So with no deal in place between Dalton Schultz and the Cowboys, do you foresee any lingering animosity between the two sides this year? When this happens, is it a foregone conclusion that this will be his last year with the Cowboys? — J.C. Monroe / Bakersfield, CA
Rob: I doubt Schultz is ecstatic over this because he wanted a long-term deal and skipped the last week of voluntary OTAs to make that clear. But he's a professional and I don't think this will affect his preparation in any way. The reality is the Cowboys could franchise him again next year if negotiations don't progress. We've seen it happen with DeMarcus Lawrence and Dak Prescott in the past, but they both got deals done in the second offseason, so that would be the hope for both sides here.
Nick: From what I've heard on this matter, Schultz never really wanted to sit out the week of OTAs. Of course, he didn't miss any of the minicamps and he'll definitely be there for training camp. Sure, you want a long-term deal so you can move on and have that desired financial security. But we've seen this play out well for the players before. Dak and Tank but played very well under the tag and got long-term deals. It's going to be interesting to see how defenses play Schultz if he's truly one of the top three passing threats in the offense. That hasn't happened before. And I think both sides want to see what happens. But it could be risky for the Cowboys. Schultz might shatter the numbers from last year and if that happens, their best bet would be to probably tag him once again. So we might be a long way from any kind of resolution here. But I think he'll be a pro about this and it won't be an issue.
