There has been an intriguing sub-market for tight ends that’s emerged over the last few years — players who are getting paid more than you might believe to be block-first, catch-later assets.
The Washington Commanders gave John Bates a 3-year, $21 million contract before the 2025 season. He has 17-game averages of 15 receptions, 144 yards and 1 touchdown through his first 5 seasons.
Baltimore Ravens third-string tight end Charlie Kolar just signed a 3-year, $24.3 million free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers. He has 10 receptions for 142 yards and 4 touchdowns through his first 4 seasons.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford might be the next man up.
The Athletic’s Jon Machota singled out the 6-foot-7, 270-pound third-year tight end in a recent breakdown of the Cowboys’ post-free agency depth chart.
“This is considered to be a good tight end draft,” Machota wrote. “However, the Cowboys aren’t expected to go in that direction. It would not be a surprise to see them enter the season with this group. Spann-Ford is the most intriguing. He seems to have just scratched the surface with his potential as a blocker and pass catcher.”
Spann-Ford Could Represent Huge ROI The defense-needy Cowboys not having to spend a 2026 draft pick on a tight end because of the confidence they have in Spann-Ford as Pro Bowler Jake Ferguson’s backup could be noteworthy in several ways.
First, the Cowboys need to use as many picks as they can this year on defense, which means maybe 5 or even 6 of their 8 total picks in the 2026 NFL draft.
Second, Spann-Ford isn’t getting paid very much, in relative terms. He’s only scheduled to make $1.075 million this season.
With the tight end room locked in for 2026 — headlined by Ferguson as the unquestioned TE1 — Spann-Ford is stepping into an expanded and intriguing role as a key backup and rotational piece. Recent analyses highlight how he’s pushing for more snaps, particularly as a superior blocker who ties or even edges out competition in the second half of seasons. This isn’t just depth anymore; it’s a legitimate opportunity for the massive UDFA to level up, contribute in multiple facets, and potentially carve out a bigger share of the offense under the current scheme.
Went Undrafted Despite Elite Measurables It’s kind of hard to believe now that Spann-Ford wasn’t selected in the 2024 NFL draft. Not only did he have 90 receptions for 1,032 yards and 5 touchdowns over his final 3 seasons at the University of Minnesota, he also played in the Senior Bowl and ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.77 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
“I’ll never forget this feeling,” Spann-Ford wrote on his official X account after he went undrafted. “Right back to work.”
From UDFA to Critical Role in Cowboys’ Offense Since Spann-Ford signed with the Cowboys hours after the end of the draft, he hasn’t looked back.
“I have so many clips of Brevyn Spann–Ford snatching souls in the run game,” NFL reporter John Owning wrote on his official X account in April 2024. “Easily my favorite UDFA.”
“NEWS: Former Gophers TE Brevyn Spann–Ford (@brevyn_) has seemingly survived the Cowboys roster cuts, making the official 53-man roster,” BMTN’s Tony Liebert wrote on X in August 2024. Quite the journey for the St. Cloud, Minnesota native after going undrafted in the spring. Dallas will begin the season with 4 TEs on the roster.”
