Cowboys tight end looks to build on first Pro Bowl invitation
FRISCO — One year ago, Jake Ferguson He was practically unknown.
A rookie tight end for the Dallas Cowboys In 2022, he caught 19 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. They were so insecure Cowboys about who it could be, who selected Luke Schoonmaker in the second round.
Jake Ferguson is coming off his first Pro Bowl season, but he knows he can’t stay there. Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Now, while Ferguson enters his third season, he is without a doubt the main tight end for the Cowboys. In 2023, he caught 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns, and earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl.
“For me, I think I haven’t even scratched the surface,” he said. Ferguson. “There’s so many things I want to get better at and I know I can get better at. We study tape every day of different games, even practice we’re doing now, and I’m like, ‘Okay, I can still do better.’ “.
The tight ends coach Lunda Wells He tells his players to aim for perfection to achieve excellence. Ferguson has participated in the “Tight End University” program headed by Greg Olsen, George Kittle y Travis Kelce. Wells mentioned 1,000 receiving yards and improving his blocking as goals for Ferguson.
“The greats play consistently at a high level throughout their careers,” he said. Wells. “Los [Jason] Wittens of the world. The Kelces in the world, then you want to be able to get that consistency and play great every year. I think that might be one of the things that focuses on, ‘Hey, anyone can do it one year, but can I do it every year?'”
The jump of Ferguson is reminiscent of what Witten He made his rookie year from 2003 to 2004. As Ferguson, his receptions increased by 52 from 35 as a rookie to 87 in his second year. As Fergusonwas appointed to Pro Bowl after finishing with 980 yards and six touchdowns.
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At the beginning of the third season of Wittenthe head coach approached him Bill Parcellstight ends coach Tony Sparanoand aerial game coordinator Sean Payton.
“They looked at me and said, ‘Great year. But now, can you do it again?'” he recalled Witten. “I think that would be the challenge [para Ferguson]to invest the work”.
Ferguson has been on The Star almost daily this off-campaign. He attempts to add some muscle to his 252-pound frame to help him in the running game. When Dak Prescott runs pass sessions outside the complex, it’s there.
After his first invitation to Pro Bowl, Witten he would earn a spot in nine of his next 10 seasons. In his 16 years with the Cowboys, became the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions and yards. Yeah Ferguson needed another reminder of what he’s after, a giant mural of Witten Without a helmet, running with the ball, he hangs from a wall just outside the locker room.
“I think he can do everything,” he commented. Witten about Ferguson. “He’s a willing blocker. He can double. … He looks smart. He has great chemistry with Dak. Good charisma. He can run. Understand the separation. So, I think seeing him now doing it, that’s where the growth starts.”
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In his 13 years with the Green Bay Packersel head coach Mike McCarthy never had a tight end catch more than 61 passes (Jermichael Finley2012) nor accumulate more than 767 yards (Finley, 2011). In the four seasons of McCarthy in front of the Cowboystheir best tight end caught at least 57 balls each year (Dalton Schultz added 63, 78 and 57 from 2020 to 2022; Ferguson 71 in 2023).
Some of it is the structure of each offense. The Packers They relied more on their wide receivers to produce in the passing game with the quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Prescott He has loaded himself a lot on tight ends, like Witten, Schultz y Fergusonsince he became the starter in 2016.
“Jake has much more to give,” he declared. McCarthy.
Prescott do you agree.
“Obviously, you see the jump he made from year one to year two,” he said. Prescott“and he’s improved in his intensity and preparation just this offseason, the way he’s treated his body, the way he’s been communicating with me throughout the offseason, whether it’s throwing and catching, it’s an explosive player for this team, this offense.”
With uncertainty in the role of third wide receiver behind CeeDee Lamb y Brandin Cooksafter the decline of Michael Galluplos Cowboys could turn to Ferguson more in 2024 until the 2022 third-round pick, Jalen Tolbert, or whoever, consolidates himself in that position. Based on what he did last season, Ferguson could see more attention from opposing defenses.
“Look at the path of CeeDee“he highlighted McCarthy. “There weren’t too many games where the coverage wasn’t tilted toward him, or situations where he didn’t face double coverage. They can only call double coverage against two players; you just have to do the arithmetic. It’s definitely something we see and certainly something we we prepare”.
Ferguson credits part of its success in 2023 to a change in the seriousness of its strategy. Each day, during the special teams portion, Wells He threw tennis balls at her to help her focus, tracking each one until it reached her hands. In the run game, the focus in the video study was on her footwork.
That seriousness hasn’t changed this offseason.
“In this league, you can’t be complacent,” he confessed. Ferguson. “You’ve got to keep moving forward. You’ve got to keep getting better, and that’s what I intend to do.”
2024-05-17 03:29:54
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