Cowboys reportedly not expected to tag Dalton Schultz

The Dallas Cowboys are not expected to use the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz.

With the NFL‘s franchise tag window officially open as of Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys are not expected to use the tag on anyone, not even on tight end Dalton Schultz.

FanSided‘s Matt Lombardo reported that the Cowboys are probably not going to use the tag this offseason. While getting an emerging star tight end like Schultz under contract would be ideal, Lombardo points out that Dallas is $21 million over the 2022 NFL salary cap. It would cost $10.9 million to use the franchise tag on a tight end this year. Does this mean Schultz is leaving Dallas?

Schultz is coming off a career-best year out of Stanford, one where he had 78 catches for 808 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He will be 26 years old at the start of next NFL season.

Dallas Cowboys rumors: Unlikely to use franchise tag on Dalton Schultz

First things first. Dallas has to get its salary cap in order before even thinking about adding anybody else to the roster. Would it serve the Cowboys to bring back Schultz on a multi-year deal? Definitely. He is on the good side of 30 and seems to be hitting his prime as a professional. Schultz has built up quite the rapport with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. That should matter in this.

However, Dallas has a bad reputation for paying good players great money, especially in-house. The Cowboys do have a strong track record of drafting well, but tend to be overly loyal to the players they picked years ago. In short, the Cowboys not looking to use the tag this offseason opens the door for Schultz to see what is out there in his free agency. He may just go get the bag.

Schultz might have been a prime candidate to be tagged, but the Cowboys do not have the money.