Dalton Schultz Out; Ferguson & Hendershot Enough - Or Cowboys Draft TE?
The Dallas Cowboys tight end room is entering a new era. After Dalton Schultz finally secured a one-year, $9 million deal to sign with the Houston Texans, it signals a changing of the guard.
And changing to whom? Soon-to-be second-year tight ends Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot now get a run at being the starters on offense.
While there have been rumors that the Cowboys could look to take a tight end in the draft, for now, it is the Ferguson and Hendershot show in Dallas.
Both showed their talents last season, albeit fleetingly, but such was the impression they must have made; the Cowboys were perfectly fine in letting Dak Prescott's security blanket Schultz walk out the door without, as CowboysSI.com has reported, any recent big-money offer.
Exactly who will be the starter will be determined in training camp, but both 2022 rookies showed enough to suggest that Dallas could employ a dangerous tandem.
Both possess all the physical attributes to be successful and are as athletic as they come. Combining for 38 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns last season, they don't have numbers that jump off the page. Still, "the eye test'' shows what could happen in their sophomore seasons.
Hendershot's speedy route running and contested catching are a feature, while Ferguson's run-after-the-catch ability show both could be serious weapons in coach Mike McCarthy's new West Coast Offense that will utilize the duo's strengths with quick, sharp passes.
What perhaps gets lost is catch rates last season. Ferguson caught 86.4% of his passes (he led the team), while Hendershot caught 68.8%. That'll work.
With Schultz no longer in Frisco, the young tight ends have a chance to stake their claim as QB Dak Prescott weapons. Both have shown glimpses of their talent and now have a chance to put their best foot forward.
A new tight end era begins in Dallas, and that is exciting not because it's cap-friendly - but maybe because it's Dak-friendly.
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