Cowboys UDFA rookie making case to be featured in long-term plans

The Dallas Cowboys are masters in finding steals through nontraditional avenues. From Brandin Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin who were found in other professional leagues, to Dak Prescott and DaRon Bland who were found in the latter portions of the draft, to Tony Romo and Miles Austin who were signed as undrafted free agents, the Cowboys have a knack for finding treasure in the rarest of places.

When Dallas signed undrafted tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford following the draft last spring, they were hoping they found their next big treasure. Standing almost 6-foot-7, 270-pounds, “big” might be an understatement.

The rookie from Minnesota was in demand following the draft. Players his size don’t come around very often and to many scouts, Spann-Ford had a draftable grade. What transpired was a bidding war, with team pit against team in an auction the Cowboys are all too familiar with. As fate would have it, Dallas won, outbidding the competition by guaranteeing $225,000 and throwing in a signing bonus of another $20,000 for good measure.

The sizable deal came with sizable expectations. In order to justify the costs, Spann-Ford would need to make the roster out of training camp, and he’d have to contribute in some way on game day. On a unit led by Pro Bowler Jake Ferguson and backed up former second rounder Luke Schoonmaker, getting snaps wasn’t going to be easy for the 24-year-old rookie.

12 games into his professional career Spann-Ford has found a way to be that contributor the Cowboys needed him to be. Not only has he logged 76 snaps on special teams, but he’s helped pick up the slack left by Ferguson’s injury absence on offense too. At 230 snaps and counting, Spann-Ford isn’t just craving out an offensive role in 2024 but he’s making the case for a bigger role in the future.

A blocking specialist by nature, Spann-Ford is already the Cowboys’ top-rated blocker at the TE position. Blessed with the size of a left tackle, Spann-Ford has the potential to develop into an elite blocker one day, possibly giving the Cowboys a mismatch player to design plays around.

Ferguson, reportedly close to coming back, will likely seize back his role as true TE1 the moment he’s cleared to play. And Schoonmaker, a player who has stepped up in Ferguson’s absence, will likely continue to be a player the Cowboys seek to develop. At face value this isn’t good news for Spann-Ford stockholders, but a deeper look shows Spann-Ford’s value and role remain intact.

As a blocker, Spann-Ford’s numbers and screen time are never going to jump out at people. But for the offensive line nuts who love nothing more than watching a well-executed run scheme play out, Spann-Ford is must-see-TV. Not perfect, but starting to flash dominant characteristics, the Cowboys newest UDFA is a player on the rise who still fits plenty of TE2 roles and responsibilities. There will likely be a rotation at the TE position the rest of the way this season and the two backups will both demand opportunities.

The Cowboys rarely use three TEs at the same time (1.3 percent) but that doesn’t mean three TEs won’t play each week. Spann-Ford is an exciting player who may be carving out a major role for the near future.