The Dallas Cowboys have an elite offense, which means they have plenty of depth across the board — including at tight end.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Cowboys might trade tight end and 2023 2nd-round pick Luke Schoonmaker to either the Philadelphia Eagles or Miami Dolphins after the offense appears to have moved on without Schoonmaker.
“Second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker has appeared in 15 more games in Dallas than Smith did, but he hasn’t made much of an offensive impact,” Knox wrote on October 2. “Schoonmaker has caught just 51 passes for 459 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s now firmly cemented behind starting tight end Jake Ferguson. He’s played just 24 percent of the offensive snaps this season. Now in the final year of his rookie deal, Schoonmaker is unlikely to establish himself as a starter in Dallas, and he’s not going to earn a lucrative free-agent contract with modest numbers. He would benefit from joining a team that either lacks a No. 1 receiving tight end or has lost one to injury.”
Schoonmaker Behind More Than Just Ferguson
Schoonmaker isn’t just “firmly cemented” as Ferguson’s backup — he’s the 3rd-string tight end behind Ferguson and former undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford.
The Cowboys showed how they view the tight end hierarchy this offseason when they signed the 6-foot-7, 270-pound Spann-Ford to a 3-year, $18 million contract extension on September 10.
“Cowboys TE Brevyn Spann-Ford’s contract extension is for three years, $18 million with $12.075 million guaranteed,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo wrote on his official X account. “Spann-Ford, an undrafted free agent in 2024, was likely set for a restricted free agent tender this offseason. Now under contract through 2029.”
Spann-Ford joined the Cowboys 1 year after Schoonmaker and hasn’t looked back — he’s played in every regular-season game over the last 3 seasons.
The Athletic’s Jon Machota singled out Spann-Ford for praise in his post-free agency roster breakdown.
“This is considered to be a good tight end draft,” Machota wrote in March. “However, the Cowboys aren’t expected to go in that direction. It would not be a surprise to see them enter the season with this group. Spann-Ford is the most intriguing. He seems to have just scratched the surface with his potential as a blocker and pass catcher.”
TE Luke Schoonmaker Might Need Fresh Start
Schoonmaker, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, is in the final season of the 4-year, $6.2 million rookie contract he signed after he was drafted.
At Michigan, he was a 2-time All-Big Ten pick and ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.63 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“Versatile combination tight end capable of performing a variety of tasks in one-, two- or three-tight end sets,” NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his 2023 pre-draft evaluation. “Schoonmaker steps foot on the field ready for action as a run blocker and does a nice job of competing in the entry and sustain phases of the block. He will need to add more muscle and play strength but already has a feel for creating run-lane angles with his footwork. He has the athletic talent to run a slightly expanded route tree, but he needs to do a better job of competing aggressively for catch space and meeting throws with extended hands. He could see action early but might need a year or so before he works himself into a full-time TE2 role.”
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