Scratch any plans of the Jaguars signing TE Dalton Schutz in free agency

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to bolster their tight end room this offseason but they will have fewer options after the Dallas Cowboys applied the franchise tag on Dalton Schultz, effectively taking him off the market. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Cowboys are slapping Schultz with the franchise and hope they can reach a long-term deal. This is news is rather shocking when you take into account that Dallas is currently experiencing a cap crunch and the tight end looked like a good bet to become a free agent.

The Boys currently have a $31 million cap deficit and it will take some savvy accounting just to get out of the red. Wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence were likely to be released with Schultz getting the tag, it now seems inevitable. Another thing that makes Dallas’ decision to use the tag on Schultz a bit unexpected is that they also want to keep wide receiver Michael Gallup, who has been one of their top weapons over the last three years. Regardless of how they fit everyone in their budget, the Cowboys aren’t planning on letting two key contributors on offense hit the open market.

Had Schultz become a free agent, he would have been in high demand. He’s a well-rounded tight end that has hauled in 141 receptions for 1,423 yards with 12 touchdowns. The Jaguars were a favorite to land him but now that signing him is off the table, they will have to look elsewhere.

The Jaguars will have options in free agency beyond Dalton Schultz.

With both Schultz, David Njoku (Cleveland Browns), and Mike Gesicki (Miami Dolphins) getting the franchise tag, Zach Ertz becomes the top tight end in free agency. Even though he’s 31, he’s not showing signs of slowing down, catching 56 receptions for 574 yards with three touchdowns in 11 games after being traded to the Arizona Cardinals last season.

Due to Ertz’s connection to Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, there’s a chance he could land in Jacksonville but if he won’t be the only option available in the open market. Evan Engram has been pretty consistent throughout his four-year career, averaging 52 receptions per season, and might be cheaper than Ertz. Another alternative is Tampa Bay O.J. Howard, who showed promise early in his career but took a backseat these past two seasons after the arrival of Rob Gronkowski. A former first-round pick, he could be a reclamation project in Jacksonville.

If the Jaguars don’t like any of the options available in free agency, they could then turn to the draft for help. They could use one of their two third-round picks or even their second-rounder on a tight end. Jalen Wydermyer, Isaiah Likely, and Jason Ferguson could be prospects to keep an eye on.

Schultz would have given the Jaguars’ offense an immediate boost but he’s far from the only option available. They still need to acquire one tight end in either free agency or the draft to pair with Dan Arnold.