Cowboys Ties to Top 10 Free Agents Available, Including OBJ, Wagner & Schultz

Among the top-tier talents waiting to be signed, Sports Illustrated ranked Schultz as the second-best player available.

FRISCO - Dalton Schultz is the best free-agent tight end available as Wednesday marks the first day signings can go official. One of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's favorite targets, Schultz will likely be finding a new home.

Among the top-tier talents waiting to be signed, Sports Illustrated ranked Schultz as the second-best player available. Four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Orlando Brown Jr. takes the top spot on SI's rankings.

Schultz hit free agency after being tagged by the Cowboys in 2022. Last season, he posted 57 receptions for 577 yards and five touchdowns, down from his ’21 campaign.

With the Cowboys allowing Schultz to walk, he became the best free-agent tight end, but so far there has been little chatter about him landing somewhere. A bevy of teams make sense, especially considering his age (26) and durability, only missing two games over the past four seasons.

Schultz played for Dallas in 2022 on the franchise tag, earning $10.9 million. Dallas had the option to do that again, but a second tag would have cost the Cowboys over $13 million. Instead, the Cowboys applied the franchise tag to running back Tony Pollard for a more palatable option at $10.1 million for 2023.

Second-year tight ends in Peyton Hendershot and Jake Ferguson will look to step up in the absence of Schultz. Schultz was Dallas' second-leading receiver behind CeeDee Lamb with 577 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 57 receptions. In their rookie seasons, Ferguson and  Hendershot combined for 277 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 30 receptions and showed a lot of promise. 

Perhaps, Dallas will also target a tight end with the No. 26 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

So far, more than 60 free agents have already agreed to terms with teams. However, Schultz, Bobby Wagner and Odell Beckham Jr. - all of whom are tied to the Cowboys in some way - are among the top players still available. 

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