Cowboys' Top Players to Consider for Franchise Tag in Free Agency

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys haven't been afraid to utilize the franchise tag to keep key veterans on the team.

The one-year solution for clubs that might not be able or willing to commit long term has helped keep some big names in Dallas. Most recently, the Cowboys utilized the tag to keep Dak Prescott for another year until the parties reached a long-term deal.

But Prescott isn't the only big-name player they have used it on. DeMarcus Lawrence got it twice. Dez Bryant got tagged in 2015.

In all, Dallas has used it eight times. And this year, it could be an option for at least one impending free agent.

The team only gets to use one tag per offseason. Considering the cost and the Cowboys' cap situation—Spotrac reports they are $21.2 million over the cap—one is all they would need. If they are going to use it, these are the three guys to consider tagging.

If the Cowboys use the franchise tag, it's most likely to wind up with tight end Dalton Schultz.

Schultz has been a bit of an unexpected development for the Cowboys. He took full advantage of Blake Jarwin's injury in 2020 and took over the job as starting tight end in 2021, when he was third among all tight ends in receptions, sixth in yards and fifth in touchdowns.

That makes it worth paying him the franchise tag, which factors in the salaries of the top tight ends and projects to be worth around $11 million, per Over the Cap.

Spotrac's calculated market value for the tight end is $12.6 million annually. So the franchise tag would not be a case of overpaying the tight end although coming up with a long-term contract would be the better option.

The Cowboys will start the offseason $21.2 million over the cap. If Schultz were to come to an agreement on a four-year deal, for example, the first year would likely have the smallest cap hit.

Still, the tag could still be in play. Schultz only has one year of top-tier production, and the Cowboys can generate enough cap space ($48.8 million) through simple restructures, per Over the Cap, to utilize the tag on Schultz.

Pass rushing generally comes at a premium when it comes to free agency. Pass-rushers accounted for five of the top 10 contracts handed out in free agency last year by annual average value.

That's why Randy Gregory is a player who could wind up with a bloated contract if he hits free agency. This year's class of pass-rushers is on the older side. Von Miller and Chandler Jones are the top two in terms of production, but both will be 32 when the new league year arrives March 16.

Gregory is a good combination of age and production. He's 29 and had six sacks and 29 pressures in 12 games for the Cowboys this season.

The Cowboys' cap situation would make it difficult, but Gregory could be a candidate for the transition tag. Much like the franchise tag, the transition designation gives teams the ability to offer a one-year contract, but it functions slightly differently.

The franchise tag is based on the top five players at the position, while the transition tag is based on the top 10. It doesn't come with any compensation if the player signs elsewhere, but it does give the club the opportunity to match any offer the player receives, per NFL.com.

It's considerably cheaper in Gregory's case. The franchise tag for a defensive end is projected to be north of $20 million, while the transition tag is projected to be $16.6 million. It's not cheap, but it would be a way to keep Gregory with the team for one more season and allow him to chase a long-term contract when he hits 30.

The only other conceivable use of the franchise tag on the Cowboys roster would be on Michael Gallup. However, the chances of this happening are slim to none.

For starters, the receiver tag is likely to be much more expensive than the tight end version. The tag for Gallup is projected to cost the Cowboys $19.1 million, which is $8 million more than the cost of tagging Schultz.

If the Cowboys intend to go forward with CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper on the roster, it's hard to envision them shelling out the money to keep Gallup, franchise tag or otherwise. If the Cowboys opt to trade Cooper, then things would get interesting for Gallup.

Trading Cooper would cost the team $6 million in dead cap, but they would save $16 million in cap space. That, of course, would make re-signing Gallup a priority. He's a deep threat who would be a great No. 2 receiver as long as he recovers from the ACL tear that ended his season.

Even in that scenario, the tag would need to be a placeholder to keep him off the market while they strike a long-term deal. The money saved from a hypothetical Cooper trade should be spent elsewhere rather than handing Gallup the tag.

All contract and salary-cap information via Spotrac unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via Pro Football Reference.