Rookie TE Jake Ferguson has a chance to save Dallas Cowboys millions

By most accounts, the Dallas Cowboys lucked themselves into a pretty great pick on the third day of the 2022 NFL Draft. After their top-two tight end targets went off the board just before they picked, Dallas selected Jake Ferguson with their fourth rounder and look pretty darn smart for having done so.

Not only has the Wisconsin TE been turning heads in camp and showing signs of one day becoming an NFL TE1, but he appears ahead of schedule and further along in his development than many scouts first projected.

If rookie TE Jake Ferguson continues to impress, the Dallas Cowboys stand to save millions on a possible Dalton Schultz contract.

This is as much about the Cowboys veteran TE, Dalton Schultz, as it is about the rookie. Allow me to explain…

After breaking out in 2021, the Dallas Cowboys felt compelled to slap their 25-year-old free agent with the franchise tag. With no viable option in their pipeline and an underwhelming free agent class hitting the market, they really didn’t have much of a choice.

The hesitancy to re-sign Schultz long-term is understandable. While he put up top-10 numbers playing TE1 in Dallas, he doesn’t exactly look like a top-10 talent on the field. The Dallas Cowboys weren’t eager to throw $11-$14 million annually on someone they thought could be replaceable.

Which brings us to the NFL Draft. The Dallas Cowboys knew they needed a strong TE prospect in the 2022 Draft. They wanted someone with TE1/TE2 ability that could eventually take the reins from Schultz. Whether that would be in Year 2, Year 3, or Year Never depended on the prospect. It would also impact if they re-sign Schultz and if so, for how long.

But the urgency to re-sign Schultz and duration of said deal will be impacted by the progression of Jake Ferguson.

The Dallas Cowboys haven’t closed the door on re-signing Dalton Schultz. He’s a good player that they seem to like, so they very easily could come to an agreement at some point before the regular season begins. But the urgency to do so and duration of said deal will be impacted by the progression of Jake Ferguson.

If Ferg keeps flexing in camps and hits training camp with a full head of steam, the Cowboys front office may feel confident in his ability to fully take the reins in 2023. If so, they wouldn’t feel compelled to offer Schultz anything more than his current franchise tag.

If Ferg face plants (tight end is one of the hardest positions to transition to in the pros), they may decide to offer Schultz a long-term deal and cap the rookie’s future at TE2. If Ferg falls somewhere in the middle where he follows a similar development plan as Schultz (2-3 years) they could try to sign Schultz on a shorter deal (with more guaranteed money to sweeten the pot). They could make Schultz rich while he bridges the gap to Ferguson but not have to commit to a typical 4-5 year deal.

As you can see, we’re not just talking millions of dollars, but tens of millions of dollars here.

With negotiations between Dalton Schultz and the Dallas Cowboys ongoing, there’s no time to waste. How Jake Ferguson shows in minicamps and the early portions of training camp will be huge in how the front office plans the future of the roster.

Surprise standout rookies happen all the time but it’s not every day a rookie stands to save his team millions just by being ahead of schedule in his development. The Dallas Cowboys are wise to slow-play the Schultz negotiations right now.