The Cowboys and All-Pro guard Zack Martin have put contract negotiations on hold, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. They’ll try again next offseason to get a deal done.
The two sides unofficially set a late August deadline for getting a contract done so that it would not be a distraction during the year. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a lot of progress on that front this summer.
The Cowboys exercised Martin’s fifth-year option in the spring and he’s now slated to earn $9.341MM in 2018. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so Martin would presumably prefer an extension to gain greater financial security. The Cowboys, in theory, can use tags to keep him through 2021, but they’ll probably want to use their one tag per year on other players along the way.
Last year, Martin finished as Pro Football Focus’ second-best guard. Kevin Zeitler, who inked the largest free agent contract ever given to a guard this offseason, was seventh. Martin is likely looking to top Zeitler’s five-year, $60MM pact, and that has given Dallas some pause.
Other key players on the Cowboys’ line are already locked up for years to come. Left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick are under contract through through 2023 and right tackle La’el Collins is signed through 2019.
Zach Martin is worth every penny – sign him Jones.