Jaguars seen as potential landing spot for TE Dalton Schultz in free agency

It’s no secret that the Jacksonville Jaguars need to build around Trevor Lawrence this offseason. Revamping their wide receiver corps should be one of their top priorities but their tight end room could also use some work. They will have their fair share of choices in free agency and they’ve been seen as a potential landing spot for Dalton Schultz of the Dallas Cowboys.

Arjun Menon recently updated the potential landing spots for Pro Football Focus’ top 50 free agents in 2022 and sees Jacksonville as a destination for Schultz. Menon believes the tight end could be of tremendous help for Lawrence.

"Schultz had a huge year for the Cowboys and was a reliable weapon in the passing game, especially when Amari Cooper and Gallup missed time. Schultz had the third-best wins above replacement (WAR) at the TE position and the seventh-highest receiving grade amongst TEs (77.0). Going to the Jaguars would be a huge help for Trevor Lawrence, as it would provide him with a reliable safety blanket over the middle, which he lacked in his rookie year."

A fourth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, Schultz hardly saw the football field in his first two NFL seasons but he’s appeared in 33 games with 29 starts and hauled in 141 receptions for 1,423 yards with 12 touchdowns over the last two years.

Dalton Schultz would give the Jaguars’ passing game a big boost.

PFF expects the former Stanford Cardinal to sign a four-year deal worth $52 million with $32.5 million guaranteed. All things considered, that’s a fair price when you take into account the kind of numbers he’s put up over the last two seasons. The Jaguars can easily give him that kind of contract and still have plenty of cap room to sign another big-name free agent.

The Jaguars haven’t gotten much production from their tight end unit the last two seasons and that has to change. Back in 2020, they gave Tyler Eifert a two-year deal but he was no longer the playmaker he was early in his career, so the front office opted not to bring him back last offseason. Similarly, the Jags made several additions to the group last year but injuries hinder their production. James O’Shaughnessy suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and was limited to seven games with six starts. Dan Arnold hurt his MCL in Week 12 and missed the remainder of the season.

O’Shaugnessy is slated to be a free agent and Arnold has one year left on their current contract, so this would be the right time for the Jaguars to bolster their tight end room. Arnold should be fully healthy in 2022 and signing Schultz would give him a solid one-two punch in the middle of the football field.

Winning the offseason doesn’t always translate into regular-season success but that doesn’t mean the Jaguars sit free agency out. It remains to be seen who they will target but Dalton Schultz should be at the top of their wish list.