TEs face a loooong learning curve in the pros. Especially as blockers.
Really good receiving TEs can start fast. WRs are the fastest-starting rookies at any position, except maybe RB. So sometimes glorified WRs like say Engram can go out and put skins on the wall as rookies. But the in-line types nearly always suck for 2-4 years before they become good, if they ever do.
I think the best plan of action for Schoon is to make him a glorified wide receiver. Tell him "you run a 4.59, go jump in the slot and run a whip route on the LB". He's pretty darn athletic, so he could be pretty effective at it, and it would provide his fastest route to early production. Have Ferguson hold down the fort in-line.
But if we want him to be an in-line Witten type TE, it's going to go really badly. Schoon going to suck at it for a couple seasons, because young TEs inevitably do. He's going to block Ferguson and prevent him from providing any value on his rookie deal. And by the time Schoon gets good, he'll need a second contract at nearly age 30. It's just really bad business and not at all worth a second round pick.
My #1 plan would have been to just resign Dalton Schultz for about 4 years $30M. There's no bust risk or learning curve like with a rook, and Schultz is a safe bet to stay on top of his game throughout that deal. He's been fairly healthy and TEs' games usually age well. And would have got paid to remain in a system where he's been productive. So IMO, there was a lot of room for a win-win deal. But he asked for 4 years $50M in 2021, which was way out of line with his value. And after the Cowboys used the FT (which players loathe), it sounds like that well was way too poisoned.
