Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert Cleared To Practice
The Dolphins have made a number of changes to their running game this offseason, including the addition of Raheem Mostert. The veteran’s health has been the cause of some speculation leading up to his debut season in Miami, but he provided an encouraging update on the subject today. 
Mostert tweeted that he has been medically cleared to return to practice. When he does get back on the field, it will be the first time since Week 1 of the 2021 campaign, in which he suffered a major knee injury. Despite the success the 49ers had in his absence, they still attempted to bring him back for a sixth (full) season in the Bay Area before he hit free agency.
Instead, Mostert joined the Dolphins on a one-year, $3.125MM deal. He, along with Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel, will give the team a more consistent level of play in the backfield, after Miami ranked 30th on the ground last season. The team will likely employ a committee approach at the RB spot, as new head coach Mike McDaniel will be familiar with from his time in San Francisco. Still Mostert, 30, should have plenty of opportunities to regain his 2019/20 form and generate a market for himself next offseason.
It was reported back in May that Miami was hopeful Mostert would be recovered in time for the start of the regular season. While he obviously has a long way to go before that point, today’s news is certainly a positive development that he could be back to full health by the fall.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on PUP: WR David Bell
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on NFI list: OT Rasheed Walker, OT Caleb Jones, LB Caliph Brice
- Released: TE Eli Wolf
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on NFI list: DB Elijah Campbell
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Byron Cowart
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Gavin Heslop
- Released: OT Korey Cunningham (with NFI)
Dolphins Place CB Byron Jones On PUP List
The list of notable players beginning training camp on the active/PUP list continues to grow. The Dolphins announced on Friday that they will be without cornerback Byron Jones for at least the short term. 
The 29-year-old is still recovering from ankle surgery he had earlier this offseason. The procedure was aimed a remedying a lingering issue, one which wasn’t severe enough to limit his playing time in 2021. Given the fact that an estimated two month recovery period was reported at the time, it is somewhat concerning that the former Cowboy still hasn’t healed in full.
In two seasons with the Dolphins, Jones has totalled a pair of interceptions, 14 pass deflections and 95 tackles, repeating a similar level of play in terms of pass coverage across those campaigns. He has another three (non-void) years remaining on the free agent deal which sent him to Miami, a contract which Jones agreed to re-work not long after his injury. The move helped create cap space for 2022, making the additions of Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead easier to absorb. It also raised his cap hits in 2023 and 2024 above $18MM, however, something made more significant by the new contract fellow corner Xavien Howard signed this offseason.
Jones can be activated at any time by the Dolphins, and there has been no indication that they will have to wait much longer to see him back on the field. Assuming he does return to full health in time for the season, Miami will once again have one of the better CB duos in the league, as the team’s secondary looks to help the team emerge as a postseason contender.
AFC East Rumors: Carter, Scarlett, Armstead, Dolphins
In addition to three first-round picks, the Jets also selected the first running back of the 2022 NFL Draft, taking Iowa State’s Breece Hall in the second round at 36th overall. After New York finished the 2021 NFL season as a bottom-10 team in rushing yards, last year’s starter, Michael Carter, is expected to take a back seat to Hall in 2022, according to Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network.
After watching Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson start in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, Carter got his turn in Week 3 and held on to become the team’s leading rusher. The fourth-round rookie carried the ball 147 times (63 more times than the next closest back) for 639 yards and 4 touchdowns.
With Hall expected to take over as the starter, Carter is “likely to be the change-of-pace back” for the Jets. Coleman and Johnson return and will compete with La’Mical Perine and undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight for the remaining roster spots behind Hall and Carter.
Here are a few more rumors from the AFC East, all hailing from South Beach:
- After spending his first season in Miami working with the linebackers, former Texan Brennan Scarlett has been working with the defensive ends more this offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. This could open the door for a bit more playing time for Scarlett, as he returns to the role he had some success with in Houston. In his two most successful seasons with the Texans, Scarlett totaled 5.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss to go along with 80 total tackles. The Dolphins would love to see that production return in 2022.
- After only appearing in eight games last year with the Saints, offensive tackle Terron Armstead is not guaranteed to start the 2022 season healthy for the Dolphins, according to Adam H. Beasley of Pro Football Network. Armstead was shut down in mid-December with arm and knee injuries, undergoing surgery for his knees. Miami has been careful with Armstead, who’s dealt with plenty of health issues in his past, holding him out for all spring activities. Beasley points out that a healthy Armstead could be crucial for the development of young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, considering “the Dolphins were last in pass-block win rate (47%) and 18th in sack rate (6.5%)” in the NFL last year.
- The Dolphins added to their front office last week with the hire of new football analytics staff assistant Jeremy Stabile. He announced the hiring, himself, on his Twitter last Thursday. Stabile’s first job in football came with Syracuse University as a recruiting/analytics intern. He’s also spent time with football analytics websites working as an analyst with Pro Football Focus and PlayerProfiler.com. This is Stabile’s first job in the NFL.
Franchise Tag Roundup: Bengals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Dolphins Table Talks To 2023
For the first time since 2018, the summer franchise tag deadline day did not produce an extension. The past three years brought deadline-day deals for Taylor Moton, Derrick Henry, Chris Jones, Grady Jarrett and Robbie Gould. None of the four teams who still had tagged players could hammer out a deal Friday, however.
Bengals safety Jessie Bates, Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki and Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz remain attached to their franchise tag prices ($12.9MM, $16.7MM, $10.9MM, $10.9MM, respectively). They are prevented from negotiating with their teams again until the 2022 season ends. The four teams can apply second franchise tags to these players in 2023, at 120% of their 2022 tag prices.
- The Chiefs and Brown came closest to a deal. Although the Chiefs reached an extension agreement with Frank Clark upon trading a first-round pick and change for him in 2019, they postponed Brown negotiations last year. When the sides came to the table, after Brown earned a Pro Bowl nod for his first season as a full-time left tackle, the fifth-year blocker had a new agent and wanted a deal that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman. The Chiefs were willing to go there, but on their terms. What amounts to a dummy year in the contract’s final season led Brown to turn down a six-year, $139MM extension offer. Although failed tag talks often lead to separations the following year, it would surprise if the Chiefs — considering the compensation they parted with for Brown in 2021 — did not make a strong effort to extend Brown in 2023.
- Less clarity emerged with the other three tag negotiations, but the Bengals‘ five-year offer and reported guarantee of around $17MM — which would be a fringe top-10 mark at the safety position — did not bring Bates to sign an extension. The fifth-year defender wanted to be the NFL’s highest-paid safety, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Minkah Fitzpatrick moved that number to $18.2MM per year this summer. Bates expressed interest in re-signing with the Bengals in 2021, after he posted a strong 2020 season. Following a less impactful 2021 regular season, Bates rebounded with critical playoff contributions. The Bengals, who drafted safety Daxton Hill in Round 1 and have Vonn Bell under contract for one more season, may be willing to let Bates test free agency a year from now. But Bell’s contract-year status may well keep Bates in the fold beyond 2022.
- A lot of Schultz news came out this offseason, including a late rumor of a possible deal coming to fruition. But scant optimism about a Cowboys long-term deal surfaced. Dallas cuffed its top tight end and, with Schultz having signed his tender, he can be fined daily for not reporting to training camp. Although Schultz left OTAs to make a point about negotiations, he showed for Cowboys minicamp. The sides, however, appeared far apart. Ahead of Friday’s deadline, they had not negotiated in weeks. Contract length was an issue for Schultz’s camp. While Dak Prescott‘s contract is an exception, the Cowboys prefer five- or six-year extensions. No deadline-day magic occurred, and Schultz may become a bigger part of Dallas’ offense, with the team having traded Amari Cooper shortly after tagging its tight end.
- It does not sound like substantial Gesicki-Dolphins talks occurred this offseason. Though, Gesicki was interested in an extension. After the former second-round pick broke through for a 703-yard, six-touchdown 2020 season, the team did not make an extension ahead of his 2021 contract year a priority. Gesicki then posted a 780-yard slate. That was enough to move Miami to keep the Penn State product off the free agent market. Gesicki should play a key part in a critical Tua Tagovailoa season, but with Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-year contract now on Miami’s books, other Dolphins skill players may be affected.
The Browns (David Njoku), Buccaneers (Chris Godwin), Jaguars (Cam Robinson) and Packers (Davante Adams) saw their tagged players land extensions. Adams’ money, of course, came from the Raiders, who gave their new All-Pro weapon a five-year, $140MM extension — a deal that impacted Hill’s Chiefs talks and one that has two lofty nonguaranteed salaries in its final two years — after Adams voiced a preference to reunite with Derek Carr out west. Njoku becoming the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid tight end, after not matching either of Gesicki or Schultz’s best seasons, likely became an issue in the Cowboys and Dolphins’ respective negotiations.
Bates and Brown have not signed their tenders. This would allow each to skip training camp without being fined. The 2020 CBA prevents teams from waiving fines for holdouts, pointing to Gesicki and Schultz showing up. Bates is not expected to attend camp, and Brown hinted at staying away for a while. The Bengals and Chiefs’ tagged performers have until Nov. 15 to sign their tenders, or they cannot play in 2022. Multiple defensive linemen (Sean Gilbert and Dan Williams, the latter a Chiefs tag recipient) followed through with skipping seasons after being tagged in the late 1990s, but Le’Veon Bell (2018) is the only player to pass on a guaranteed salary by skipping a full season while attached to the tag this century.
CB Jason McCourty Retires After 13 Seasons
While Devin McCourty signed another contract to continue his career this offseason, his twin brother is walking away from the game. Jason McCourty announced his retirement Friday (via Instagram).
This wraps a 13-year run for Jason McCourty, who began his NFL career a year before Devin did. After playing alongside his twin at Rutgers in the late 2000s, Jason entered the NFL in 2009 as a sixth-round Titans pick. The longtime NFL cornerback went on to play 173 games with four teams, collecting a Super Bowl ring along the way. Jason’s decision comes less than a month from his 35th birthday.
McCourty signed a five-year extension with the Titans just before the 2012 season, and he nearly played out that contract. Being released by the Titans during the 2017 offseason led McCourty to three other teams — the Browns, Patriots and Dolphins — and five more NFL seasons.
Tennessee certainly received considerable value from the 2009 sixth-rounder. McCourty’s 108 games are the most by a Titans cornerback since the franchise’s 1997 relocation. They trail only Cris Dishman and Zeke Moore‘s 109; both played exclusively with the Oilers. The Titans had interest in keeping McCourty in 2016, but at a different price. That led to a separation and McCourty playing the 2017 with the Browns. Although the Patriots showed interest in 2017, McCourty chose Cleveland. That Browns edition went 0-16.
The Browns, who had signed McCourty to a two-year deal worth $6MM in 2017, traded the contract to the Patriots. One of the Pats’ pick-swap deals — a sixth-round pick for McCourty and a seventh — was enough to reunite the twin DBs. This led to the most memorable chapter of the McCourtys’ career, with Jason and Devin playing together for the next three seasons. After being part of a winless team, Jason McCourty made major contributions to a Super Bowl-winning squad a year later. McCourty’s lengthy sprint to break up a likely Jared Goff-to-Brandin Cooks touchdown connection helped the Pats become the second team to keep an opponent out of the end zone in a Super Bowl.
McCourty re-signed with the Pats on a two-year, $10MM deal in 2019 and ended his New England run with 36 starts — including all three Pats playoff games during their 2018 Super Bowl LIII run. Then-Dolphins HC Brian Flores brought in his former charge in 2021, but a foot injury limited him to just seven games last season.
For his career, Jason McCourty finishes with 18 interceptions and nine forced fumbles. He turned two of his five fumble recoveries into touchdowns and returned an INT for a score as well. Devin McCourty signed a one-year, $9MM deal to stay with the Patriots in March.
OL Richie Incognito Announces Retirement
Richie Incognito announced Friday he will retire from the NFL. Most recently a member of the Raiders, the veteran guard retired as a member of the team.
Known for both high-level performance and off-field incidents that led to multiple season-long absences, Incognito played from 2005-2020. Incognito caught on with the Raiders in 2019, after missing the 2018 season, and started 12 games. The Raiders reached an extension with the veteran blocker late in 2019 and, after scrapping that deal during the 2021 offseason, came to another agreement with him last year. Incognito did not play last season, with health issues again impeding him, and will call it quits at age 39.
The former Rams third-round pick played 164 career games (all starts) and made four Pro Bowls. Three of those honors came with the Bills, when Incognito helped LeSean McCoy reach two 1,000-yard seasons, but the other came with the Dolphins. Incognito’s Dolphins tenure will probably be what is most remembered about his career, but he capitalized on the additional chances given to him by the Bills and Raiders.
At the center of the bullying scandal involving then-Miami O-lineman Jonathan Martin, Incognito was suspended by the team and did not play in 2014. The NFL’s investigation found Incognito harassed Martin with racial and homophobic remarks. Despite being sidelined in his age-31 season, Incognito came back and signed two Bills contracts — the second of which a three-year, $15.75MM deal during the 2016 offseason. The Nebraska alum played two years on that second Buffalo deal, helping the McCoy- and Tyrod Taylor-driven attack lead the league in rushing in 2016.
The Bills released Incognito during the 2018 offseason, and he claimed he was retiring at that point. A subsequent an altercation at a Florida gym led to Incognito being placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold by police, and an arrest for a separate incident later that offseason led to a second full-season Incognito absence.
The Rams had previously cut Incognito during the 2009 season, after a game during which he received multiple personal foul penalties for headbutting, and he ended up with the Bills initially via waiver claim. The Dolphins gave Incognito a one-year deal in 2010 and extended him in 2011. Prior to the bullying scandal that broke midway through the 2013 season, Incognito started 55 games with the Dolphins.
After the Raiders gave the polarizing lineman another chance in 2019, he helped Josh Jacobs to a 1,150-yard rushing debut — a season in which Oakland ranked in the top 10 in rushing DVOA. The Raiders gave Incognito a two-year, $14MM extension in December 2019, but the early-season foot injury he suffered in 2020’s second game ended up sidelining him for most of that year. A calf injury shut down Incognito for all of the 2021 season.
This was certainly one of the more unique careers in modern O-line history. Despite injuries and controversies, Incognito became the rare lineman to play into his late 30s.
Latest On Former Saints HC Sean Payton
Sean Payton was linked to a number of a head coaching gigs this offseason, but it sounds like the former Saints HC was legitimately looking to take a break in 2022. There’s still a chance he’ll be ready to return to the sideline for the 2023 campaign, and if that’s the case, the long-time coach would have a few preferred destinations.
[RELATED: Sean Payton To Be Fox Analyst In 2022]
A source told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Chargers would interest Payton if the jobs became available. Of course, the source was also adamant that Payton “would never lobby for a filled job” and would only have interest if those organizations move on from their current coaches. Further, the source indicated that Payton valued “warm weather, a roster good enough to compete and most importantly, control over personnel decisions” at a new stop, and while a good QB would be helpful, that’d be secondary to his other priorities.
If you’ve been following the Payton rumblings throughout the offseason, you’re certainly not surprised about the Miami connection. There was a reported deal in place with the Dolphins that would have seen him join Miami alongside Tom Brady if not for Brian Flores‘ racial discrimination lawsuit. As Jackson writes, Payton was “flattered” by the Dolphins interest, but he truly intends to take time away from coaching in 2022. Further, while a previous source indicated that the Dolphins offered Payton a five-year, $100MM contract, Jackson notes that the Dolphins never had the opportunity to offer the contract since they were never granted permission by the Saints to speak to the coach.
Of course, the Dolphins ended up pivoting to Mike McDaniel, and the organization is hoping they won’t even have to think about a Payton pursuit next year. There’s also the status of general manager Chris Grier, but Jackson opines that the executive wouldn’t have an issue with deferring to Payton.
Payton has also previously been connected to Dallas, where he spent three seasons as the QBs coach before landing the HC gig with the Saints in 2006. Mike McCarthy has had a roller coaster two years in Dallas; after a 6-10 campaign in 2020, the former Packers HC led the team to an NFC East title last season. Unfortunately, that brief success was overshadowed by an underwhelming playoff loss, leading some to speculate that McCarthy could be on the hot seat. Jerry Jones made it clear that he’s committed to McCarthy, but things could obviously change if Dallas underwhelms in 2022.
The Chargers are an interesting inclusion on Payton’s list. The organization gave Anthony Lynn four seasons before replacing him with Brandon Staley, and there’s a good chance that the replacement will have just as long of a leash as his predecessor. Staley would surely get more than two seasons to guide the Chargers back to the postseason, but things could have obviously change if the organization has a chance to lure a coach with Payton’s resume.
TEs Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki Expected To Play On Franchise Tags
As the deadline for franchise tag recipients continues to draw near, there has been a noteworthy (if unsurprising) development regarding the two tight ends yet to sign a long-term deal. In a pair of tweets, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that neither Dalton Schultz nor Mike Gesicki are expected to reach agreement with their respective teams on a new contract. 
No talks have taken place between Schultz and the Cowboys in weeks, so it was reported days ago that nothing was considered to be imminent in terms of a last-minute deal being finalized. While the door had been opened to the possibility of such a scenario materializing, this news is in line with what had been expected throughout the offseason.
Schultz wouldn’t have been on the tag radar after his first two seasons in Dallas. The former fourth-rounder had totalled just 13 scoreless receptions by the start of the 2020 season. Since then, however, he has received 193 targets, accrued 1,423 yards and racked up 12 scores. Dallas has obviously not been able to put together a multi-year offer close enough to Schultz’s perceived value, however.
In Gesicki’s case, it was likewise reported recently that an extension was unlikely at this late stage of the negotiating window. The 26-year-old entered the league with more pedigree compared to Schultz from his college days, and has been a consistent contributor in Miami’s passing game for longer. He posted new career highs in receptions (73) and yards (780) in 2021, continuing his ascending production.
“I am absolutely open to negotiation, but it’s not really up to me,” he said in April, when asked about contract talks. “If they reach out, my agent will be listening.” Not much progress has been made since then, as the Dolphins seem prepared to let 2022 play out with Gesicki perhaps falling down the pecking order in a pass-catching corps which now includes Tyreek Hill.
By remaining on the tag – which, unlike Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and Bengals safety Jessie Bates, both Schultz and Gesicki have signed – the pair will each earn $10.93MM. That could constitute considerable value at a position whose market has been elevated by deals such as the one signed by fellow tag recipient David Njoku, who has less of a track record of success. A second tag next season would cost roughly $13.12MM, which still wouldn’t rank in the top-five at the position. Attention will now turn to Brown and Bates to see if last-minute deals can be reached with their respective teams.
Four Players Remain On Franchise Tag; Extension Deadline Friday
The teams that still have players tied to the franchise tag have until 3pm CT Friday to reach extension agreements with the tagged performers. Otherwise, those players will play the 2022 season on the tag.
This year has brought a better success rate for tags leading to extensions, at least compared to the past two offseasons. Four of the eight players given the tag in March have signed extensions. That betters the 2020 (2-for-14) and 2021 (3-for-9) success rates. While Chris Godwin (Buccaneers), Cam Robinson (Jaguars), David Njoku (Browns) and Davante Adams (Packers; traded to Raiders) agreed to deals, the rest of this year’s group remains unsigned.
Here is how that quartet stands entering deadline week:
S Jessie Bates, Cincinnati Bengals
This looks like the most contentious of this year’s remaining tag situations. Bates, 25, discussed his disappointment about the lack of a Bengals extension ahead of his 2021 contract year and admitted not receiving a long-term deal affected him during the season. The former second-round pick, who rebounded with a postseason run featuring two interceptions and six pass deflections, voiced opposition to the franchise tag in February. Absent a long-term deal, the fifth-year defender is not expected to show for Bengals training camp. Bates, who has not signed his franchise tender, is tied to a $12.9MM tag figure. The Bengals hold $15.8MM in cap space.
Cincinnati has Vonn Bell on a $6MM-per-year deal, one that expires at season’s end, and used a first-round pick on safety Daxton Hill. The team has some notable players who become extension-eligible after 2022, notably Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, and they may not be prepared to extend Bates on the level of Minkah Fitzpatrick ($18.2MM per year) or Jamal Adams ($17.5MM AAV). With the Bengals potentially eyeing Marcus Williams‘ five-year, $70MM Ravens deal, this impasse has created “bleak” negotiations leading up to the deadline.
The Bengals have taken care of homegrown defenders in the fairly recent past, giving both Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins two extensions and re-signing Dre Kirkpatrick in 2017. They also have let productive starters go, as evidenced by the departures of Andrew Whitworth, Kevin Zeitler, William Jackson and Carl Lawson. Zeitler signed a then-guard-record deal with the Browns in 2017; is Bates headed for free agency after a rental year?
T Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs
This situation has not produced as many headlines as Bates’ over the past year, but the Chiefs are a few days away from going to year-to-year with their left tackle. Brown is tied to a $16.7MM tag but is pursuing a deal that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. Trent Williams, whom the Chiefs pursued in free agency last year before pivoting to a Brown trade, currently holds that title ($23MM per year). The league has three $20MM-AAV O-linemen (Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil). For Brown to commit to a long-term deal, he would need to be the fourth. The Chiefs hold $14.3MM in cap space.
The Chiefs gave up their 2021 first-round pick for Brown, in a deal that also sent a Ravens second-rounder to Kansas City. Brown hired an agent that did not have an NFL client at that point, seeking a representative without relationships with front offices. The former Ravens third-rounder delivered an ominous message to his current team last month. Addressing the AFC West arrivals of Chandler Jones, Khalil Mack and Randy Gregory, Brown said it is “not the year to go into the season with a backup left tackle.” The sides have begun talks, which was the Chiefs’ plan upon acquiring Brown in 2021. But these could, as many tag stalemates do, go up to the deadline.
In moving from a right tackle the Ravens did not have in their long-term plans to a Chiefs Pro Bowler given the tag, Brown has shown a knack for maximizing his value. Like Bates, Brown has not signed his franchise tender, giving him the option of skipping training camp free of charge. The Chiefs have just one O-lineman, Joe Thuney, signed to a notable veteran deal. It would seem the franchise is prepared to give Brown a big-ticket extension. If the 26-year-old blocker is intent on surpassing Williams’ deal, it will test the Chiefs’ commitment.
TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins might be eyeing a rental season here. Gesicki signed his franchise tender and has expressed interest in a long-term Miami deal. But the team may want to see more from the former second-round pick. Less than a week before the deadline, the sides have not done much work on an extension. Njoku’s $14.2MM-per-year pact can reasonably be viewed as a Gesicki target, with the Dolphins tight end producing two seasons — yardage-wise — that outpaced Njoku’s best year. Even before Njoku’s extension, the Dolphins and their tagged tight end were not close on a re-up. The Dolphins hold $16.5MM in cap space.
Mike McDaniel reshaped the Dolphins’ offense this offseason, and on just a $10.9MM franchise tender, the Penn State product makes sense as a rental piece. This represents a crucial year for Tua Tagovailoa, and the Dolphins kept one of his top targets off the market. Gesicki, 26, could join this year’s other tagged tight end as a 2023 free agent. It would cost the Dolphins 120% of this year’s tight end tag figure to cuff Gesicki again in 2023.
TE Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys frequently hammer out extensions, preferring deals that last at least five years. That preference has impacted the Schultz talks, with the Njoku contract undoubtedly factoring into this equation as well. Throughout the offseason, the Cowboys and Schultz have not been close on an agreement. Schultz, 26, did not finish OTAs with the team, citing dissatisfaction with his contract talks for leaving. He later circled back for mandatory minicamp. Despite little momentum emerging for much of the offseason, these negotiations still have a chance of producing an agreement ahead of Friday’s deadline. The Cowboys hold $22.5MM in cap space; Schultz has signed his tender.
Unlike Gesicki’s situation, the tight end tag talks in Dallas have continued throughout the offseason. The $10.9MM payment obviously represents a major raise for the former fourth-round pick, but as Blake Jarwin‘s injury issues have shown, players can lose value quickly. The Cowboys paid Jarwin ahead of his career-altering injuries, and Schultz has been a far more effective weapon, as evidenced by his 808-yard, eight-touchdown 2021 season. The Cowboys were wise to keep him off this year’s market, with Amari Cooper being traded and Michael Gallup unlikely to start the season on time.
If Schultz and the Cowboys cannot agree on terms by Friday, his status as a key Dak Prescott target stands to position the Stanford alum for a big payday as a 2023 UFA. Then again, the Cowboys have re-tagged multiple players — Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence — over the past five years.