This time last year, Cowboys Nation was in a tizzy after Dalton Schultz was franchise tagged for $10.931 million dollars.
There were essentially two sides to the argument amongst fans.
Half of the fan base was outraged that Schultz would be taking up such a large piece of the pie, and that his salary didn’t reflect his actual output on the field.
The other half pointed out that Schultz was Dak Prescott’s security blanket, and the team should value him by giving him what he wants towards a long-term extension.
Personally, I stood with the first half of the fan base.
I felt that those $10.9 million would have been better used on a cheaper priced tight end, with money left over to address other needs.
My thoughts unfortunately resulted in me being added to the list of Twitter users that Schultz decided to block.
Until this day, I believe that was still the best block Schultz had in the entire 2022 season.
I may or may not still be salty. Use your context clues to decide.
Schultz plays for the Houston Texans now after signing a one year, $6.250 million deal to travel down I-35.
He also took his 57 receptions for 577 yards and five touchdowns with him.
Dallas looks to fill Schultz’s production with a pair of second year players and a 2nd round rookie.
Returning players Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot hope to team up with rookie Luke Schoonmaker and maximize the production of the tight end room in Mike McCarthy’s Texas Coast scheme.
Sean McKeon can also be lumped into that battle, although he will most likely contribute on special teams, if at all.
Tight end experience is a concern, and multiple factors could compound that concern.
What If Ferguson or Hendershot Fail to Make the Leap?
Ferguson is tentatively penciled in as the number one tight end on the depth chart.
Many feel he should be the clear cut starter, but the stats from 2022 say otherwise.
How can we have so much faith in a player that recorded only 19 receptions in his rookie season?
Fans are often blinded by big plays, and Ferguson did have a couple of those.
Namely hurdling completely over a defender for a big gain during the regular season, and a long gain versus the Buccaneers in the Wildcard round.
Maybe his 84.6% catch percentage also has people seeing stars.
Yes, he caught 19 of his 22 targets, but the majority of those receptions were closer to the line of scrimmage than we’d like to see from TE1.
Ferguson struggled getting open down the field, a trait even Schultz was able to make the most of.
Peyton Hendershot
Peyton Hendershot has even less of a case for a big impact based on his 2022 numbers.
Hendershot caught only 11 passes on 16 targets, contributing 103 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
The version of him that we saw finish the 2022 season is one that struggles in run blocking.
If McCarthy plans on deploying 12 personnel to “run the damn ball”, Hendershot will need to show marked improvement sealing the edge and walling off linebackers.
On top the blocking issues, Hendershot is also remembered for volleying a perfect Dak Prescott pass into the hands of a Tennessee Titans defender.
Should Hendershot not improve his run blocking, it’s difficult to imagine him cracking into the regular rotation.
Dallas features three wide receivers that are sure to be on the field with each other the majority of the time.
Add in Ferguson or Schoonmaker as the first string tight end, and Hendershot would be the fifth receiving option on the field.
Getting looks from that spot in the pecking order will be difficult to do.
What if Luke Schoonmaker’s Injury Lingers?
The Dallas Cowboys double-dipped into the University of Michigan in this year’s draft.
Tight end Luke Schoonmaker was taken in the 2nd round at pick number 58 overall.
The pick itself drew criticism from Twitter general managers.
Many feel that Schoonmaker is just a clone of the player that left to sign in Houston, and at least a cousin of the already rostered Ferguson.
It’s obvious that the Cowboys have a “type” at tight end.
Fans who were all about the all-in attitude that brought in veterans Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore felt the Schoonmaker selection was as safe as it could get.
Many argued that if tight end was absolutely the move in the 2nd round, there were more athletic and higher ceiling players available.
Names like Darnell Washington and Cameron Latu were still available, and their freak size and athleticism could have served the Cowboys well.
Alas, the pick was Schoonmaker, and there is no going back.
Dallas has a reputation of taking project players in the 2nd round, and most of the time they pose injury concerns.
The irony in this situation is that Schoonmaker was the pick because he was the safest bet, but has yet to participate in team drills due to plantar fasciitis.
As of Monday, August 7th, Schoonmaker has been removed from the injury list, and was listed as a participant in practice for the first time.
However, plantar fasciitis is unpredictable.
It could flare up at any moment, or it could simply heal itself and allow him to play the entire season pain free.
Nobody can predict the future, but we can make general predictions based on history and some current speculation.
Dallas could end up with one of the youngest and most talented tight end rooms in the league.
On the flip side of that same coin, one or more of the scenarios mentioned above could come true, leaving Dallas with one of the worst rooms in the NFL.
At that point, many would welcome the sight of Schultz still wearing a Cowboys uniform.
Shultz was a great receiver but collectively these guys are better
Have to disagree with you here. Shultz is nothing more than an average TE whose numbers came from being a safety valve because CeeDee was the only WR producing last year with Gallup still not at full tilt. He never has been a great blocker so I think the guys on the roster this year can fill his role very well.
Best advice i can give you is find a new team that way you can cheer up a little and not be so doom and gloom . Shultz was a average te that is about all you can really say . Would be willing to best we can get 577 yards and more than 5td from the guys left in the locker room. I kept reading your article looking for the “BUT WHAT IF THEY DO ” but guys like you and Skip Bayless seem to wanna look at glass half empty on these things but did we all not feel when Witten left that we would struggle ? I trust McClay and will roll with these guys we have at least they block .
DS was a good player for us. However is was more about the system than anything. A lot of routes cleared leaving the tight end as the only option. No YAC at all and he was rarely used swim the field. He also is a poor blocker. New cheap more talented options. We will be fine.
TE’s, barring Gronk or T.Gonzalez, are there to block 90% of the time. Making a LB cover them to avoid a free Blitzer. He, ( Shultz), wasn’t a good blocker. So he’s gone.
…barring Gronk, Gonzalez, and that Kelce dude.
a shame we lost Schultz. just bad timing considering he had improved generously on his blocking skills and his ability to get open and put points on the board. i guess we’ll see what happens with the TE room we currently have.
Dak will most definitely miss him, bad decision to let him go
Nah
SO good he can’t get more than a one year deal from crappy teams. He is just collecting money. Glad he is gone.
They won’t miss him
There’s only so much money under the cap. Schultz was good, but probably not good enough to fit.
Dallas to Houston is I-45 Southbound, not I-35
I’m not worried about this TE room one bit!! I think Jake Ferguson is gonna be better than Schultz, he can block already and he’s a good receiver!! Schultz was only a good receiver, but he was only good at catching the ball, he couldn’t even get any YAC most of the time!! Ferguson had better YAC last year than Schultz did and he didn’t even get as many chances as Schultz did!! What’s weird is that Schultz was drafted because of his blocking skills, but by the time he got the starting job, he couldn’t block at all!! But we don’t have to worry about that now, cause Jake Ferguson is a really good blocker and he showed last season that he can be a really good receiver too!! And we all know Schoonmaker can block cause that’s what his main job was in Michigan!! But the people that seen him play in Michigan also know that when needed he can be a play maker at receiver too!! His foot injury is his only problem!! So there’s 2 TEs we have that are more than likely better than Schultz, one for sure (the 2nd depends on his foot injury!!) I think if we want a Schultz replacement, all we need to do is put Hendershot in…. He can’t block for nothing, but he’s a good receiver!! I liked Schultz as a receiver cause he was always there when Dak needed him, but I really think that the TEs we have now will take his place just fine and more than likely turn out better than Schultz!! So again, I’m not worried about this TE room!! I think they’ll be just fine!!
Moron alert . You got idoits writing your articles for Clickbait
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