Who Should I Start? Jake Ferguson or Sam LaPorta

Friday, June 20, 3:19 PM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson recently divulged to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the knee injury he sustained in Week 1 of 2024 was a season-long issue. However, he isn't using that as an excuse for his subpar campaign. "My knee hurt, for sure," said Ferguson. "The concussion was weird. But I've said this before: if I'm on the field, I should be able to give it my all." After a strong 2023 (71/761/5), the 26-year-old regressed last season -- failing to score a touchdown or top 500 yards in 14 appearances. He's an excellent bounce-back candidate ahead of 2025, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer noting, "the look in his eyes and the way his body looks...the way he's moving has been noticeably different in a good way." Ferguson will have the newly acquired George Pickens to contend with for targets this year, but the Cowboys' lack of appeal in their RB room could signal a third straight season with a top 12 passing rate in the league.

Thursday, June 5, 6:21 PM

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that tight end Sam LaPorta has been a standout during voluntary organized team activities this offseason. Campbell also praised plenty of other Lions players, but LaPorta is a notable one after he took a step back in Year 2 in 2024 with a 60-726-7 line in 16 regular-season starts. As a Pro Bowler in his rookie campaign, the 24-year-old went for 86 receptions on 120 targets for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (14 starts). The former second-rounder (34th overall) in 2023 out of Iowa finished the year better, but there are just a lot of mouths to feed in Detroit's offense. The Lions will be run by new offensive coordinator John Morton in 2025, but LaPorta should still be a go-to red zone target for quarterback Jared Goff as a high-end TE1.