The Dallas Cowboys are simply incapable of having an August where training camp was the only thing that mattered.
While the front office hopefully works to end the Micah Parsons embarrassment, we are starting to get some clarity about who is pushing hard for a roster spot. Similarly, it's becoming clear which players face long odds to make the team ahead of the Cowboys' first preseason game on Saturday.
Former fifth-round pick Matt Waletzko got the axe this weekend. There are only so many players Dallas will move on from before the final cutdown, but it feels like the writing is on the wall with tight end John Stephens Jr., who was once highly regarded in the Cowboys' pipeline.
Cowboys TE John Stephens Jr. is having a rough training camp
This is a really hard pill to swallow.
A third-year undrafted free agent, Stephens has committed up to four drops in training camp. While he has caught some touchdowns from Joe Milton with the second-team offense, the tight end room has been highly competitive since camp started.
Jake Ferguson has looked like the 2023 version of himself. Brevyn Spann-Ford was trending toward winning the TE2 job before he suffered an ankle injury. He'll be back in a few weeks. And finally, Luke Schoonmaker has put together a sneaky strong camp.
Unlike recent camps, there is little margin for error this year. The Stephens of old needs to show up soon.
Stephens showed immense potential as an undrafted rookie out of Louisiana in 2023. He was on track to make the roster - team EVP Stephen Jones admitted as much - but he suffered a torn ACL in the preseason. He missed the entire year, but was cleared to return for 2024 training camp.
Incredibly, Stephens oozed that same potential a year removed from surgery and made the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, the feel-good story turned devastating when Stephens suffered another torn ACL during a practice in October. He had yet to appear in a game, but he was on the team.
If there is one thing going for Stephens, it's that the Cowboys kept four tight ends last year. They obviously have a different head coach, but it's important to be deep at TE. The issue there is that Brian Schottenheimer has spoken highly of Princeton Fant in camp.
Fant is more versatile and has been the better player. Stephens may have to set the preseason on fire to reclaim the lead.