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The Dallas Cowboys have been looking for an athletic complementary tight end, seemingly forever. From the Bill Parcells era to this Golden Age of Schottenheimer, the Cowboys are obsessed with pairing their traditional starting Y tight end with a dynamic seem-stretching F, or “move”, tight end.
Looking back over the years, Dallas has brought in the likes of Martellus Bennett, James Hanna, Rico Gathers, Blake Jarwin, Gavin Escobar, John Stephens Jr., and in some ways even Luke Schoonmaker. These prospects brought either proven downfield skillsets or elite physical traits to the table, theoretically serving as the perfect “yin” to the TE1’s “yang.”
As many know, these F tight ends of the past have either fallen short, been cursed with injury, or found success in other ways. It seems finding, developing and keeping a dynamic playmaking TE2 has proven elusive to the Cowboys. But that hasn’t stopped them from trying.
The Cowboys are great at finding untapped talent after the draft, so when Dallas signed Baylor tight end Michael Trigg after the draft this past April, it made headlines. Not only was Trigg considered by almost everyone as a draftable talent, but he was a playmaker in all the right ways and fit the mold the Cowboys have been searching for since the Bush administration.
Trigg’s ability to make jaw-dropping plays is almost unparalleled in his draft class. The 6-foot-4, 240 pound pass catcher with 34-inch arms and an 84-inch wingspan is a human highlight reel.
Accountability and commitment questions caused him to go undrafted so there are clear hurdles for him to clear before he can crack the rotation. But with a skillset that’s rarely seen and visions of downfield mismatches dancing in Schottenheimer’s head, there will be a road to success should the rookie decide to take it.
The role for Trigg is quite clear: Be a pass-catching threat at multiple levels of the field. Starter Jake Ferguson is tasked with everything as the traditional Y tight end. Brevyn Spann-Ford is the primary blocking tight end who fits well in-line, while Schoonmaker is man who can move around but ultimately still searching for a defined role.
Trigg fits the need at the J, or split, role. More “big slot” than traditional tight end, Trigg is a prospect well accustomed to lining up wide. Based on Dane Brugler’s reports, Trigg lined up detached 72.3 percent of his snaps while at Baylor and led FBS at his position with 32 receptions of 10+ yards. Yeah, inject that right into the Dallas offense, please.
The Cowboys’ tight end room is far from fortified this season. Despite the touchdown totals, Ferguson is coming off another somewhat disappointing year. Spann-Ford looks like a budding star as a blocker but generally one dimensional. And Schoonmaker is hanging on for dear life and almost certain to move on next year. Trigg is more than capable of cracking this three-man lineup if he can couple his known athletic ability with maturity and reliability in training camp.
Like all the exciting tight ends who came before him, Trigg will take time to prove himself. The Cowboys don’t usually rush into things with bubble players like Trigg, so he’ll have to earn a spot through special teams and in behavior if he wants to speed up his timeline.
You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys UDFA fits familiar mold, can he produce where others couldn't?
Continue reading...
Looking back over the years, Dallas has brought in the likes of Martellus Bennett, James Hanna, Rico Gathers, Blake Jarwin, Gavin Escobar, John Stephens Jr., and in some ways even Luke Schoonmaker. These prospects brought either proven downfield skillsets or elite physical traits to the table, theoretically serving as the perfect “yin” to the TE1’s “yang.”
As many know, these F tight ends of the past have either fallen short, been cursed with injury, or found success in other ways. It seems finding, developing and keeping a dynamic playmaking TE2 has proven elusive to the Cowboys. But that hasn’t stopped them from trying.
Michael Trigg: the next great hope
The Cowboys are great at finding untapped talent after the draft, so when Dallas signed Baylor tight end Michael Trigg after the draft this past April, it made headlines. Not only was Trigg considered by almost everyone as a draftable talent, but he was a playmaker in all the right ways and fit the mold the Cowboys have been searching for since the Bush administration.
Trigg’s ability to make jaw-dropping plays is almost unparalleled in his draft class. The 6-foot-4, 240 pound pass catcher with 34-inch arms and an 84-inch wingspan is a human highlight reel.
I’ve seen enough Dak Prescott is going to make Michael Trigg a star pic.twitter.com/WIAQLyoHQZ
— Shane(@MakeItR4yne) April 26, 2026
Accountability and commitment questions caused him to go undrafted so there are clear hurdles for him to clear before he can crack the rotation. But with a skillset that’s rarely seen and visions of downfield mismatches dancing in Schottenheimer’s head, there will be a road to success should the rookie decide to take it.
The role
The role for Trigg is quite clear: Be a pass-catching threat at multiple levels of the field. Starter Jake Ferguson is tasked with everything as the traditional Y tight end. Brevyn Spann-Ford is the primary blocking tight end who fits well in-line, while Schoonmaker is man who can move around but ultimately still searching for a defined role.
Trigg fits the need at the J, or split, role. More “big slot” than traditional tight end, Trigg is a prospect well accustomed to lining up wide. Based on Dane Brugler’s reports, Trigg lined up detached 72.3 percent of his snaps while at Baylor and led FBS at his position with 32 receptions of 10+ yards. Yeah, inject that right into the Dallas offense, please.
The opportunity
The Cowboys’ tight end room is far from fortified this season. Despite the touchdown totals, Ferguson is coming off another somewhat disappointing year. Spann-Ford looks like a budding star as a blocker but generally one dimensional. And Schoonmaker is hanging on for dear life and almost certain to move on next year. Trigg is more than capable of cracking this three-man lineup if he can couple his known athletic ability with maturity and reliability in training camp.
Like all the exciting tight ends who came before him, Trigg will take time to prove himself. The Cowboys don’t usually rush into things with bubble players like Trigg, so he’ll have to earn a spot through special teams and in behavior if he wants to speed up his timeline.
You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys UDFA fits familiar mold, can he produce where others couldn't?
Continue reading...
