Many expect the Dallas Cowboys to use the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard over the next couple of weeks. But it's a complicated decision for a variety of reasons.

First of all, Pollard is a running back. And he suffered a fractured fibula, which could impact how explosive he is when he comes back. If you watched the Cowboys RB do his thing, you understand that his game was made special by his being explosive.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys might still be regretting their 2019 decision of paying Ezekiel Elliott big money even in spite of several warnings about the almost inevitable decline of running backs in the modern NFL.

And while the tag is nothing but a one-year commitment, it's still fully guaranteed money. Even still, the Cowboys are expected to tag Pollard because of how good he's been for the team.

But what about Dalton Schultz? He certainly appears to be worthy enough to be in the conversation of a back-to-back franchise tag.

In fact, the Cowboys just tagged him in 2022 and another tag in 2023 would likely still get them the tight end for a value inferior to what he'd land in the open market.

So let's give Schultz a fair shot at what many expect to inevitably belong to Pollard. Let's make his case to be franchise tagged.

The case for the Cowboys to tag Dalton Schultz

The biggest knock on Schultz is obvious: Despite being productive, he's not a coverage dictator like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Darren Waller, and Mark Andrews.

That group of guys will keep defensive coordinators up at night. Schultz, meanwhile, is not someone teams are looking to bracket or get double coverage against. Nor is he someone you want bump coverage against consistently.

As such, it's natural to not want to break the bank for him.

But in thinking about this, some have crossed a line to think that he isn't very good. And he really, really is. Sure, his numbers were lower in 2022 but he played through injury and missed Dak Prescott for multiple games.

But between weeks 7 and 12, for example, he was among the very best. He even ranked third in PFF grade over that span, as Brad Spielberg notes while ranking him as the 20th-best free agent of the year.

He's reliable in the red zone and clearly has a special relationship with Dak Prescott. The pair have connected for 13 touchdowns in the past two regular seasons and the Cowboys tight end scored three touchdowns in the playoffs this year.

And while some trust Jake Ferguson to take over as the starter, the reality is Mike McCarthy's offense will likely want to run 12 personnel a lot. If the Cowboys prioritize that, wouldn't it make sense to keep Schultz?

Verdict

If it was up to me, I'd still tag Pollard.

But anyone acting like Schultz isn't even worth the conversation is probably a victim of recency bias. This is a good, productive tight end and the Cowboys will likely miss him even if it's the right call.

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