There are big decisions that need to be made by the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, and one of them is what should they do with tight end Dalton Schultz. The emerging TE has been a hot topic of conversation thus far in the offseason and the Cowboys must decide what path to take.
The Cowboys can use the franchise tag on Schultz, which currently holds a cap hit of just under $11 million, the transition tag for just over $9 million, or they can take their chances and try to re-sign him at a lower cost over the course of a new deal. For a team up against the salary cap, the second option holds more appeal.
However, it’s a risk putting Schultz on the open market, where the Cowboys could be outbid for his services.
To add to the intrigue of it all, the recent news of teammate Blake Jarwin’s recent hip surgery, which puts his 2022 season in jeopardy, puts the Cowboys’ backs against the wall.
Multiple sources say the Cowboys have serious concerns about TE Blake Jarwin. He underwent a particular hip surgery that’s only been done on hockey and basketball players.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) March 3, 2022
Losing their top two tight ends isn’t an optimal way to kickoff the offseason, but it’s a possibility if Dallas doesn’t tag Schultz.
Cowboys fans shouldn’t fear, though. There’s a very strong group of free agents at the position to reload at TE if the Cowboys lose Schultz and await the rehab progress of Jarwin. Here are five veteran options for the Cowboys, who can come in play at high level if the team doesn’t retain Schultz.