Insider says Cowboys believe new TE1 is emerging in front of their eyes

The days of Jason Witten running the show at the tight-end position are long gone. Dalton Schultz flashed immense potential during his time with the Dallas Cowboys as their starting tight end while posting numerous impressive performances, but he's now a member of the Houston Texans after leaving town in free agency.

In turn, one of the primary talking points heading into training camp for the Cowboys was the debate of who the team's new TE1 will be. In the final days of camp and with the preseason just around the corner, it appears the next man up has been well on his way toward emerging.

According to The Athletic's Jon Machota, Cowboys players believe second-year Jake Ferguson is "poised to emerge as the team's No. 1 tight end." Per Machota, the former fourth-round draft pick has been the most consistent player at the position in training camp.

Machota cited a quote from quarterback Dak Prescott, who heaped praise on Ferguson, and sure sounded like a player discussing one of the team's key starters.

"I think he’s close to becoming a big-time guy,” Prescott told reporters after the team’s final training camp practice in California. “As far as a playmaker, he’s there. Just the way he stepped in and did what was asked of him last year and just the limited amount of reps to the role he’s taking on coming into this season, being the guy, being a big-time tight end, being where I need him to be, communicating his a-- off, being on the same page, knowing what I expect of him, what the offense expects of him, being a great blocker, going back to his college days, something you knew he could do, but really putting it all together."