Rather than replace, the Dallas Cowboys should reward pending free-agent tight end Dalton Schultz.
This, the belief of Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, who warned the Cowboys against signing an out-of-house starter in free agency — namely former Eagles rival Zach Ertz, who completed his 2021 campaign in Arizona.
“With Schultz set to hit the open market, Dallas should be interesting in veteran tight-end alternatives. However, 31-year-old Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz shouldn’t be an option,” Knox wrote on February 14.
“The issue here is a matter of dollars and cents. Ertz is still capable of playing at an extremely high level—he tallied 574 and three touchdowns in 11 games with Arizona this season. However, he’s an aging player with a projected market value of $7.6 million annually.”
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Background on Ertz
The 35th overall pick of the 2013 NFL draft, Ertz has posted 635 receptions for 6,841 yards and 41 touchdowns across 134 career appearances (96 starts). The 31-year-old made three Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl during his nine seasons with the Eagles.
Ertz was traded to the Cardinals last October. He recorded 56 catches for 574 yards and three TDs over 11 games in the desert, grading out as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 29 TE among 70 qualifiers.
The analytics giant also projected a two-year, $20 million contract (including $11.5 million guaranteed) for Ertz, who’s entering his first-ever foray into unrestricted free agency.
A longtime star for the Eagles, it looked like Ertz was beginning to wane, but he has had a new lease of life since being traded to Arizona. Ertz has great hands and can run routes and find space against a defense, but he has limitations as a blocker and after the catch.
Ertz has been a high-level receiving weapon at tight end throughout his career. At 31, how much he has left in the tank is a fair question, but he’s shown this season in Arizona he can still be a useful part of a dynamic passing attack.
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Schultz Forecast for Huge Payday
If the Cowboys want to retain Schultz — and they should — the team will need to get creative. Sitting well over the NFL’s salary cap as of this writing, Dallas would face difficulty matching the four-year, $52 million contract offer that Schultz is projected to receive in March from an interested suitor.
Schultz, a former fourth-round choice, enjoyed a breakout 2021 season, catching 78 passes for 808 yards and eight TDs while appearing in all 17 regular-season games, leapfrogging Blake Jarwin on the depth chart.
“Schultz took full advantage of Blake Jarwin‘s absence in the middle of the 2021 season and made a name for himself,” Pro Football Focus noted. “Schultz’s 77.0 receiving grade ranked eighth among tight ends in 2021, with his 78 receptions coming in at third place. The former fourth-round pick initially seemed like a limited athlete with all the intangibles that come with a Stanford tight end, but he’s blossoming into a solid all-around player at the position.
“Schultz was a backup until 2020 and he didn’t break out until 2021 where he’s been one of the better all-around tight ends in the league. He’s a mid-tier starter who has shown that he can be a dependable receiver and run-blockers.”
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Cowboys Warned Against Signing Ex-Eagles Pro Bowler