The Dallas Cowboys needed to upgrade their passing offense this offseason and they did that by trading for wide receiver George Pickens. However, WR wasn’t the only place the passing attack could use a boost and there could be an overlooked option who might be ready to make an impact at tight end.
There has been an assumption that Jake Ferguson is the starting TE and is in line for a bounce back year, but he might have company at the top of the depth chart with second-year TE Brevyn Spann-Ford. The 2024 undrafted free agent has been turning some heads this offseason and is vying for a bigger role in the Cowboys‘ offense. There was some buzz around Spann-Ford in OTAs, and that carried over to the first minicamp practices.
Cowboys’ beat writer Nick Harris praises Spann-Ford and mentions him running with the ones.
It was no shock that Spann-Ford made the team after getting the largest guaranteed contract for any undrafted rookie last year. What was somewhat surprising was Spann-Ford being active for all 17 games in 2024, during which he posted a modest stat line, catching only nine passes for 88 yards.
However, it was the 25-year-old’s blocking and physical presence in the running game that helped earn his way onto the Cowboys’ roster. While Spann-Ford can still bring it as a blocker, it appears as though his receiving skills have made a significant jump in his second season.
Spann-Ford doesn’t have to be the starter to carve out a bigger role in the offense, and he doesn’t have a steep hill to climb on the depth chart either. While Ferguson is likely to be TE1, that doesn’t look like it’s a guarantee and there’s little in Spann-Ford’s way to getting on the field in two TE sets. Currently only Luke Schoonmaker’s ahead of him in the pecking order and that could be changing already. The third-year TE hasn’t done much in his first two seasons to separate himself, leaving Spann-Ford primed to leapfrog him.
The other TEs Spann-Ford will be competing with are third-year players John Stephens and Princeton Fant, both of whom are undrafted free agents as well. Stephens is coming off back-to-back torn ACLs, and Fant hasn’t caught a pass in either of his two years with the Cowboys, so Spann-Ford looks like he’s got a smooth path to more playing time.
There’s also a new offense and offensive coordinator in Dallas, which could change how the TEs are dispersed. Spann-Ford’s skills could make him even more attractive to have on the field for Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams.
It might be difficult to knock Ferguson off his perch as the top TE, but Spann-Ford is stating his case to be more involved in the offense. The real tests will come in training camp and the preseason, but the undrafted free agent looks like he’s well worth the investment the Cowboys made in him. There could be a big jump coming from Brevyn Spann-Ford in his second season.
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