With only Jake Ferguson left to sign his rookie deal, what does the salary cap situation look like, and are they trying to roll any extra cap space over to next season? – DARRYL CROSS / LARGO, FL
Nick: That's just a question I rarely try to answer because I've been told so many times, it stays fluid. They don't have enough to sign whoever they want but enough to sign anyone they need. I do think they're looking to roll some extra cash over to next year. Don't forget that Dak will eventually have to count over $40 million per season since that's the average of his contract. So the more they can save the better. I do believe they can go out and sign any player that is still out there to a deal if that's what they wanted to do.
David: It looks like they're sitting somewhere around $10 million in cap space right now. My guess is yes, they'll try to roll some of that over to next season. But, as they like to say, don't rule out the possibility of another move or two if the price makes sense. We've seen them add guys between June and the start of training camp before. Malik Hooker, just last year, comes to mind.
Jake Ferguson is definitely athletic and appears to have really good hands and actually seems to crave physicality. Could you see him getting serious playing time this season? – COLLIN CLARK / PLANO, TX
Nick: I do see him getting "serious" playing time. He does seem like he can fit into that No. 2 role. And with this offense, he would play a lot, maybe even start a few games based off the packages. But to do that, he's going to have to be a physical blocker. He can't be a "get in the way" blocker because they really already have that. What they need is someone who can stay in the trenches and block at the line of scrimmage. If he can be that guy, and occasionally go out and make plays in the passing game, then yes he'll play a lot.
David: That should be the goal, for sure. A guy you draft in the fourth round should be good enough to have a role as a rookie, even if he's not a starter or an every down contributor. What will make it interesting is the position he plays. It's tough to transition to the NFL at tight end – just look at Dalton Schultz, who played 27% of the snaps and caught 12 balls as a rookie. The Cowboys' tight end depth chart is thin, but Ferguson will be going against a couple experienced vets in Jeremy Sprinkle and Sean McKeon. I think the hope is that Ferguson will win the backup job behind Schultz, but I also don't think it's a guarantee – at least not right away.
