2. Dallas Cowboys’ surprise cuts – TE Blake Jarwin
The Cowboys have undoubtedly been a bit underwhelmed with the production they have received out of Blake Jarwin since his rookie year in 2018. Jarwin was initially a prime contender to succeed Jason Witten as Dallas’ starting tight end but he has since ceded that role to Dalton Schultz.
Despite his failure to become a starter, Jarwin has been a solid role player for the Cowboys over the years. Jarwin has functioned well as a blocker and been a big body in the passing game, catching 17 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.
The dilemma that the Cowboys face is that Schultz, who is coming off of a career year, is set to become a free agent. Dallas is expected to make Schultz a priority and could extend the franchise tag to keep him, which will require cuts to be able to afford that salary under the cap.
One move in that direction would be cutting Jarwin, who would save the Cowboys $3.8 million with only $2 million in dead money. Allocating that money towards retaining Schultz and replacing Jarwin with a mid-round draft pick who is a capable blocker makes the most sense for Dallas at this point.