Dalton Schultz Trade by Cowboys For 2 First-Round Picks? A Rumor, Explained

The Cowboys have ideally used the tag simply as a place-holder, with no locked-in intention of Schultz counting almost $11 million against the cap.

FRISCO - NFL free agency, and discussions surrounding it, happen in a fast-and-furious way - so fast that something as simple as a tweet from a respected reporter can get accidentally twisted.

That just happened regarding Dalton Schultz, who is presently on the Dallas Cowboys franchise tag, and it just happened to our colleague Jane Slater of NFL Network.

The Cowboys chose to franchise tag Schultz on the deadline day on Tuesday. That essentially solidifies that he will be sticking around for another year, and making a guaranteed $10.931 million in 2022. ... unless two things happen ...

Eric Hartline/USA Today

One, a quite likely thing: The Cowboys have used the tag simply as a place-holder, with no locked-in intention of Schultz counting almost $11 million against the cap (making him a top-seven-salaried NFL tight end). Rather, they plan on negotiating a long-term deal that will reduce the cap impact.

Two, a highly unlikely thing: The Cowboys could opt to say goodbye to Schultz should another be so in love with him that, by tag rule, they want to take him away from Dallas by offering two first-round picks.

Slater’s tweet was factual regarding all of this. Slater tweeted: “No long-term active negotiations with now-tagged Dalton Schultz yet. Intent is there for a long-term deal but want to see how things shake out. Keep in mind, the tighg end market is thin. The Cowboys could get a call for him and two first-round picks.''

It was not Slater's intention by using the word "could'' that it's actually a realistic scenario; she was simply stating the tag rule regarding other bidders.

Schultz in 2021 had 78 receptions for 808 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He is valued by the Cowboys, and had they not tagged him, other teams would be in pursuit. But I'm quite sure Slater assumed that the reader - understandably caught up in the fast-and-furious nature of NFL free agency - would recognize that the idea that a team would give up two first-round picks for Schultz is very unlikely.

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