
With each week that passes in training camp and preseason, it becomes more apparent that the Dallas Cowboys need help at cornerback and defensive tackle.
The offense, on the other hand, is in excellent shape. The wide receiving corps is excellent, but the Cowboys are quietly stacked at tight end. So much so that they might be able to trade former second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker and still be fine.
We’ll break down the tight end room in a second, but the window to trade Schoonmaker flew wide open after the Texans placed veteran Brevin Jordan on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury.
Cowboys can trade Luke Schoonmaker and still be fine at tight end
Jordan came up limping in practice after he tried to corral a deep ball from C.J. Stroud. He tried to walk off under his own power, but he was unable to put pressure on his leg and was carted off. The 25-year-old was in tears as he was carted away to the locker room.
It’s a brutal turn of events for Jordan, and it leaves the Texans thin at tight end. Both Jordan and journeyman Irv Smith Jr. are unrestricted free agents after the season. That means old friend Dalton Schultz is the only experienced TE under contract beyond 2025.
Schultz is only signed through the 2026, so the Texans will have to address his contract next offseason in one way or another. Trading for Schoonmaker would give Houston some security behind Schultz, who caught just 52 passes for 532 yards and two touchdowns last season.
So, why would the Cowboys trade Schoonmaker? Well, for starters, they just signed starter Jake Ferguson to a four-year extension, putting him under team control for the next five years.
The team is also extremely high on 2024 undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford, who seems primed for a big leap in year two.
An ankle injury has kept Spann-Ford out of practice for the last two weeks, but multiple reporters believed he passed Schoonmaker on the depth chart before the injury. He could reclaim the TE2 job if he’s able to return to practice and play in the final preseason game.
The Cowboys also have John Stephens Jr., who arguably has the highest pass-catching ceiling of the non-Ferguson tight ends. He needs to stay healthy, but the talent is undeniable.
And let’s not forget Princeton Fant, who has appeared in 10 games over the past two seasons and contributes on special teams.
While Dallas might want a three-headed monster in Ferguson, Spann-Ford and Schoonmaker to unleash on opposing defenses, Stephens and Fant are capable of handling the TE3 role.
With Spann-Ford bursting on to the scene, it’s more clear than ever Schoonmaker is never going to reach his ceiling with the Cowboys. Schoonmaker might have more value in Dallas than what he’ll fetch in a potential trade, but it doesn’t hurt to call up the Texans and gauge their interest in light of Jordan’s season-ending injury.