Predicting which of the Cowboys 2023 free agents will stay or go

Tony Pollard, RB

A home run pick in the middle of the 2019 NFL Draft for Dallas was Memphis running back Tony Pollard. He’s spent the first three years of his career in a reserve role due to the presence of Ezekiel Elliott but the more often he touches the ball, the more explosive the offense looks.

Pollard is coming off his best season as a pro, putting up 1,056 total yards from scrimmage and adding another 489 yards and a touchdown as a kick returner. He was so effective that PFF ranked him fourth overall in the NFL.

Entering the final season of his rookie deal, Pollard has been working more as a receiver which could help Dallas as they navigate through Michael Gallup’s return from a torn ACL. It should also help Pollard prove his worth during a contract year.

After this season, there will be a huge decision for the Cowboys to make. They cannot afford both Elliott and Pollard, but there’s an out in Zeke’s contract. Should he be designated a post-June 1 cut, they would save $10.9 million — while eating $5.82 million in dead money.

That’s what it will take to keep Pollard and while the front office loves Elliott, it feels like the right move.

Prediction: Signs three-year extension

Dalton Schultz, TE

The fourth round of the draft has been good to the Cowboys recently. They not only added Pollard in that round but also quarterback Dak Prescott (2016) and Dalton Schultz (2018) were Round 4 finds.

All three have developed into trusted playmakers but Schultz had the most sudden and unexpected ascension. While Prescott started from Week 1 as a rookie and Pollard was a contributor from the moment he arrived, Schultz had just 13 receptions for 122 yards in his first two seasons.

In 2019, he was coming off a one-catch campaign but found himself thrust into the starting role when Blake Jarwin tore his ACL in Week 1. The former Stanford Cardinal responded with 63 catches for 615 yards and four touchdowns that year.

To prove it was no fluke, he added 78 receptions for 808 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. Now, he enters the year on the franchise tag after being unable to come to terms on a long-term deal by the July 15 deadline.

Look for him to continue to grow as a player, forcing Dallas’ hand in the offseason. They will have to move some money around to make it work but after trading Cooper for nothing, they have to keep their passing attack as deadly as possible.

Prediction: Signs three-year extension