Cowboys urged to upgrade surprise position this offseason

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of work to do this offseason and that could include looking at a position they thought was solved.

Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones and Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Without a playoff berth this year, the Dallas Cowboys are already in offseason mode. Currently, they're still trying to figure things out with Mike McCarthy — which is taking much longer than expected.

Once they get their head coach under contract, whether it's McCarthy or someone else, they have to turn their attention to the roster. There are several areas of concern, including running back, defensive tackle, wide receiver, and the offensive line.

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However, one writer believes there's another spot they need to look at.

David Howman of Blogging The Boys is urging Dallas to consider an upgrade at tight end following a frustrating season for Jake Ferguson. A breakout player in 2023, Ferguson's numbers dipped in 2024.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The third-year tight end finished with 494 yards on 59 receptions. He not only saw his yards per catch drop to 8.4 but failed to get into the end zone for the first time in his career.

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According to Howman, Ferguson's numbers were alarming. He states that "Ferguson was not only the least efficient tight end in the league this year but the least efficient tight end in NFL history" when using the Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement metric.

Jake Ferguson of Dallas had the lowest TE DYAR ever, while Elijah Moore had the third-lowest WR DYAR ever.

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Even more troubling was his sudden "sloppy play."

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"Ferguson also got sloppy in his play, too. Coming into the year, he had never fumbled the ball; he did so four times on the season, losing two of them," Howman wrote. "He also managed to lead all skill players in penalties with nine despite missing three games.

"The Cowboys were banking on him having another strong year, but Ferguson turned sharply in the wrong direction."

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson runs after a catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers Minkah Fitzpatrick. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Howman correctly points to injuries and subpar quarterback play that may have contributed to Ferguson's performance. What the front office has to do now is decide whether or not he can return to form if those two factors improve.

If not, they might need to find someone to push him for his spot.

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