch. He and Hendershot may offer the opportunity to see something I have long craved, using two tight groups to pass them by.
Mike – Depending on what mood you find me in is who I pick as the TE1 for Dallas this year. The obvious though is this Mike McCarthy football brand loves tight ends a lot and so does Duck. Just looking at the amount of venture capital they used in the last two years in office is testament to that fact. Last year, Ferguson looked great when given the chance, and what seems evident is his athleticism and running skills. The coaching staff was so good at what they had in Ferguson that they didn’t even try to keep Schultz, so you have to think this season they want him to be their man.
Ferguson’s only short loss is his blocking skills, but as Cowboys fans we’ve seen this tandem at center before. Over time, Ferguson and Schoonmaker could be what we once had in Jason Witten and Blake Jarwin. Schoonmaker will play the role played by Witten while Ferguson will play a larger role than Jarwin, and it will take some time to develop. This year, Ferguson will get a boost in production, say 40-50 receptions and over 450 yards receiving.
TE3
Peyton Hendershot #89
Age: 24
Experience: two years
College: Indiana
2022 Statistics:
Snaps: 307
Goals: 16
Receptions: 11
Yards: 103
Yards per catch: 9.4
Landing: 2
Drops: 1
TD rush: 1
Penalties: 4
2023 decade:
Maximum cost- $875,000 (0.3% of total maximum)
Dead Cap – $10,000
Base salary- $870,000
Signing Bonus- $5,000
Drop 2023:
Tom – Make Peyton Hendershot specialize in contrast, please. Show some flashes of true ability working the seam down the field. With all the top three in TEs, I’d be very interested in what Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer could come up with. Each of them has a different style. Let’s see which ones are used.
Mike – Hendershot won the People’s Choice award last season and every fan this season can tell they are excited to see his progress this season. Hendershot can use his speed and speed as well as any of the other tight ends, so there is a clear role for him in this attack. His usage and production shouldn’t change much from last year since they drafted a tight end to take Schultz’s old position, but having him play from several positions on the offense as the tight end would expand that rulebook and give the offense extra dimensions to play with. For hot fun, let’s expect the Hendershot to finish the season with the most touchdowns out of the tight pack.
TE4
Sean McCune #84
Age: 25
Experience: 4 years
College: Michigan
2022 Statistics:
Snaps: 335
Objectives: 2
Receptions: 2
Yards: 11
Yards per catch: 5.5
2023 decade:
Maximum cost – $1,010,000 (0.4% of total maximum)
Meat Cap – $0
Base salary- $1,010,000
Signature Bonus- $0
Drop 2023:
Tom – If they have four TEs on the roster, McKeon is the most likely choice, even if he’s been inactive for a lot of games. Otherwise, they’ll try to hide it on PS – though a solid pre-season might make that difficult.
Mike – McKeon and Schoonmaker spent time playing together not too long ago, so that should lead to a reunion of these two guys. But the best way for McKeon to emulate his role in Dallas is to make sure he makes himself a worthy special-team player on offense that way. If they hold four tight ends, there will be plenty of room on the roster. When you combine the tight end numbers with the rushing players, everyone wants the coaches to stay on the final roster.
Additional signals:
Seth Green No. 47
Mike – That’s a tough road for Green to try to get around. Of the last players on this list, one of them will cover the practice squad for an injury, and it will likely be the Green Team.
Tom – Green and Fant are both vying to replace McKeon, but I really expect them to test primarily for a break in a practice squad show somewhere.
Princeton Fant No. 48
Mike – This is the MVP of the professions at his best. The problem with Fant is that it doesn’t do one thing particularly great, but it does a little bit of everything and does some of it really well. But you have to wonder how this helps him get a training position when there is nothing really special about it.