Cowboys considered potential landing……
The Dallas Cowboys may be a viable option for a former NFL star tight end, according to an analyst. Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports and Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports have suggested that the Cowboys should be seen as one of the five teams that could be attractive to free agent tight end, Zach Ertz. DeArdo and Benjamin have listed Dallas as the third best option for Ertz, after the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens.
While Ertz would likely prefer a return to his hometown Eagles, Dallas could provide him with an easier path to pass-catches. It would be strange to see Ertz wearing the star again, but if the Cowboys are looking to make a serious run for the playoffs, they could consider it as an opportunity to give quarterback Dak Prescott even more support.
Zach Ertz is still a productive tight end at age 33, but he’s not as dominant as he used to be. Ertz had a great 2018 season, catching 27 passes for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games before suffering a quadriceps injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He had 74 catches for 763 yards and five scores in 2021.
The Cowboys could benefit from signing Zach Ertz.
The Cowboys have Jake Ferguson as their starting tight end right now. He started the season slow, catching just 19 of 31 targets for under 63% catch rates in his first five games.
Ferguson has 51 receptions for 570 yards and 5 touchdowns. He ranks 10th among tight ends in receptions and 8th in receiving yards, and his 5 receiving touchdowns are second most among players at the position.
In comparison, Ertz had 40.6 yards receiving per game (FG) and 68.1 percent catch rate (FG) in the 2022 season, which is very similar to the 44.9 yards receiving per game he posted in the 2021 season, when he caught 66.1 percent of his passes.
The Cowboys don’t need a starter at tight end, but they could use another pass catcher at the position. The other two tight ends, Luke Schoonmaker (rookie) and Hendershot (rookie), have combined for just eight catches for 64 yards this season.
When you consider that Dallas plays with two tight ends (Schoonmaker has played in 32% of offensive snaps this season), adding another pass catcher to the mix makes perfect sense.
The problem is that the Cowboys haven’t shown any interest in signing Ertz. Ertz’s former team, the Eagles, has been mentioned as a potential landing spot, as have the Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills and 49ers have also been mentioned as landing spots for Ertz, who is 33 years old.
But the idea that the Cowboys would be interested in signing Ertz is pure fantasy rather than fact.
In addition, the thought of Ertz going back to where he started his career (the Eagles) or joining the Ravens as a potential starter (the Ravens) is likely more appealing than signing with the Cowboys as an obvious backup to Ferguson.
Ertz choosing to sign with the Cowboys rather than the Eagles would be a nice revenge move for Leonard, who chose Philadelphia over Dallas. But it’s unlikely.
