'I Love It!' ‘Horseman’ Jake Ferguson Praises Cowboys TE Room

In only Year 2, Jake Ferguson is the most experienced tight end stationed on the Dallas Cowboys roster.

For years on end, the only certainty of Dallas Cowboys training camp was the earner of primary snaps at tight end. 

With Jason Witten long gone, and Dalton Schultz in Houston, the lead role has since turned over to Jake Ferguson. As it stands, Ferguson is atop the Cowboys' depth chart after one of the more intriguing positional battles of training camp ended prematurely (though maybe temporarily) with rookie Luke Schoonmaker's placement on the injury list.

Last season's fourth-round pick is embracing his newfound status as the de facto elder statesman even in the unusual standing as a sophomore.

"I think I know what's going on and I know what to expect a little bit more, and I know what to expect out of myself, but also that ceiling that I think I need to reach as a player and also for this team," Ferguson said of his second Oxnard excursion. "I mean, I love it. Like kind of came out last year. I was like, 'Oh, I don't really know.' And now this year, I'm like, 'Go put your head down and let's get after it.'"

Beyond Schoonmaker, Ferguson is joined by fellow second-year guy Peyton Hendershot, and then Sean McKeon. Those are the self-named “Four Horsemen,’’ with fringe roster options like John Stephens, Princeton Fant and Seth Green also in preparation for the Cowboys' preseason opener on Aug. 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ferguson and Hendershot were the primary spell options behind Schultz. The former earned 174 yards on 19 receptions, two of which went for scores. Ferguson, Hendershot and Co. went a bit viral for their celebrations in their year of collaboration, notably introducing a game of "Whack-A-Mole" in the Salvation Army kettle after a touchdown for the latter during the Thanksgiving win over the New York Giants. The Wisconsin alum was the eponymous mole in the victory.

The Cowboys' tight end room is more or less a homecoming for Big Ten tight ends; before Ferguson spent time in Madison, Hendershot and McKeon worked together at Michigan. Ferguson believes a year packed with big plays, learning experiences, and offensive progress awaits. Even though he's the tenured veteran, he's looking forward to seeing what the prospects can teach him.

""Anybody can play," Ferguson lauded of the current group. "I think a lot of guys in this room are going to make plays and are making plays right now."

And leadership? This is Dak Prescott’s team, but … Can a second-year guy offer that? 

“I think we got a lot of great guys that have leadership qualities," said Ferguson. "I think, in different scenarios, I might be a leader. In some scenarios, I might be following, but that's OK. I think we have a great dynamic in our room right now."

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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