Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker has been activated from the non-football injury (NFI) list after dealing with plantar fasciitis since OTAs and minicamp. During a news conference, head coach Mike McCarthy said he would have the “workload capacity of a ramp-up” and work on individual drills.
Luke Schoonmaker’s Potential Impact on the Cowboys’ Offense
Schoonmaker was seen participating in camp and catching passes from Dak Prescott.
McCarthy credited Schoonmaker for the work he has done off the field and inside the classroom, saying now it’s just a matter of applying all of it on the field. When asked if Schoonmaker would play on Saturday in the Cowboys’ first preseason game against the Jaguars, he said, “I’m excited to see him practice today.”
Schoonmaker has been getting mental reps on the sideline during the time he was unable to practice, showing his determination to be mentally focused — an aspect of the game that is just as important as anything else.
In an exclusive interview that Schoonmaker did with PFN during the first week of training camp, he said he liked the speed the training staff was taking with him.
Schoonmaker and the Rest of the Cowboys’ TE Room
The second-round draft pick came into the Cowboys’ tight end room already having experience in a pro-style offense at the University of Michigan.
Schoonmaker brings an element of blocking that the team has yet to patch up since releasing running back Ezekiel Elliott this past March. With Schoonmaker being 6’5″ and 249 pounds, he can bring a big body to the pass-pro element of the game, which is an emphasis McCarthy wanted to focus on ahead of the regular season.
If Schoonmaker can focus on his route running during the time he has in camp, the former Wolverine could be great in short-yardage situations for Prescott.
With that said, Schoonmaker isn’t the only versatile threat within the Cowboys’ tight end room. With him joining Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot, and Sean McKeon, this room is stacked with young talent and potential.
Some could argue that the lack of veteran talent could be a drop-off for this group. But with the second-year jumps that Ferguson and Hendershot should make mixed in with McKeon showing his best self at camp, this group has all of the makings being a solid room.