Getty Dalton Schultz of the Dallas Cowboys looks on before a game.
Contract negotiations are never easy, and it appears that the Dallas Cowboys and one of the team’s offensive stars are experiencing that firsthand.
Since the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz this past Spring, his future has been a source of conversation. The Cowboys can hand the tight end a long-term, high-pay contract or the team can let him play on the tag.
Now, with just days until the NFL’s cutoff for negotiating with players on the franchise tag, Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken is reporting that the two sides are very far apart on a deal.
“There has been no progress in long-term contract discussions between the Cowboys and franchise-tagged TE Dalton Schultz,” Gehlken wrote. “The two sides have not spoken in weeks, source said. Deadlines can spur action, but as of now, no deal is imminent as Friday’s cutoff looms.”
Time is running out for the Cowboys and Schultz to get a deal done, but the value of the franchise tag and the bars being set for long-term tight end contracts makes it seem like there’s no rush for Dallas to make an offer.
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Schultz on the Clock
In a follow-up post, Gehlken breaks down the financial situation for the Cowboys. The team is set to pay Schultz $10.93 million on the franchise tag, but they’d have to hand out considerably more per year to sign Schultz to a deal.
“Without a multi-year deal by Friday at 3 p.m. CT, Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz to spend year on $10.93 million tag, and he could be tagged again in 2023 at $13.12M,” Gehlken wrote. “These figures are below market value; Browns TE David Njoku’s new deal pays $13.69M annually.”
Without a multi-year deal by Friday at 3 p.m. CT, Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz to spend year on $10.93 million tag, and he could be tagged again in 2023 at $13.12M. These figures are below market value; Browns TE David Njoku’s new deal pays $13.69M annually.
Njoku is mentioned for good reason, as his pay-per-year has been considered a likely factor for what Schultz is asking for. When you consider that Schultz has been a better player for the past two years, Njoku’s average salary looks even worse, as the Cowboys will have to clear that amount by a noticeable margin.
If Spotrac’s estimation is correct, the Cowboys only have $20.3 million in cap space remaining for 2021. That’s certainly enough to pay Schultz, but it would take a sizable chunk of the team’s fluid money this year and further limit the team financially in the coming years.
Cowboys Have Options
If Dallas didn’t have success with developing tight ends, Schultz would likely be a lock for a deal. However, Schultz himself is evidence that the Cowboys can take a promising tight end out of college and groom him into a starting NFL TE.
So, the selection of former Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft seems like a major factor. The Cowboys also brought in Jeremy Sprinkle in free agency, and still have Sean McKeon on the roster as well.
With those three on hand and Ferguson having a better college resume than Schultz, it only makes sense that Dallas isn’t in a rush to pay the former Stanford standout.