RAS Cowboys TEs

[xwalker]

RAS (Relative Athletic Score): A method to compare players of different sizes.
- i.e. A 4.4 forty for a 170-pound player is much different than a 4.4 for a 260-pound player.

9.66 Luke Schoonmaker (16th best of 1105 TEs since 1987).
8.40 Peyton Hendershot
7.11 Dalton Schultz
6.74 Jake Ferguson

 

[xwalker]

False Narrative: Schoonmaker is only a "blocking TE".

 

[xwalker]

9.62 Jason Witten

Previous Blocking TEs
6.23 Blake Bell (Cowboys 2020)
6.17 Scott Chandler (Cowboys 2010)

 

[Kolemmitt]

But they are just the same.......
Right? Right?

Both Mazi and Schoon and phenomenal athletes, that love football. They are going to be very good.

 

[Jipper]

hes a freak, hes a super freak, super freaky yawww

 

[thunderpimp91]

I doubt any of the 3 TEs on the Cowboys roster gets mistaken for Travis Kelce at any point in their career, but how many teams have 3 athletes this good at the position that can both block and catch?

I get it wasn't a sexy 2nd round pick, it wasn't even the pick I would have made had I been in charge, but I sure do appreciate the opportunity the Cowboys have created on offense. They have a chance to get creative on that side of the ball, all while running heavier sets to accommodate the run game and play to the strengths of their Quarterback. September can't get here soon enough.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Schoonmaker doesn't play like a RAS guy. He's also 1000 years old, so he's pretty much fully developed athletically.

That said, he can go make all of the same plays in the passing game that Schultz did.

 

[Jumbo075]

I think that the Cowboys planned to pick Schoonmaker in the 2nd round, because they wanted someone who can block AND also be a good pass catcher. I don't think it was a panic move by the Cowboys.

Now, you and I may not agree with the strategy, but it doesn't mean the Cowboys didn't have a plan. Teams draft to their scheme, and Schoonmaker fits what the Cowboys want in a TE. This notion that the Cowboys panicked because of a run on TE's doesn't fit the mold of recent drafts.

Of course that doesn't mean they are correct. The Cowboys have blown a 2nd round pick (Joseph) and 3rd round pick (Tolbert) in recent years based on early returns. Also, there are only 7 bona-fide stars from the 1st round of 2020, so this is an issue league wide, not just for the Cowboys. The reality is that some picks turn out to be poor choices. It happens every year, to every team. So, you and I have no way of knowing if Schoonmaker will become a key player for the Cowboys. But I think I am pretty safe in saying the Cowboys have a plan they are implementing. If drafting players that fit your scheme is "drafting for need," then oh well.

I don't really care, if it results in the Cowboys finally winning playoff games beyond the divisional round, and returning to the Super Bowl.

 

[Vinnie2u]

I’ll take a RAC TE please…

 

[gimmesix]

The difference athletically between Hendershot and Ferguson was noticeable to me last year. Ferguson looked more like a plodder, a pretty good blocker who understood his position enough to use that knowledge to get open but not the type of player who is going to typically win athletically. Hendershot looks smooth and quick, not as good as a blocker but more fluid as a receiver. Hopefully, Schoonmaker gives us a combination of the two. He has a lot to prove as a receiver, but the athletic ability is there.

 

[CATCH17]

I’ll take a RAC TE please…

Not the pick I would’ve made but I’ve guys look slow in college like this and for whatever reason when they get on the field in the NFL they look way quicker.

Schoonmaker is going to be solid at worst.

 

[kumizi]

That confirms my eye test that Ferguson isn't expected to be much of a threat downfield and why the Cowboys were so desperate for a TE.

 

[CATCH17]

The difference athletically between Hendershot and Ferguson was noticeable to me last year. Ferguson looked more like a plodder, a pretty good blocker who understood his position enough to use that knowledge to get open but not the type of player who is going to typically win athletically. Hendershot looks smooth and quick, not as good as a blocker but more fluid as a receiver. Hopefully, Schoonmaker gives us a combination of the two. He has a lot to prove as a receiver, but the athletic ability is there.

Very true..

But..

Ferguson made some nice RAC plays.

 

[Smith22]

Schoonmaker doesn't play like a RAS guy. He's also 1000 years old, so he's pretty much fully developed athletically.

Same age as Ferguson.

 

[CATCH17]

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Same age as Ferguson.

He's a few months older.

But that entire extra year to develop physically in college is going to influence your RAS. Every athlete gets bigger, stronger, faster when they're in their early 20s. At 25, there's still some room for that, but you've mostly maxed out your athleticism.

 

[Denim Chicken]

That confirms my eye test that Ferguson isn't expected to be much of a threat downfield and why the Cowboys were so desperate for a TE.

They'll be on the field together plenty

 

[gimmesix]

Very true..

But..

Ferguson made some nice RAC plays.

He did. He knows how to use what he's got. You could just see the difference in them. Ferguson played more like a tight end who's going to leak out for a pass in the flat or run 10 yards and settle into an opening. Hendershot could attack the seams and get downfield because he could break away from linebacker/safety coverage.

That doesn't mean Hendershot was the better player, just different athletically. Some tight ends like Ferguson have football smarts to use what they've got to greatest effect. I really like both players and didn't think we needed to draft a tight end early. But considering the quality of this class and how they were flying off the board, I don't really mind the stab to get better at the spot. Schoonmaker may essentially prove to be a combo of the two.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Schoonmaker doesn't play like a RAS guy. He's also 1000 years old, so he's pretty much fully developed athletically.

That said, he can go make all of the same plays in the passing game that Schultz did.

I would disagree that he doesn't play like a high RAS guy. I think he does, but that typically looks differently for a 250 pound TE than what we typically expect a high RAS guy to look like. I look at his film when he is in open space and his speed and quickness is deceptive. HIs crossing routes are phenomenal as his athleticism lets him find the holes in zone defenses with ease. He looks like a great late release guy as he can help block for a second and release with no defender within 5 yards as he can get off the LOS in a flash. It's a lot of the little things and the short/quick movements that are so smooth that he does so well that are making me like this pick more than I did when it was first announced.

I would agree and this has been mentioned numerous times around here that he is slow with the football in his hands. It almost looks like you handed him a 10 pound medicine ball instead of a football as he runs sometimes.

Mayer was the guy that kept getting comps to Witten, but Schoonmaker going to the nfl seems to be a slightly smaller version of Witten (early years) with a little more speed to his game. I can see Schoon as one heck of an option route player that's constantly around the first down marker which is what gave Witten a career that lasted 3 years too long. Schoon is big enough to be a factor as a blocker but also a guy that teams may struggle to decide how to play him in coverage. Limited sample here, but what i've seen from his tape Schoon seems to destroy zone coverage.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

I would agree and this has been mentioned numerous times around here that he is slow with the football in his hands. It almost looks like you handed him a 10 pound medicine ball instead of a football as he runs sometimes.

Hence, not a RAS guy lol

He's a fine enough athlete, but the margins are so small that you won't notice the difference on gameday between him and Ferguson or whichever 20 other TEs have the same profile.