Tag: Dalton Schultz

Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson posts response to Dalton Schultz’s ‘zoo’ remark about team

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys tight end had a simple and understated answer to his former teammate’s remarks about the celebrity culture in Dallas.

Ex-Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz stirred some things up with recent comments about the time spent with his old team.

Current Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson used far fewer words to answer back with a message of his own.

Schultz, the six-year veteran who spent his first five seasons in Dallas, just signed a three-year, $36 million contract extension to stay with the Houston Texans after joining them in 2023.

As a guest on The Pat McAfee Show earlier in the week, the 27-year-old was asked about the difference between the two clubs.

Schultz had thoughts, and he shared them freely.

While he said he enjoyed his time in Dallas, Schultz also ruffled some feathers within Cowboys Nation with remarks about the showbiz atmosphere that came with wearing a star on his helmet… and how things are quite different in Houston.

“That was one of the first things that kind of stuck out to me,” Schultz said on the show. “It feels more like- I don’t want to say college, because it’s not- but the focus is just football, you know what I mean? Going back and telling some people what being around the Cowboys is like: practice facility, gameday, describing some of the interactions and stuff that you see on a day-to-day basis… that surprised a lot of people. Like, ‘Holy crap, that actually happens, like, at a practice facility?’ You think it’s normal, and then you come to a place like this…”

When pressed for an example, Schultz talked about having to sometimes co-exist with fans taking guided tours of the team practice facility at The Star in Frisco, which is the literal centerpiece of a massive 91-acre entertainment and business development district.

“Like, there’s people literally going on tours while you’re lifting in the weight room. And they’ve got, like, a one-way mirror for people to look. Literally, it’s a zoo, dude. People tapping on the glass trying to get people’s attention as they’re doing power cleans or whatnot.”

Schultz’s “zoo” remark touched a nerve. Headlines screamed once again about a Cowboys culture that’s allegedly too much about glitz and glamour and not nearly enough about wins and losses.

“It’s different,” Schultz continued. “That’s the brand that they’ve built, that’s what Jerry Jones likes, that’s the way they run things. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just you don’t realize how many eyeballs and how much that can maybe distract from stuff in the locker room, being in the facility, until you go somewhere else and you’re like, ‘Holy crap, dude, there’s none of that.”

As McAfee himself pointed out on his show the next day, Schultz likely wasn’t really calling the entire Cowboys organization “a zoo” as much as he was describing the very specific feeling of football players behind a pane of glass being on display to the public as they go about a normal workday.

But the perceived slight was already out there, and the top takeaway was that a former Dallas player was slamming the circus-like culture that the Cowboys purposely create and operate within.

Ferguson made a post to his Instagram story Friday that seemed to give a response in one simple photograph.

The slogan Ferguson highlighted- It is a privilege, not a right, to play, coach and work for the Dallas Cowboys– is plastered in several high-profile places around The Star. While it’s certainly a photo-op sight visible along the (rather expensive) ticketed fan tours that Schultz so casually blasted, it’s also a very intentional reminder to everyone in the building that things are, indeed, different at the most valuable sports franchise on the planet and the largest draw in the NFL.

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Ferguson will be entering his third year with the Cowboys in 2024. He caught 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns and was named to his first Pro Bowl as the Cowboys’ starter, the role Schultz had held previously.

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Texans TE Dalton Schultz will only count $7.94 million against the 2024 salary cap

Here are the full details of Dalton Schultz’s new three-year, $36 million deal with the Houston Texans.

The Houston Texans re-signed productive tight end Dalton Schultz on a three-year, $36 million deal. The contract included $23.5 million in guaranteed money as well.

On its surface, the deal made Schultz the 12th-highest-paid tight end with a $12 million average annual salary and the seventh-highest-paid in guaranteed money. We now have a better breakdown of where that money is going over the length of Schultz’s three-year deal, according to Spotrac.

Here’s the full breakdown:

  • Overall value: three years, $36 million
  • Guaranteed money: $23.5 million
  • Signing bonus: $7.5 million
  • 2024 base salary: $5 million
  • 2024 cap hit: $7.94 million
  • 2025 base salary: $11 million
  • 2025 cap hit: $14 million
  • 2026 base salary: $11 million
  • 2026 cap hit: $14 million

Those are, for all intents an purposes, relatively solid terms for a quality pass-catching tight end. The $7.94 million cap hit in 2024 gives the team more flexibility to add to the roster in free agency or through trades and the base salaries over the final two years aren’t outrageous if Schultz remains a staple of the offense.

Houston can also get out of the deal pretty easily after the 2025 season. While Schultz’s dead cap hit is $16 million if he’s released before the 2025 season, that number shrinks to just $2.5 million (the remaining signing bonus money due) before the 2026 season.

By that point, the Texans will know what they have both in Schultz and the team as a whole and can make a better decision on the future of the roster.

This deal, meanwhile, locks down one of the better players on the team’s offense in a pivotal season for the young Texans. Schultz caught 59 balls for 635 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 as one of the Texans’ most important offensive weapons.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz says he wanted to re-sign because of C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz recently signed a three-year, $36 million extension to keep catching passes from C.J. Stroud.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz enjoyed a great first season on the team alongside C.J. Stroud in 2023. The two established a great connection in Stroud’s first season and rode the rookie quarterback’s arm to the AFC South title and a first-round playoff win.

So when it came time to decide his future, Schultz told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday that he always wanted to return to Houston because he wanted to continue to play with Stroud. He signed a three-year, $36 million deal this week to remain with the team.

“C.J.’s quickly cemented himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league,” Schultz said. “… That was a big part of me wanting to come back. I wanted to surround my guys like that. Guys that kind of galvanizes a football team and I think he absolutely does that.

“It’s a great time to be a Texan and I’m super excited to be back.”

Schultz finished the year with 59 receptions for 635 yards season and five touchdowns. Those numbers finished second, third and third on the team behind only wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

Stroud, meanwhile, went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after he completed 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions. That ranked 11th, third, tied-for-sixth and tied-for-second among all rookie quarterbacks since the 1970 merger.

The veteran tight end went on to praise the rest of the team and the coaching staff in his interview with McAfee. From the sound of it, too, Schultz is all-in on what Houston can do in 2024 behind Stroud once more.

Texans players react to Dalton Schultz contract

Houston Texans tight end Brevin Jordan and offensive tackle Tytus Howard were both excited to hear about Dalton Schultz’s new contract.

The Houston Texans made a big move this offseason when the team signed tight end Dalton Schultz to a three-year, $36 million extension.

It signaled general manager Nick Caserio truly wanted to keep the team’s core contributors around for at least another year following a fantastic 2023 season.

The players were excited, too. Tight end Brevin Jordan and offensive tackle Tytus Howard posted congratulatory messages, while offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil reposted a few social posts after the news of Schultz’s new deal broke.

Jordan filled in nicely when Schultz missed some time at the end of the season with an injury. He he caught six passes for 99 yards in the two games he started for Schultz. Jordan finished the year with 17 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 76-yard touchdown in the Texans’ wild card win over the Cleveland Browns.

Howard, meanwhile, started only seven games this season as a starting tackle for the Texans. He missed the first four games with a hand injury and the final six games with a knee injury.

Texans players clearly like Schultz and appeared happy to see he’d be returning to Houston in 2024. The veteran tight end became a reliable target for quarterback C.J. Stroud in his rookie season. Schultz finished the season with 59 receptions for 635 yards season and five touchdowns.

He and wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell will all return as Stroud’s top pass-catchers in 2024, although the team could add more weapons this offseason as well either in free agency, the draft or through a trade.

Texans, TE Dalton Schultz agree to 3-year, $36 million extension

The Houston Texans kept tight end Dalton Schultz after a solid first season with the team.

The Houston Texans have a tight end.

Dalton Schultz and the Texans agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract with $23.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The team confirmed the signing on Friday but didn’t release the terms. That $12 million average annual salary ranks 12th among tight ends and the guaranteed money ranks seventh, according to Over The Cap.

Schultz, who signed a one-year deal with Houston this past offseason, put together a 59-reception, 635-yard season with five touchdowns.

The 27-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He displayed instant chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud and turned into a reliable target for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

When he signed in the 2023 offseason, the hope was that Schultz would serve as a veteran tight end to help guide whichever rookie quarterback Houston selected and serve as a safety blanket. Now, with one year of working together under their belt, that connection will continue into the 2024 offseason.

Schultz gets another year in offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s system, one he looked solid in during the 2023 season. He’ll rejoin fellow tight end Brevin Jordan as well as wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Schultz should also be responsible for trying to help Houston insulate and fortify a run game that struggled this past season.

This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations in 2024, and now they retained one of their key pieces from this past season in the hopes of building toward that.

7 free agent tight ends Giants could target to replace Darren Waller

If Darren Waller opts to retire, here are seven free agent tight ends the New York Giants could target as a replacement option.

One year after acquiring tight end Darren Waller via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Giants may be forced into replacing him.

Waller told the New York Post on Friday that he’s “still undecided” about his future and could opt to retire.

“I have not made a decision either way,” Waller told the Post.

If Waller does return in 2024, he will be owed a base salary of $10.5 million which accounts for a cap hit of $14 million. If he opts to retire, the Giants will clear $6.2 million in cap space but be left with a dead cap hit of roughly $7.9 million.

Because of Waller’s transparency with the Giants, they have already begun to pour over the names slated to become available in free agency.

With Waller’s future uncertain and a need at the position beyond just 2024, here’s a look at seven free agent tight ends the Giants could consider.

ESPN tabs Texans tight end as player Buccaneers should sign

Would you want the Bucs to add to their tight end room in 2024?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be focused on re-signing their own players in free agency — that much is clear. But that doesn’t mean they can’t focus on bringing in some new talent, too.

ESPN recently created a list of one free agent each team should consider signing, and writer Aaron Schatz focused in on tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His pick for the Bucs was Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz, who will be a free agent after just one year in Houston.

Here’s what the list had to say about Shultz and his fit with Tampa Bay:

The Buccaneers got 455 yards and four touchdowns out of second-year tight end Cade Otton, but Schultz would expand what they can do at the position. He had 635 yards and five touchdowns for Houston, with a similar receiving DVOA to Otton but more production. Tampa Bay’s other tight end, Ko Kieft, is strictly a blocker, so bringing in Schultz would open things up for more two-tight end sets where both tight ends are receiving threats. But Schultz is also a good run-blocker, with Pro Football Focus giving him a run-blocking grade above 60.0 in five consecutive seasons.

It is true that Schultz would be a good pickup for the Bucs. Tight end Cade Otton has shown some flashes of prowess (particularly in crunch time), but he hasn’t truly come into his own as a dominant tight-end threat. Schultz would automatically be the best-receiving threat in the tight end room and, as mentioned by Schatz, could open up the playbook for some unique sets.

The problem, however, will inevitably be his cost. As it stands, Spotrac has Schultz’s market value at $11.3 million. That’s a steep price for the Bucs, and it would be for a positon that could use some brushing up on but isn’t explicitly a need. That money could likely go toward retaining players like Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. — should the Bucs be able to keep all those players and then sign Schultz, though, it would be an immediate improvement for the team.

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31 free agents the Seahawks could target in 2024 – one from every other NFL team

Reviewing 31 free agents around the NFL – one from each team – that the Seahawks could target to sign in 2024.

The Seahawks’ salary cap picture for 2024 may look ugly right now. After last night’s simple restructure of Geno Smith’s contract they are about even with the league’s cap limit this year. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of room to maneuver. However, general manager John Schneider still has plenty of options to change the team’s cap picture in a hurry.

Fans should probably expect mostly mid-level signings and bargain hunting in free agency, but we can’t completely rule out a splash signing. Here are 31 pending free agents (one from every other team) that Seattle could consider signing when the market opens next month.

We have included a wide range of options, from big-name, big contract targets to under-the-radar type free agents. Our primary focus was on the interior of both sides of the line of scrimmage, but we didn’t ignore interesting players at any spot except for quarterback – where we would prefer to roll with either Geno Smith, Michael Penix Jr. or nobody.

You may see potential replacements for Leonard Williams, Jamal Adams and Tyler Lockett, a few old familiar faces, a whole host of possible upgrades at guard and just about every high-end pass rusher that’s about to hit the market except for Chris Jones and Josh Allen – who will both most likely be out of Seattle’s price range. Let’s get to the list.

Predicting where 10 Seahawks players will land in free agency

7 Tight ends the Vikings should pursue in free agency

Do the Minnesota Vikings sign a tight end to fill in for T.J. Hockenson? From Noah Fant to Hunter Henry, these 7 options are intriguing

The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting position at tight end going into free agency. They theoretically are set with T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver as the top two tight ends in the room. However, that is murky for 2024 with the torn ACL suffered on Christmas Eve by Hockenson since he didn’t have surgery to repair the injury until the end of January.

What should the Vikings do at the position? If they plan on redshirting Hockenson, would they end up signing a bridge player to get them through 2024? Do they choose to bring back Johnny Mundt and ride with the three guys in the room?

With how general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has pursued things so far, a bridge tight end makes a lot of sense. Here are seven different tight ends that could fit the bill and be that bridge player.

Ranking 2024’s top 12 free-agent tight ends

Top tight ends hitting free agency this offseason:

Even after last year’s signing of Hayden Hurst, could the Carolina Panthers be in the market for a new tight end?

If so, here are some of the best that free agency has to offer: