Are the Dallas Cowboys doing tight end Dalton Schultz an injustice?
Last season, Schultz played all 17 games, finishing with 808 yards and eight touchdowns.
Evidently, the Stanford alumnus is on the rise and the Cowboys should lock him up for the long term.
Instead, they gave him the franchise tag in what amounts to a cap-induced move.
Tight ends have one of the lowest tag amounts among all positions and having him for one more season softens the blow for Dallas’ cap woes.
However, Schultz is essentially playing on a rental in 2022 if a new deal isn’t in place by July 15.
While the guaranteed $10.9 million he will receive is still good money, the Cowboys should give him a new contract because he has been an asset in their passing game.
They need him more after Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson are not on the roster anymore.
The lack of agreement prompted Schultz to miss the rest of the voluntary OTAs, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
But The Athletic’s Jon Machota shed light on Schultz’s decision.
When asked about his contract situation two weeks ago, Dalton Schultz said he was leaving all of that up to his agent and he was focused on OTAs. The Cowboys are entering their final week of voluntary OTAs. They will have mandatory minicamp next week at The Star https://t.co/Vf9Z7Cx6Qa
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 6, 2022
Machota tweeted, “When asked about his contract situation two weeks ago, Dalton Schultz said he was leaving all of that up to his agent and he was focused on OTAs. The Cowboys are entering their final week of voluntary OTAs. They will have mandatory minicamp next week at The Star.”
Putting Pressure On The Cowboys
By foregoing the rest of the OTAs, Schultz is putting pressure on the Cowboys to have a deal in place.
They have over a month to finalize an agreement which should not be difficult because both parties have mutual respect.
The Cowboys believe that Schultz will be an asset as they continue to compete.
Meanwhile, the tight end feels that Dallas is the best place for him to play.
Even if Schultz will not attend the minicamp, he will have ways to put the ball in the Cowboys’ court.
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