Cowboys plan to replace Dalton Schultz has been telegraphed

The Dallas Cowboys used their franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard, which makes it sound like Dalton Schultz is on his way out the door. Who could replace him?

One of Dak Prescott’s favorite weapons could be on his way out of Dallas.

Dalton Schultz wasn’t worth the franchise price tag, and the Cowboys preferred to use it on Tony Pollard, anyway. Now, Schultz is likely to be a free agent unless Dallas can agree to a long-term extension with him.

Dan Graziano of ESPN reported days ago that Dallas was likely to use the franchise tag on Pollard, meaning the Schultz would need to find a home elsewhere. Schultz was the Cowboys franchise player last season.

Schultz is a former fourth-round pick of Dallas, and had 577 yards and five touchdowns last year.

How will the Dallas Cowboys replace Dalton Schultz?

The Cowboys best bet at replacing Schultz, who doubled as an outstanding blocker, would be doing so in the NFL Draft. As it just so happens, this year’s draft class is headlined by some elite tight end play. Dalton Kincaid, Darnell Washington and Michael Mayer are arguably the best trio, but there are many more worth drafting early.

Several NFL mock drafts have Dallas linked to Kincaid, suggesting the team would take a tight end early to replace a valuable player on their offense like Schultz. Was it that obvious at the NFL Combine?

The tight end in Dallas has been the definition of stable since the days of Jason Witten. Kincaid could be the next member of that fraternity, as he led his Utah Utes to the Pac-12 Championship, earning 890 yards on 70 receptions. Utah went to the Rose Bowl last season.

That’s the kind of production most teams expect from Kincaid at the NFL level, including the Cowboys should they be so lucky.