Dallas Cowboys Franchise Tag: Randy Gregory vs. Dalton Schultz?
FRISCO - The NFL franchise tag window is, as of Tuesday, open.
Will the Dallas Cowboys, maybe wanting contractual control of defensive end Randy Gregory and tight end Dalton Schultz, climb through it?
Sources tell CowboysSI.com that Dallas is “all-in” on keeping Gregory. One way to do that is to tag him between now and March 8; his tag number will be about $20 million (though Dallas could use the $16 million transition tag, meaning the Cowboys can match any offer he gets and retain the player.)
Dallas would also like to keep the surprisingly productive Schultz as well; his tag is about $11 million.
Each team can tag one player, and the upside for the team here: it ties the player to the club for one year as they have until mid-June to work out a long-term deal, without which the player has to play the upcoming season on the tag.
The downside for the team, especially one with cap challenges: That money is guaranteed, and eats up that much against the cap.
The upside for the player (and yes, it exists, even as some see the tag as a penalty)? Gregory at $20 million would make him one of the highest paid defensive lineman in NFL history, and the money is fully guaranteed.
The downside for the player? If a new deal can’t be worked out, he missed out on what could be a long-term deal and millions more … having to roll the dice on staying healthy enough in 2022 to get another bite of that apple.
Gregory tied his career high with six sacks in 2021 and is seen as a dynamic force. The Cowboys could use the tag here as they did twice with fellow DeMarcus Lawrence, who was tagged in 2018 and 2019 but who then in April of that year got his five-year, $105 million deal.
The Cowboys hope their loyalty to Gregory through a half-decade of off-field issues will help them settle on a “hometown discount” - something Gregory, 30, has acknowledged as a possibility.
Schultz, 25, plays a position that is easier to fill; oft-injured tight end Blake Jarwin could simply advance back up to first-team, with Dallas passing on keeping Schultz. But to his credit, in the last two seasons, Schultz has 141 catches for 1,423 yards and 12 TDs. And Jarwin might be another issue, as Dallas can save $4.25 million against the cap if he’s cut.
In the Cowboys' perfect world, both players opt for "team-friendly'' long-term deals, and the angst involved is erased. In the real world, Dallas is committed to keeping Gregory with a contract, and will be faced with wrestling with the question of whether Schultz is an "essential'' guy at $11 million for a year.
