The Cowboys will be placing the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz. The move, which had become widely anticipated over the last several days, was announced by multiple outlets Tuesday morning.
The 25-year old Stanford product was a fourth-round draft pick by Dallas in 2018 and tallied career highs in starts, targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns last season. By using the franchise tag on him, the Cowboys prevent him from becoming a free agent next week and lock him in for the 2022 season at a price tag of $10.93 million, the average salary of the five top-paid tight ends in the league.
Schultz was buried on the depth chart as the third tight end back when Jason Witten decided to come out of retirement and rejoin the team in 2019. For the 2020 season, he was seen as the clear backup to Blake Jarwin. Schultz was thrust into a starting role, however, when Jarwin went down in Week 1 and was lost for the season. He proved his worth. By 2021, Schultz was considered the starter in Dallas, in a contract year and part of a two-headed monster with the now-healthy Jarwin.
Jarwin was injured once again, though, in Week 8, leaving Schultz as the best option in a tight end corps that included the unproven Sean McKeon and journeyman Jeremy Sprinkle.
As recently as last week, it was still believed- at least outside the organization- that Jarwin would reclaim his starting role in 2022 and Schultz would move on to a new team after a very strong 2021 boosted his asking price beyond what Dallas would pay. But on March 3, it was revealed that Jarwin had undergone a rare type of hip surgery. He will not be ready in time for the start of the new season; some have even hinted that his injury may be career-threatening.
With Amari Cooper thought to be on his way out, and Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson scheduled to hit free agency, retaining the sure-handed Schultz as a short-yardage security blanket for quarterback Dak Prescott suddenly rocketed up the list of offseason priorities for the Jones family, leading to Tuesday’s tag.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott's passer rating since 2020 by intended receiver (min. 50 targets)
WR Cedrick Wilson: 125.5*
TE Dalton Schultz: 120.0*
WR Amari Cooper: 104.8
WR CeeDee Lamb: 99.0
WR Michael Gallup: 95.4*
RB Tony Pollard: 94
RB Ezekiel Elliott: 85.3*Expiring contract
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 8, 2022
That tag may not stick throughout the entirety of the 2022 season, though. The Cowboys can still work with Schultz on a new long-term contract, using the tag as a temporary placeholder that simply keeps him from hitting the open market and being scooped up by a needy team with deep pockets. It’s a tactic the Dallas front office has used before.
Or the club could still draft a tight end and let Schultz become a free agent next season if either the rookie or Jarwin project to be a better option for the long-term.
The Cowboys have plenty of other personnel decisions to make in a short window of time, though. For now, they can stop thinking about what they’re going to do about a starting tight end. They’re paying handsomely to keep the one they have.
[listicle id=694700]
[listicle id=694676]
[listicle id=693706]
[lawrence-newsletter]