3 Cowboys who won’t be back next year and best options to replace them
player. 123. Scouting Report. 2. Pick Analysis. TE. Dallas Cowboys. Dalton Schultz
The Cowboys can’t afford to keep Dalton Schultz as he hits free agency
It was a bit of an odd decision when Dallas elected to put the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz in the 2022 offseason but it proved to be somewhat of a smart decision, even if Schultz was lacking a bit of awareness on the final drive against the 49ers. He was productive and a security blanket for both Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
But now Schultz is going to hit free agency and it’s hard to see the Cowboys paying the price tag he will surely fetch on the open market with the Spotrac Market Value being set at a deal with an AAV of more than $15 million.
Even if Schultz has been a valuable cog in the offense for the past few years, the team drafted two tight ends in Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot to begin the replacement process. With a year in the system for those two young players and bringing in another option through free agency or the draft, the Cowboys could best use the money that would be used to pay Schultz to address other holes on the roster.
Cowboys best replacements for Dalton Schultz
- Hayden Hurst (Free Agency)
- Dan Arnold (Free Agency)
- Cameron Latu (NFL Draft)
Both Hurst and Arnold should be intriguing as budget-friendly options for the Cowboys in free agency. While neither player has ever lit the world on fire in terms of production, they have been solid outlets in the passing game at times and could be assets in this system. As for Latu, he should be a Day 3 pick but has some nice traits that could make him a member of a platoon with Ferguson and Hendershot.