5 former Cowboys thriving with their new teams in 2023

3. Dalton Schultz, TE (Texans)

The Dallas Cowboys are slowly but surely finding they might have something at the tight end position in former fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson, but you can't help but keep tabs on what Dalton Schultz is doing for the Houston Texans so far this season.

After receiving the franchise tag from the Cowboys last offseason, Schultz was given a pretty modest one-year deal to play for DeMeco Ryans and the Texans, and he might have earned himself some more money on the 2024 free agent market, perhaps even to stick around Houston.

Schultz is averaging 11.4 yards per reception for the Texans, a career-high, and he's less than a yard off of his career-best for yards per game right now at 46.8. With four touchdowns in nine games, Schultz looks like he has a shot to match or maybe even beat his career-high of eight touchdowns back in 2021 for Dallas.

When the Cowboys let Schultz go, I thought it was a clear chance to upgrade the upside at the position. There never seemed to be anything overly spectacular about him, but sometimes when you see a guy like this thrive in a totally new environment, you start to appreciate more the things that made them productive that went beyond just being one of the only outlets for Dak Prescott.

Schultz finds soft spots in the defense, he's effective in the red zone, and he knows how to move the chains. He's already got 22 first-down receptions this season.