Details On Zack Martin’s New Deal
The Cowboys and Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin finalized the terms of his new contract on Wednesday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. As previously reported, it’s a six-year deal that will keep him in the fold through 2024. The new portion of the contract is worth a whopping $84MM with $40MM guaranteed. 
The new pact makes Martin the new highest-paid guard in the NFL as his $14MM/year tops Andrew Norwell‘s $13.3MM annual average value. Among offensive linemen, only Giants tackle Nate Solder has a higher per year average at $15.5MM. It’s a sign that the guard market is nipping at the heels of the tackle market and also an indication of just how valuable Martin is Dallas’ front five. His total guarantee is also the highest of any guard in the NFL.
Martin’s streak of 64 consecutive starts is the longest active streak by a guard in the entire league. Martin is also one of just four offensive linemen earn Pro Bowl selections in each of their first four NFL seasons since 1970 (Twitter link via ESPN).
The Cowboys have their excellent O-Line locked up for the foreseeable future. Martin is signed through 2024, left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick are under contract through through 2023, and right tackle La’el Collins is signed through 2019.
Cowboys “Holding Out Hope” Of Acquiring Earl Thomas?
While there has been no recent movement in talks regarding a trade that would send Seahawks safety Earl Thomas to the Cowboys, Dallas has “quietly held out hope” that it may acquire the All-Pro defensive back, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram.
The Cowboys have made no secret in their interest in Thomas, and the club reportedly had talks with the Seahawks near the draft. However, Dallas balked at sending a second-round pick (which would have been the 50th overall selection) to Seattle in exchange for Thomas. Since that time, Seahawks general manager John Schneider acknowledged that while his team did have discussions involving Thomas, no deal was “remotely close to happening.”
However, Thomas has since continued his holdout: he did not report to mandatory minicamp earlier this week, and indicated he’ll continue to stay away from the Seahawks until his contract is “resolved.” Thomas’ absence isn’t major news in and of itself, but Seattle reportedly hadn’t had any conversations about Thomas’ deal — which expires after the 2018 season — as of late May. As such, there may not be a clear resolution in sight.
Thomas is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8.5MM in 2018, so the Cowboys — who have roughly $11.5MM in cap space — would be able to fit him on their books. Given that Thomas’ is clearly unhappy with his current contract, Dallas would likely need to extend the 29-year-old. Seattle, meanwhile, would incur a dead money charge of $1.9MM as a result of a Thomas trade.
Arguably the most consistent safety in the NFL since 2010, Thomas graded as the league’s No. 9 safety in 2018, per Pro Football Focus. In Dallas, Thomas would not only give the Cowboys over either Jeff Heath or Xavier Woods, but reunite with former Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, who is now Dallas’ defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator.
Cowboys’ Randy Gregory To Meet With NFL
Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is set to meet with the NFL this week, sources tell ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Gregory is expected to speak with several NFL officials, potentially including commissioner Roger Goodell, in New York to discuss his reinstatement. 
Gregory is being represented by Daniel Moskowitz, who also represented former Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington as he gained reinstatement last year. Teammates Tyrone Crawford, Sean Lee, and Jeff Heath also wrote letters in support of Gregory to the NFL. The support of Cowboys players and brass may help his efforts to get back into the league.
“He is one the smartest people to have played this game,” owner Jerry Jones said recently. “This is a tremendous step. He has had that same IQ since he has had these issues. That’s an issue. This is definitely a medical issue. There is no doubt in my mind about the medical. That is another campaign. It’s a pretty circuitous route. It has a lot of discretionary things to determine. There is a lot of subjectiveness. But he is doing very well. He’s got a lot to play for. He has a new baby. He has a lot going for him. He is very astute about knowing that. He has to do what a lot of us have had to do and that is to do better at 24 and 25 than when you were 20.”
The NFL’s substance-abuse policy states that once the reinstatement paperwork has been filed, “all individuals involved in the process will take steps to enable the commissioner to render a decision within 60 days of the receipt of the application.” There have been times where that time frame has been extended, but barring that, we should be getting a resolution on Gregory this summer.
Cowboys, Zack Martin Agree To Deal
Cowboys guard Zack Martin has secured a brand new deal, and it’s a whopper of a contract. The new pact is a six-year extension that will make him the highest-paid guard in the NFL with the largest guarantee of any guard in league history, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Latest On Earl Thomas, Cowboys]
We’re still waiting on the exact terms, but this means that Martin has surpassed new Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell with more than $13.3MM in average annual compensation. Martin has also bested Norwell’s $30MM in full guarantees at signing.
“We think he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the league,” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said recently. “Certainly we think the best offensive guard in the league (and) should be paid accordingly.”
With a new deal in hand, the Cowboys can expect Martin to show for work on Tuesday when the team’s minicamp gets underway. They’ll also enter the 2019 offseason without fear of losing Martin to another team on the open market.
The Cowboys have the key pieces of their world-class offensive line locked up for years to come. Martin is signed through 2024, left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick are under contract through through 2023, and right tackle La’el Collins is signed through 2019.
The next order of business for the Cowboys could be to work on a new multi-year deal for edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. However, Lawrence says he is willing to play on the one-year tag in order to cash in on the 2019 free agency market.
Could Martin Extension Allow Cowboys To Trade For Earl Thomas?
- The Cowboys are nearing an extension with guard Zack Martin, and that could have major consequences for the rest of the roster. Getting a Martin deal done would give the Cowboys some clarity on whether they have enough cap room to work out a trade (and subsequent extension) for Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram tweets. Thomas plans to hold out from the Seahawks’ minicamp, but there has been no recent movement on trade talks between Seattle and Dallas. In theory, a new deal for Martin could change that.
Cowboys, Zack Martin Nearing Extension
[UPDATE – Martin and the Cowboys reached agreement on a record-breaking extension]
It appears a new deal for Cowboys guard Zack Martin is on the horizon. Speaking at the team’s rookie luncheon, Cowboys VP Stephen Jones insinuated that the club is on the one-yard line in talks. 
“It’s awfully close. I hope he’ll be out at (minicamp) tomorrow,” Jones said (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).
A new deal for Martin should place him among the league’s highest paid guards, or possibly make him the highest-paid guard in the league. Martin, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of his four NFL seasons, may top new Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell‘s five-year, $66.5MM deal to make him the kingpin of interior linemen. Even if he falls short in total value, it’s hard to imagine that Martin’s average annual value will be much less than Norwell’s $13.3MM per year.
For now, the 27-year-old (28 in November) is on the books for $9.341MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. If Martin does not sign an extension and turns in another outstanding season, he’ll be in line for a bidding war on the open market next year. That’s a risk the Cowboys are not interested in taking, particularly with DeMarcus Lawrence in a similar position.
No Movement On Earl Thomas To Cowboys
Safety Earl Thomas announced that he will not be attending the Seahawks’ mandatory minicamp as he pressures the team for a new contract. Right now, it doesn’t sound like that situation will result in a trade to the Cowboys. There hasn’t been much discussion on a trade to send Thomas to Dallas since the draft, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. 
There were rumblings this offseason that the Seahawks could move Thomas, but coach Pete Carroll shot that down in April when he indicated the team was planning on keeping Thomas. GM John Schneider admitted that a trade was considered at one point, but also said that “nothing was remotely close to happening” in the spring.
Meanwhile, in May, it was said that there was no movement on a new deal for Thomas. At this point, something has to give. Thomas will either have to play out his final year at a salary of $8.5MM, or the Seahawks will have to give him an extension to put him at or near the top of his position group. Making him the highest-paid safety in the league would mean leapfrogging Eric Berry‘s mammoth six-year, $78MM deal.
When Thomas signed his four-year, $40MM extension with the Seahawks in 2014, he was the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Since then, he has been topped by five others: Berry, teammate Kam Chancellor, Reshad Jones (Dolphins), Lamarcus Joyner (Rams), and Harrison Smith (Vikings).
Terrell Owens Says He Can Help Cowboys
Terrell Owens will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, but he announced on Thursday that he won’t be attending his own induction ceremony. Not one to follow convention, Owens also insists that he can still play in the NFL at the age of 44. In an appearance on FS1, Owens said that he could be a contributor for the Cowboys this year, if called upon.
Ten years ago, the Cowboys rewarded Owens with a four-year, $34MM extension. It’s unlikely that Dallas will give him a call this offseason, though questions persist about their wide receiver group following the departure of Dez Bryant.
This Date In Transactions History: Terrell Owens
In 2008, Terrell Owens was coming off a Pro Bowl season and was one of the league’s best, and most controversial, players. On June 2nd 2008, The Cowboys rewarded Owens’ stellar play with a 4-year, $34MM extension, giving him a substantial raise from his previous $7MM annual salary.
Perhaps no player in the history of the league has had as much contract drama as Owens, who famously complained loudly and often about his compensation during his time with the Eagles, which eventually led to his release. Owens signed a seven-year deal with the Eagles, and only ended up playing two seasons for them. His extension from the Cowboys followed a similar pattern. Despite a solid 2008 season in which he racked up 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns, the Cowboys decided he was simply too much of a headache and released him one-year into his new four-year deal. Owens was reportedly blindsided by his release, saying publicly that owner Jerry Jones had assured him his roster spot was safe.
Owens’ contracts were always a big deal during his playing days, and often overshadowed his on-field production. After being a notable snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2017 class, Owens was recently announced as a member of the 2018 class, and will be enshrined in Canton this August. Owens has also repeatedly stated he’s still not giving up hope of an NFL comeback, recently saying he’d like to play for Andy Reid and the Chiefs.
Owens’ 2008 deal was the last multi-year contract he would ever get in the NFL, settling for a few one-year deals with three different teams after his release before eventually finding himself out of the league altogether. Still performing at a high level in 2008, not many would’ve guessed at the time that it would be the last big payday in Owens’ illustrious career.
Dez Bryant Unlikely To Sign Until July
Dez Bryant likely won’t sign with a club before training camp begins in July, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Rapoport is told the wide receiver has received plenty of interest, but he’s staying patient until he finds the right opportunity. 
[RELATED: Several Big Name NFL Free Agents Still Available]
The right opportunity, for Bryant, means a winning club with the right offense that will give him a one-year prove-it deal. Bryant has been unable to find the one-year deal he is seeking after rejecting a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens.
Rapoport’s report indicates that there is in fact a decent market for Bryant. Previously, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter heard that many teams were unwilling to consider the veteran, even at the league’s minimum salary.
Right now, it’s hard to say where Bryant will land. He has lobbied for the 49ers to sign him, but there has been no word of interest from SF. The Bills and Packers, meanwhile, do not appear to have him on the radar, despite the belief of some that he would be a logical fit. As Rapoport notes, a wide receiver injury in practice could open up a door somewhere for Bryant.
Bryant’s dropoff in performance is certainly a factor in his unemployment, but the perception that he has been difficult in the locker room is probably also a barrier to a deal. Even in a down 2017, Bryant managed 69 catches for 838 yards and six touchdowns.