FRISCO - It was the 2021 NFL Draft, and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones simply couldn't contain himself.
In a pre-draft visit with Florida tight end prospect Kyle Pitts, Jones just came right out and said it.
“Man, what a pair up we could be with ol' Dak Prescott ... o get you the ball,'' Jones exclaimed. "We can dream of visions of sugar plums around here.”
Then came reports characterizing Jones as being “infatuated” with Pitts, who in the final process was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 4 overall pick.
The Cowboys, after some shuffling around, landed at No. 12 and took Micah Parsons.
Dallas remains pleased with the move.
Atlanta? Maybe not so much.
Blame whomever you wish, but Pitts - now set to play on the fifth-year option in 2025 - had a productive rookie season with 1,000 yards and a Pro Bowl berth.
But the numbers since then haven't worked out. The "matchup nightmare'' hasn't worked out.
The 6-foot-6 "wide receiver in a tight end's body'' hasn't produced like a "unicorn'' and now come rumors that the Falcons might give up even on the "sugarplums.''
ESPN now has a (paywall) prediction that Atlanta is ready to move on in part to avoid paying Pitts his $10.8 million.
They write, "Can the Falcons get more for him in a trade than they would in a compensatory pick after he leaves in free agency? I think they could ... Prediction: Pitts will get dealt to the Bengals for a Day 3 pick.''
We don't have insight into what the Falcons and the Bengals might think here.
But if the Cowboys, sorely lacking in offensive weaponry outside of CeeDee Lamb, are willing to take seriously their $100 million in cap room options?
A bid on Pitts, projecting him once again to be a "unicorn,'' would be wise.
What of the Dallas tight end room now? Jake Ferguson regressed, totaling just 494 yards and zero touchdowns from 59 receptions. And he's one year away from being out of contract.
Second-year second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker showed signs of improvement, but he managed a combined 41 yards in his last five games, and twice.
Undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford? The 6-7, 270-pounder showed promise, but his limited reps (305 snaps for the year) suggest Dallas knows he's a developmental player.
Like most of the Cowboys roster, the tight end room needs a serious uptick in improvement and performance in 2025. Once upon a time, they viewed Kyle Pitts as a potential answer. Maybe it's time to take another look at how to get some "sugarplums'' from a "unicorn.''
