OXNARD, Calif. - Cowboys second-year tight end Brett Pierce has gone
from a bubble player to a sure thing in only three weeks.
And once again, he has fellow tight end Dan Campbell to thank.
The Cowboys claimed Pierce off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad when
Campbell went down with a season-ending foot injury.
Vice president of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland, then a national
scout, had seen Pierce play at Stanford. Pierce had torn his left
anterior cruciate ligament during his junior season at Stanford and only
caught 11 passes for 84 yards in his senior season.
Ireland went to see Baltimore play a few preseason games because of
their reputation for bringing in solid free-agent rookies.
"I liked Brett before Campbell ever got hurt," Ireland said Thursday. "I
saw flashes of what he could be. He's big, he's tough and he's athletic."
Pierce played in seven games, being used mostly as a blocker and special
teams player.
He showed up for this year's training camp facing an uphill battle to
make the team.
But in the first week of camp, Campbell underwent an appendectomy and
last year's fifth-round draft pick, Sean Ryan, broke his foot.
Pierce has taken full advantage of the opportunity. He emerged as a true
pass-catching threat, making difficult catches on a daily basis.
Then he made a one-handed catch in Saturday's preseason game against the
Cardinals. Coach Bill Parcells has been impressed with what he's seen
from Pierce.
"He has pretty good value," Parcells said. "He's pretty versatile. He's
catching the ball well. He needs to improve his blocking some."
Ireland said that learning how to block is the toughest thing for a
tight end to learn. They aren't used to blocking fast defensive ends
every week. That's where Pierce (6-5, 264) has the most room to grow.
But he appears to making progress in the team's double tight end
formations.
Brett Pierce
Pierce can also serve as an emergency deep snapper.
And no one can question his hand-eye coordination. Pierce was a champion
ping pong player in college.
His best competition at Stanford: former head coach Tyrone Willingham.
"I think I'll focus on football for now," Pierce said.
E-mail mmosley@dallasnews.com
