Cowboys 'Trying to Draft Their Travis Kelce' - NFL Source
FRISCO - We say conventional wisdom had it that one of the reasons the Dallas Cowboys could say goodbye to free agent Dalton Schultz is because he leaves behind in the tight end room two fine young talents in 2022 rookies Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot.
But the Cowboys' pre-NFL Draft actions are telling us something else - and so is one NFL source, who reveals to CowboysSI.com, "They have good tight ends … but it looks like they’re trying to find their "Kelce.''
That would be Travis Kelce.
Ironically, via NJ.com, Super Bowl winner Kelce was recently was asked to talk about young tight ends who share his playing style. He didn't quite bite on that, but ...
“I don’t know if there are any that remind me of myself, but there are a few guys I’m excited about. Kyle Pitts (Falcons) being one of them. Ferguson down in Dallas and (Daniel) Bellinger over in New York. I’m excited to see how these guys manifest over the next few years and we’ll see where they can take their game.”
Ferguson played in 16 games for the Cowboys in 2022 and started eight of them. He ended the season with catches 19 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. In front of him, of course, Schultz put up the big numbers (79 catches for 808 yards and eight TDs). Also, behind Ferguson, Dallas' fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is fellow rookie Hendershot, who came to Dallas undrafted but made an impression with his athleticism.
And despite all that ... look at the Cowboys' pre-Draft explorations.
Georgia tight end Darnell Washington is a first-round prospect. He's a 30 Visits guy. Cameron Latu of Alabama, Brayden Willis of Oklahoma and Payne Durham, of Purdue have all had Cowboys sitdowns. At the Combine, Dallas met Dalton Kincaid of Utah and Luke Schoonmaker of Michigan.
Working on the assumption that Dallas also has positive thoughts on first-round candidate Michael Mayer of Notre Dame, plus other guys like Sam LaPorta of Iowa and Luke Musgrave of Oregon State, and ...
Well, is there "The Next Kelce'' in there somewhere?
Projecting Ferguson and/or Hendershot ("Fergushot''?) as a "Kelce Jr.'' might be a bit much; Kelce (who by the way was but a third-round pick) is destined to go down as the most productive tight end in NFL history. And maybe it's folly to do so with anybody in this draft.
But that's obviously not stopping the Dallas Cowboys from trying.
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