The Dallas Cowboys don't usually cave in to their players' salary demands. Jerry and Stephen Jones like to handle business a certain way, and that often means long and winding roads to get any deal done.
That seems to be the case with star TE Dalton Schultz, who's yet to sign a contract extension and is likely to play under the franchise tag next season.
There's No Progress On An Extension
Schultz is one of the prime tight ends in the NFL and he should gauge plenty of trade interest around the league, assuming the Cowboys are unwilling to meet his price.
Nonetheless, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Cowboys could simply continue franchise-tagging him as he'd still be underpaid for years to come:
"There has been no progress in long-term contract discussions between the Cowboys and franchise-tagged TE Dalton Schultz. The two sides have not spoken in weeks, source said. Deadlines can spur action, but as of now, no deal is imminent as Friday's cutoff looms," Gehlken reported. "Without a multi-year deal by Friday at 3 p.m. CT, Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz to spend year on $ 10.93 million tag, and he could be tagged again in 2023 at $ 13.12M. These figures are below market value; Browns TE David Njoku's new deal pays $ 13.69M annually."But what if Schultz decides that enough's enough? What if he demands a trade? Let's take a look at the three teams that would make the most sense.
Green Bay Packers
Robert Tonyan was one of Aaron Rodgers' favorite targets when healthy. But we've seen promising careers go down the drain after season-ending injuries, and they don't know how he'll recover for this season.
But even with a fully-healthy Tonyan, the Packers are still thin at the TE spot, and their rookie WRs could use another guy to open gaps, block, and take pressure off their shoulders. The salary cap could be an issue, but they could always restructure his deal.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl, yet their Offensive Line was historically bad. They sure went to great lengths to revamp the middle of their OL in the offseason, but TE continues to be a weak spot for them.
The Bengals don't have a tight-end signed beyond this year. They have enough salary-cap space and assets to swing for the fences and get a deal done.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just lost a Hall of Famer tight end in Rob Gronkowski. So, even though they addressed that issue with a couple of draft picks and they still have Cameron Brate, they could try and land a star to fill in that void.
The Bucs could offer a mid-round pick for the 25-year-old star, an offer so good that the Cowboys won't be able to refuse. Also, we already know what Tom Brady's capable of doing with an elite TE at his disposal.
]]>The Inquisitr
