The salary cap has risen by over $30 million cap, and the Texans are putting some of their extra dollars to work. They’re sticking with Dalton Schultz at tight end, rather than letting him reach free agency. Per reports, it’s a three-year deal worth $36 million.
Schultz signed a one-year contract worth $6.2 million last year, making an in-state move from the Cowboys, so his average pay almost doubles.
Schultz is 27, and he’s more of a serviceable starter rather than a difference maker. He caught 59 passes for 635 yards and 5 TDs last year. Those are relatively modest stats, considering the kind of numbers C.J. Stroud put up (Stroud averaged 274 passing yards, with 23 TDs in 15 games).
On a per-game basis, Schultz averaged 3.9 catches for 42 yards, with a touchdown every 3 weeks. That made him the No. 11 tight end on a per-game basis, relative to those who played at least half the season.
But there aren’t any notable tight ends available in free agency. Rather than starting over with somebody like Hunter Henry, Logan Thomas, Jonnu Smith or Gerald Everett, the Texans opted to re-up with Schultz. I expect he’ll be going between 8th and 13th among tight ends in typical drafts this summer. He seems like a starter kind of guy, but he’s not hanging with guys like Sam LaPorta and Trey McBride.
The chart below shows per-game stats for tight ends last year. The players tagged with black dots, those are the guys who’ll be free agents next week.
| TIGHT ENDS, PER-GAME NUMBERS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | St | No | Yards | TD | PPR |
| Travis Kelce, K.C. | 15 | 6.2 | 65.6 | .33 | 14.8 |
| T.J. Hockenson, Min. | 15 | 6.3 | 64.0 | .33 | 14.7 |
| Sam LaPorta, Det. | 17 | 5.1 | 52.3 | .63 | 14.1 |
| Evan Engram, Jac. | 17 | 6.7 | 56.6 | .24 | 13.8 |
| Mark Andrews, Balt. | 10 | 4.5 | 54.4 | .60 | 13.5 |
| David Njoku, Cle. | 16 | 5.1 | 55.1 | .38 | 12.8 |
| George Kittle, S.F. | 16 | 4.1 | 63.8 | .38 | 12.7 |
| Trey McBride, Ari. | 17 | 4.8 | 48.5 | .18 | 10.7 |
| Cole Kmet, Chi. | 17 | 4.3 | 42.3 | .35 | 10.7 |
| Jake Ferguson, Dall. | 17 | 4.2 | 44.8 | .29 | 10.4 |
| Dalton Schultz, Hou. | 15 | 3.9 | 42.3 | .33 | 10.2 |
| Dallas Goedert, Phil. | 14 | 4.2 | 42.3 | .21 | 9.7 |
| Dalton Kincaid, Buff. | 16 | 4.6 | 42.1 | .13 | 9.5 |
| Darren Waller, NYG | 12 | 4.3 | 46.0 | .08 | 9.4 |
| • Hunter Henry, N.E. | 14 | 3.0 | 29.9 | .43 | 8.6 |
| • Logan Thomas, Was. | 16 | 3.4 | 31.0 | .27 | 8.2 |
| Kyle Pitts, Atl. | 17 | 3.1 | 39.2 | .18 | 8.1 |
| Juwan Johnson, N.O. | 13 | 2.8 | 28.3 | .31 | 7.5 |
| • Jonnu Smith, Atl. | 17 | 2.9 | 34.2 | .18 | 7.4 |
| • Gerald Everett, LAC | 15 | 3.4 | 27.4 | .20 | 7.4 |
| Luke Musgrave, G.B. | 10 | 3.3 | 34.1 | .10 | 7.3 |
| Tyler Conklin, NYJ | 17 | 3.6 | 36.5 | .00 | 7.2 |
| Tyler Higbee, LAR | 15 | 3.1 | 33.0 | .13 | 7.2 |
| Cade Otton, T.B. | 17 | 2.8 | 26.8 | .25 | 7.0 |
| • Tanner Hudson, Cin. | 12 | 3.3 | 29.3 | .08 | 6.7 |
| Chigoziem Okonkwo, Ten. | 17 | 3.2 | 31.1 | .06 | 6.7 |
| Pat Freiermuth, Pitt. | 12 | 2.7 | 25.7 | .19 | 6.4 |
| Donald Parham, LAC | 14 | 1.9 | 20.4 | .29 | 5.7 |
| Michael Mayer, L.V. | 14 | 1.9 | 21.7 | .17 | 5.1 |
| Kylen Granson, Ind. | 15 | 2.0 | 24.5 | .07 | 4.9 |
| • Hayden Hurst, Car. | 9 | 2.0 | 20.4 | .11 | 4.7 |
| Dawson Knox, Buff. | 12 | 1.8 | 15.5 | .19 | 4.6 |
| Durham Smythe, Mia. | 16 | 2.2 | 22.9 | .00 | 4.5 |
| • Noah Fant, Sea. | 17 | 1.9 | 24.4 | .00 | 4.3 |
| Noah Gray, K.C. | 17 | 1.6 | 17.9 | .12 | 4.2 |
| • Mike Gesicki, N.E. | 17 | 1.7 | 14.4 | .12 | 3.8 |
| Tommy Tremble, Car. | 16 | 1.4 | 12.1 | .19 | 3.8 |
| • Colby Parkinson, Sea. | 17 | 1.5 | 14.5 | .12 | 3.6 |
| • Adam Trautman, Den. | 17 | 1.3 | 12.0 | .18 | 3.6 |
| Josh Oliver, Min. | 17 | 1.3 | 12.5 | .12 | 3.3 |
| Will Mallory, Ind. | 12 | 1.5 | 17.3 | .00 | 3.2 |
| Foster Moreau, N.O. | 15 | 1.4 | 12.9 | .07 | 3.1 |
| Daniel Bellinger, NYG | 17 | 1.5 | 15.0 | .00 | 3.0 |
| • Drew Sample, Cin. | 17 | 1.3 | 9.6 | .12 | 3.0 |
| • Irv Smith, Cin. | 12 | 1.5 | 9.6 | .08 | 3.0 |
| Mo Alie-Cox, Ind. | 17 | .8 | 9.5 | .20 | 2.9 |
| Austin Hooper, L.V. | 17 | 1.5 | 13.8 | .00 | 2.8 |
| Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 13 | .5 | 3.0 | .31 | 2.6 |
| • Will Dissly, Sea. | 16 | 1.1 | 10.8 | .06 | 2.5 |
| • Harrison Bryant, Cle. | 17 | .8 | 4.8 | .18 | 2.3 |
| • C.J. Uzomah, NYJ | 9 | .9 | 6.4 | .11 | 2.2 |
| John Bates, Was. | 17 | 1.1 | 8.9 | .00 | 2.0 |
| Luke Schoonmaker, Dall. | 17 | .5 | 3.8 | .12 | 1.6 |
| • Robert Tonyan, Chi. | 17 | .6 | 6.6 | .00 | 1.3 |
| Darnell Washington, Pitt. | 17 | .4 | 3.6 | .00 | .8 |
—Ian Allan