Getty Chicago Bears TE Robert Tonyan is being linked to the Dallas Cowboys.
It is unclear if the Dallas Cowboys will end up making a move before the NFL trade deadline, but they have a key option in a Chicago Bears tight end. In the latest of recent links, Bears TE Robert Tonyan was listed as a possible pickup by the Cowboys before the end of October.
Dallas’ tight end group is led by Jake Ferguson, but the rest of the group has been an afterthought. Improving that group could be beneficial for Dallas’ running and passing game. In an October 23 article, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox suggested Tonyan as a name to watch.
“Red-zone efficiency remains a massive issue,” Knox begins. “The Cowboys have converted just 39.1 percent of their red-zone trips into touchdowns… Offensively, the Cowboys could target a power back like [Derrick Henry] or perhaps a complementary tight end like Tonyan… President, franchise owner and general manager Jerry Jones should be eager to add at the deadline.”
Tonyan is an enticing idea for head coach Mike McCarthy’s offense due to his versatility. While he doesn’t boast the same athletic profile as Ferguson, he is well versed as a blocker. He also has a reliable pair of hands, and could be the answer to the Cowboys’ redzone troubles as another big target in the end zone.
Tonyan Has History with Mike McCarthy
Robert Tonyan entered the NFL in 2017 as a undrafted free agent. He initially signed with the Detroit Lions, but was cut before the season began. After sitting in limbo, the Green Bay Packers and McCarthy picked Tonyan up for the last four games of the season.
The current Cowboys coach was impressed by Tonyan’s contributions the following season, but he wasn’t initially a pass-catching weapon. That changed when he took a 54-yard reception to the endzone, but his role was still limited.
As PFR shows, Tonyan’s role actually expanded significantly after McCarthy departed Green Bay and eventually joined the Cowboys. In 2020, Tonyan brought down 52 catches for 586 receiving yards and 11 scores as the Packers utilized him as a secondary weapon.
The touchdown total was an anomaly, as Tonyan has scored just twice in each of the past two seasons. However, he did still catch 53 passes for 470 yards in 2022 after a slightly down year in 2021.
But Green Bay figured it was time to move on in 2023, leading to the Bears adding the free agent. Through seven appearances, Tonyan has 5 catches for 39 yards.
Cowboys Sign TE to Practice Squad
While Robert Tonyan is being named a trade candidate for Dallas, the Cowboys’ front office already added a potential option at tight end in Eric Saubert. Saubert was signed to the practice squad on October 24, as Heavy’s Jonathan Adams recently wrote up.
Saubert has hopped around NFL teams since entering the league in 2017 as a fifth-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons. He also played for the Bears, as Tonyan currently does. He does not quite match his resume, though.
His best season actually came in 2022 with the Denver Broncos. Saubert caught 15 passes for 148 receiving yards and a touchdown. All of those stats were either career highs for Saubert, or matched his career-best.