Dak Prescott confident Cowboys' recent drama will work itself out
The Cowboys had a decision to make at tight end this offseason after back-to-back productive seasons for Dalton Schultz. They did so in March by placing the franchise tag on Schultz for $10.9 million and parting ways with Blake Jarwin, who was thought to be the heir apparent to Jason Witten. Schultz has become frustrated […]
The Cowboys had a decision to make at tight end this offseason after back-to-back productive seasons for Dalton Schultz. They did so in March by placing the franchise tag on Schultz for $10.9 million and parting ways with Blake Jarwin, who was thought to be the heir apparent to Jason Witten.
Schultz has become frustrated with how stagnant the negotiations of his potential new deal have gone. So much so, that he's currently using the only leverage he has which is to sit out the rest of the Cowboys' voluntary OTAs before mandatory minicamp kicks off next week, which he'll get fined for if he's absent.
Dak Prescott, who had his battles with the Cowboys front office before signing his deal last March, spoke about Schultz's situation during the Reliant Homerun Derby in Frisco on Tuesday. Despite the current state of affairs, Prescott feels the result will be positive.
“I went through this process,” Prescott said. “A lot of people go through this process. He’s a guy that I feel very confident with. (I) have a lot of trust with. He knows that. The teams know that. I’m confident in that situation.”
The Cowboys don't have much behind Schultz. Jeremy Sprinkle is primarily a blocker, Sean McKeon has yet to show all that he can do because of injuries, and Jake Ferguson is a rookie. However, with Schultz signing his franchise tag, the Cowboys know they have Schultz locked in for this season so they're not gonna be bullied into a contract.
When the Cleveland Browns signed David Njoku to a four-year, $56.75 million extension that set the floor for Schultz. While he's been productive for the last two seasons, an average of around $14 million annually is a big commitment, one that the Cowboys feel he hasn't earned yet.
Schultz was more productive in 2021 than Njoku was in his previous three seasons so it's no surprise that Schultz wants to be compensated as such. He will play for the Cowboys in 2022, but beyond that is a mystery.
Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
