Report: Cowboys won’t tag Randy Gregory but could…

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The deadline for teams to tag players comes in less than 24 hours. Three teams already have used the franchise tag, with the Chiefs tagging left tackle Orlando Brown, the Browns tagging tight end David Njoku and the Bengals tagging safety Jessie Bates III.

The Cowboys have a decision to make.

They have no plans to use the franchise tag on starting defensive end Randy Gregory, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. That would have cost the team $17.859 million, the one-year tag for a defensive end.

The Cowboys, though, are “seriously considering” placing the tag on tight end Dalton Schultz, Watkins adds. The franchise tag for tight ends is $10.9 million.

At the position, only Mark Andrews and George Kittle will make more than that in 2022.

Complicating the Cowboys’ decision at tight end is Blake Jarwin‘s hip surgery last month, which puts his availability for the start of the 2022 season in doubt. In addition, the team is expected to part ways with receiver Amari Cooper, so Dak Prescott already is looking at losing one of his key weapons.

Schultz played all 33 games the past two seasons, starting 29, and made 141 receptions for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns.

But their decision not to tag Gregory could be good news for DeMarcus Lawrence, the team’s other starting defensive end. Lawrence turned down a pay cut, putting his future with the Cowboys in doubt.

Lawrence is scheduled to make $19 million in base salary and count $27 million against the cap, the fifth-highest cap number in the league at his position. His release, if he’s designated a post-June 1 cut, would save the Cowboys $19 million against their cap in 2022 with $8 million in dead money.