Rookie Jake Ferguson Signs as Dalton Schultz Sits: Cowboys Contract Details
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys certainly hope the revolving door at tight end is a temporary one, as the vision at tight end is to replicate the once-dreamed-of "Two-Headed Monster'' of Dalton Schultz and Blake Jarwin.
But right now here at OTAs? Just one truly notable head, as rookie fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson has signed his first-ever NFL contract right about the same time that Schultz is waiting for his first-ever big-money deal.
Ferguson's contract: It's a four-year deal totaling $4.3 million, with $700,000 guaranteed. And he's in the fold, trying to climb up the depth chart toward first-teamer Schultz, who is sitting out this week, making a statement about the lack of negotiations toward his new deal.
Dak Prescott, for one, isn't too concerned.
"I went through this process,'' said the Cowboys quarterback on Tuesday when asked about the team's contract issue with tight end Dalton Schultz. "A lot of people go through this process.
"He's a guy that I feel very comfortable with, have a lot of trust with. He knows that. The team knows that. So I'm confident in that situation."
"That situation,'' of course, is Schultz' decision to skip the voluntary OTA practices this week as he hopes for a new long-term deal. Schultz - who is expected to attend next week's minicamp, which is mandatory for all players - is presently under contract via the franchise tag. If negotiations don't result in a new deal by July 15, he will play in 2022 with a one-year, fully guaranteed $10.9 million contract.
That's not exactly a punishment. But the highly productive Schultz (78 catches, 808 yards, and eight TDs last year) is obviously disappointed in the lack of movement from the side of the Cowboys front office.
And so, a statement of sorts is made by him staying away.
But he is nevertheless in contact with the leader of his locker room here at The Star.
"I realize that I went through the things that I went through, obviously not just in life but in football as well, to help others," Prescott said during the team's Home Run Derby for charity. "Just being able to talk to Dalton, maybe ease his mind through some of this ...''
Prescott indicated that he believes the Cowboys will eventually forge a long-term deal with the tight end, who has reason to view the latest contract given a good tight end (Cleveland's David Njoku just got $14 million APY) as the industry standard.
"Me and Schultz talk all the time,'' Prescott said. "So I knew what was happening, the team does, and ... We'll handle it.''
But for now? Jake Ferguson is about ready to handle some more work at tight end.
Want more Dallas Cowboys? Subscribe to the Daily Cowboys SI Newsletter with Mike Fisher now!
Follow FishSports on Twitter
Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook
Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live-stream podcasts
