Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz: Coach Belichick Patriots Free Agent Target?

Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz may be in the crosshairs of the suddenly tight end-needy New England Patriots as the start of the 2023 NFL year approaches.

With 2023 NFL year set to begin on Wednesday (with free agency signings able to go official), the Dallas Cowboys and tight end Dalton Schultz appear to be headed their separate ways. 

Having already applied the franchise tag to running back Tony Pollard, Schultz seems destined for free agency — as well as a more lucrative payday outside of Dallas. 

Could that financial windfall blow in form the northeast?

The typically-frugal New England Patriots are suddenly in need of a tight end, having dealt the talented, but ill-fitted Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday morning. 

Schultz would be a strong logistical fit in the Patriots system. However, making the financials work may be a bit problematic.  

As CowboysSI.com reported earlier this month, the Cowboys haven't really made a push to keep Schultz as he's opting to find greener pastures outside of Dallas. He earned $10.9 million while playing on the franchise tag in 2022. Dallas had the option to do that again, but a second tag would have cost the Cowboys over $13 million. As such, Pollard became the more palatable option at $10.1 million for 2023. 

Conversely, Schultz may find difficulty in drawing a contract of greater value from Bill Belichick. After setting career-highs in nearly every offensive category in 2021, a nagging knee injury slowed his production a bit this year. However, Schultz finished the season with a handful of strong performances, including a 10-catch (two of which went for touchdowns), 56-yard outing during Dallas’ victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.

The 6-5, 244-pound tight end is at his best when utilizing the intermediate area of the field, particularly against teams with difficulty defending it. Schultz is successful when finding space sitting down in soft zones, as well as utilizing flat combinations. When teams attempt to neutralize the middle of the field by taking away slot targets underneath, he often finds room to operate in some catch-and-run situations over the middle.

With the hiring of Bill O’Brien as their new offensive coordinator, the Patriots are expected to increase their deployment of 12-personnel, with a heightened focus on securing yards after the catch. Schultz has proven to be proficient in this category and would make a top-notch complement to Pats tight end Hunter Henry. 

Still, with just over $28 million in available salary cap space, New England may choose to allocate those funds to other positions of need. 

The trade of Jonnu Smith seemingly opened the door for the Cowboys tight end to potentially head east. However, the chances of Schultz walking through it depend largely on his price. 

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL.

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