Guard Zack Martin was not present for the Cowboys’ first round of organized team activities on Tuesday and it’s not clear if he will take part in any of them, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. OTAs are voluntary, but it’s a sign that Martin is likely waiting things out as his reps discuss a new contract with the team. 
The Cowboys and Martin’s agents have been in talks regarding a long-term deal over the last few weeks, Archer hears, but he’s not necessarily on bad terms with the club. Martin has been at The Star working out since the captains’ sessions started almost a month before the official start of the offseason program, so Martin’s absence is less about discord with Cowboys brass and more about properly protecting himself while he waits for the multi-year deal he’s after.
“We’ve had really good conversations about this,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday. “I know there’s ongoing dialogue between him and his representatives and the Joneses about getting his contract done. He’s one of the best players we have. He represents everything we want, but there is a business side to this that both sides are working toward.”
Martin has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of his four NFL seasons and two First-Team All-Pro selections. In 2017, he rated as the best guard in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus. He was among the league’s top interior linemen from 2014-2016 and but he set a new personal best in terms of the advanced metrics with an excellent 92.2 overall score.
If the Cowboys and Martin can agree to a new deal, it is expected to top the five-year, $60MM deal (with $31.5MM guaranteed) that Kevin Zeitler signed with the Browns as a free agent last year. If they cannot come to terms, then Martin will play out his fifth-year option for 2018 worth $9.3MM. After that, the Cowboys can use the franchise tag to control Martin through 2019, but it would cost them upwards of $14MM.