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Sprinkle looks to use his size in the passing game and as a blocker

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How it got here: Sprinkle was a former fifth-round pick out of Arkansas. He joined the Cowboys after four seasons as a tight end (primarily a blocker) for divisional foe Washington. It was no surprise that Dallas was in the market for a player like Sprinkle after the departure of Blake Bell this offseason. Outside of a 2019 season in which he recorded 26 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown, Sprinkle has been an afterthought in the passing game. Instead, his value to the Cowboys comes in pass blocking situations – where he has been steadily improving his grades since entering the league.

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In 2020, he managed to catch the ball only once in three attempts during the 16-game span, six of which he started. Interestingly, according to Pro Football Focus, Sprinkle’s two highest single-game pass blocking ratings were against the Cowboys. He scored a 77.8 in week 7 (his highest rating) and a 76.1 in the Thanksgiving game.

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What follows: Sprinkle is now directly in line to compete within a fairly packed tight end group with Sean McKeon, who is returning for another season, and fellow newcomers Nick Eubanks and Artayvious Lynn – all looking to fill a blocker role while having a minor impact on passing game behind Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz. Within that same role last season, Bell, who is now with the Kansas City Chiefs, had 11 receptions for 110 yards while spending most of his time in the trenches, rather than running routes. One advantage Sprinkle has over his competition is that he has had a significant production season as a receiver, as well as the experience of starting 33 of 59 career games at Washington.

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You did not know: As mentioned above, Sprinkle had his best performance of the season as a blocker against the Cowboys. But some of his best performances in the passing game have also been against Dallas. One of his two three-catch games as a pro was at AT&T Stadium in Week 17 of the 2019 season, and his only catch in the 2020 regular season was against the Cowboys defense in Week 7.

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Player Quote: “I think what I do best is use my size in the passing game, obviously blocking in the running game, adding value on special teams. I’m really doing my best to do the hard work, the things that nobody really sees, and trying to do everything possible to be the best player for the team. ” – Jeremy Sprinkle

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