The Cowboys' tight end room might have put more pressure on Schoonmaker after the performance in Seattle.
The Dallas Cowboys' 17-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks in their preseason opener saw the tight end room be a big focus.
Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann-Ford didn't play, meaning Luke Schoonmaker, UDFA's Michael Trigg, and DJ Rogers, along with Zach Kuntz, suited up at Lumen Field.
With Schoonmaker playing just eight snaps, and Trigg 32 and Rogers 33, it was clear that the Cowboys wanted to see more of the UDFA's than Schoonmaker.
With a year left on his deal, Schoonmaker isn't likely to be sticking around beyond 2026, and with Trigg impressing as a pass catcher (4 rec, 30 yards) against the Seahawks, his arrow is trending up.
Granted, leaving a little to be desired as a blocker, but the potential is there, something that even after three years with Schoonmaker, we can't say.
"It was exciting," Trigg said on his game against Seattle. "I can say my coach and the vets in the room had me ready, prepared, so I was ready to go [as] soon as we got on the field."
Trigg wasn't spectacular, but he was serviceable, catching four of his five targets, because, as we know, he is more of a pass-catching tight end than a blocking tight end.
But he has to improve that area of his game, and that starts in camp.
Still not likely to have done enough to usurp Schoonmaker on the depth chart, if Trigg continues to produce as he did in Seattle, he could make some noise in the next couple of weeks.
However, to do that, it starts on the practice field, where Trigg thinks he's done okay this offseason.
"It's been pretty good," Trigg added. "Honestly, I just go into every day with an open mind, ready to learn from my coaches, my vets, even DJ [Rogers] sometimes with a open mind, 100 percent effort on everything I do."
We know of Trigg's athletic ability, which was on show against the Seahawks, and you can argue that it was a good building block for the UDFA.
Now he's got to stack good days in Oxnard, with the joint practice against the New Orleans Saints, and then the two remaining preseason games, plus improve as a blocker in the run game.
But the fact that we have seen more potential from Trigg in one offseason than we have in Schoonmaker, who is entering Year 4, to me, speaks volumes.
While Schoonmaker is likely making the team, heading into the offseason next year, Trigg could be ready to take his spot.
He's just not there...yet.
