NFL Player News

The Cowboys officially placed their franchise tag on Schultz on Tuesday.

Schultz will carry a $10.9 million salary to stick with the Cowboys for the 2022 campaign, which gives both sides another year to negotiate an extension. The soon-to-be 26-year-old proved his value on offense by racking up 808 yards and eight touchdowns across 17 contests last season, and with Blake Jarwin (hip) expected to miss the start of the 2022 campaign, shoring up the No. 1 tight end spot was exceptionally vital. What's more, Amari Cooper has been floated as a potential cut candidate and Michael Gallup (knee) isn't necessarily a lock for Week 1 even if re-signed. That could position Schultz to kick off the upcoming campaign as the No. 2 target on offense behind CeeDee Lamb.

Gesicki may file a grievance over his franchise tag position, as the tight end designation carries a $10.9 million salary as opposed to an $18.4 million mark for wide receivers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Miami officially placed the franchise tag on Gesicki prior to Tuesday's 4:00 p.m. deadline, and specifically called the 26-year-old a tight end in the announcement. As Fowler notes, Gesicki only operated in pass protection on 3.7 percent of quarterback dropbacks last season, and his 266 run blocks were tied for the 28th-lowest mark at the position. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network further notes that Gesicki handled the most snaps out of the slot of any tight end in 2021, so he could have a case if an official grievance is ultimately filed. It's unclear whether Miami would go ahead with the plan to franchise tag Gesicki if the cost were to increase by $7.5 million.

The Cowboys will place their franchise tag on Schultz on Tuesday, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 2018 fourth-round pick emerged with 78 catches, 808 receiving yards and eight touchdowns across 17 appearances in 2021, and with rumors abounding about Amari Cooper potentially being cut, it makes obvious sense for Dallas to keep Schultz in-house. Retaining the tight end through the 2022 season on just under an $11 million salary gives he and the Cowboys more time to negotiate a potential long-term deal. Dallas stands to make the transaction official prior to Tuesday's 4:00 p.m. EST deadline.

Miami used their franchise tag on Gesicki on Tuesday, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Gesicki becomes the second tight end to receive the franchise tag this offseason, with the Browns already having brought back David Njoku. The move keeps Gesicki, who is coming off a career season, in the building for 2022 while carrying a $10.8 million salary. The 26-year-old secured 73 of 112 targets for 780 yards and two touchdowns across 17 appearances in 2021, serving as Tua Tagovailoa's No. 2 option in the passing game for much of the year. Despite the fact Gesicki isn't known as a standout blocker, it appears that new coach Mike McDaniel expects him to remain an integral part of the offensive scheme.

The Browns plan to keep Hooper for the 2022 season, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

There was speculation that Cleveland would move on from Hooper, whose hefty contract has not been commensurate with the tight end's production over his first two seasons with the team. That notion grew after the Browns put the franchise tag on fellow tight end David Njoku on Monday, but Fowler's report appears to end that speculation. Hooper is due $9.5 million and carries a $13.2 million cap hit in 2022, per Spotrac.com. The team would save only $2 million if they moved on, so it might be best to keep Hooper around in case Njoku doesn't live up to his $10.9 million salary.

The Cowboys may place the franchise tag on Schultz prior to Tuesday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The rumor mill has swirled around the Cowboys' receiving corps in recent days, with Amari Cooper potentially getting cut and Michael Gallup's (knee) reps negotiating an extension for the four-year pro. As a 2018 fourth-round pick, Schultz himself is due a new contract, but the team is considering placing the franchise tag on him to give more time to work out a new deal. If those talks fall through, though, he would be due $10.9 million under the tag in 2022. Schultz is coming off back-to-back productive seasons in which he reeled in 141 of 193 passes for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns in 33 contests.

The Browns officially placed their franchise tag on Njoku on Monday.

Per Jake Trotter of ESPN.com, the Browns now have until July 15 to work out a long-term contract with Njoku. Otherwise, Njoku will be slated to play on a franchise tender that guarantees him $10.8 million in 2022, NFL.com reports. Meanwhile, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport indicates that Njoku's agent has been in long-term negotiations toward an extension with Cleveland. The team also has fellow tight ends Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant under contract this coming season, an arrangement that caps Njoku's fantasy ceiling when all three players are available. In 16 games in 2021, the 2017 first-rounder parlayed his 53 targets into a 36-475-4 stat line.

The Browns will use their franchise tag on Njoku, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Cleveland will make the transaction official before Tuesday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline. Njoku thus appears on track to remain with the Browns for the 2022 campaign while carrying just under an $11 million salary, which gives both sides more time to negotiate a potential long-term deal. The 25-year-old tight end now has five seasons of NFL experience under his belt, and though he hasn't yet emerged as a consistent, high-end starter, Njoku did make improvements in 2021. Through 16 appearances last season, he secured 36 of 53 targets for 475 yards and four touchdowns.

Johnson, who had been an exclusive rights free agent, has signed a one-year deal with the Saints, Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Johnson, who joined the Saints as a UDFA in 2020, switched from wideout to tight end last season and ended up logging 13 catches (on 22 targets) for 159 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. Now that he's back in the fold, the 25-year-old will continue to work in a New Orleans TE corps that also includes Adam Trautman, Nick Vannett, Ethan Wolf and Dylan Soehner, with Garrett Griffin slated to become a restricted free agent. As long as Trautman remains healthy and available, however, Johnson is off the fantasy radar in most formats.

Thomas agreed to terms with Carolina on a three-year contract Friday.

Thomas was scheduled to hit free agency mid-March, but he will instead stick with the team that initially selected him back in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Though the 26-year-old was effectively invisible for fantasy purposes in 2021 -- he posted just 18 catches for 188 yards without a touchdown across 17 appearances -- he did solidify himself as a capable blocker. That said, positional teammate Tommy Tremble could well be the more interesting fantasy option next season.