Zack Martin - Pro Football Rumors

Injury Updates: Tannehill, Allen, Cowboys, Jaguars, Raiders

October 23rd, 2018 at 9:10pm CST by Ben Levine

As expected, Ryan Tannehill is out again this week. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins quarterback will sit out Thursday’s game against the Texans. Brock Osweiler will once again slide into the starting lineup.

We heard recently that Tannehill’s injured shoulder wasn’t expected to sideline for an extended amount of time. ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe echoes that sentiment, tweeting that the quarterback could begin throwing sometime this week.

In five games this season, Tannehill has thrown for 972 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions. Osweiler has been solid in his place, throwing for 654 yards, six scores and two picks.

Let’s check out some more injury notes from around the NFL…

Bills quarterback Josh Allen is out again this weekend, reports ESPN’s Mike Rodak (via Twitter). Derek Anderson will slide back into the starting lineup one week after having thrown three interceptions in a loss to the Colts. Allen hadn’t looked a whole lot better through his first six NFL games, as he completed only 54-percent of his passes for 832 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions.
After having dealt with discomfort through the early part of the season, Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee today, reports ESPN’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). Fortunately, the 25-year-old is expected to be ready for his team’s next game against the Titans on November 5th. Gregory has compiled 10 tackles and one sack in six games this season. Meanwhile, Archer notes that right guard Zack Martin and tight end Geoff Swaim suffered sprained MCL’s this weekend, and there’s optimism that the pair will be back following the bye week.
Cowboys C.J. Goodwin broke his forearm during Sunday’s loss to the Redskins and will miss the rest of the season, reports ProFootballTalk.com (via Twitter). The 28-year-old journeyman has collected a single tackle in two games this season. The Cowboys could be seeking some cornerback reinforcement for the bench behind Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis.
Jaguars linebacker Donald Payne suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain during Sunday’s loss to the Texans, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The 24-year-old is set to miss the next three to four weeks, although the team’s upcoming bye week could reduce the number of games missed. In seven games this season, the second-year pro has compiled a single tackle. During Payne’s absence, Blair Brown or Lerentee McCray could see some snaps behind starting middle linebacker Myles Jack.
Raiders defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes is practicing with the team this week, reports ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez (via Twitter). Since the former third-rounder is on the PUP, he’ll have to be activated or placed on the injured reserve within the next three weeks. The UCLA product compiled 18 tackles in 16 games (13 starts) last season.

Cowboys Optimistic Travis Frederick’s Setback Not Season-Ending

August 23rd, 2018 at 6:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Travis Frederick‘s become one of this generation’s best centers, but he’s encountered a rare obstacle in the form of an auto-immune disease. The All-Pro Cowboys blocker revealed the diagnosis on Wednesday and is out indefinitely.

The Cowboys are pleased Frederick finally received a diagnosis for what’s been bothering him this month, Guillain-Barre disease, and Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the team is optimistic this is not a season- or career-ending setback.

“We were really so happy when it was diagnosed that this was the problem,” Jerry Jones said, via Hill. “He and we were concerned about that when we couldn’t get a diagnosis. The biggest thing we have been worried is his health, his long-term health, his individual well being as opposed to how it impacted us as a team or impacts him as a player but his well being is the most important thing.

“As it relates to football, I don’t have any definitive thing to talk about there.”

Frederick has begun taking medicine for this condition already, but he has no timetable for a return. A previous diagnosis revealed Frederick didn’t have Guillain-Barre, the sixth-year lineman merely needing rest. But once symptoms — centered around neck stingers — persisted and the accurate diagnosis emerged, per Hill.

Joe Looney has stepped in for Frederick at center. Looney’s in his third season with the Cowboys and has previously served as an interior-line backup. The Cowboys rely on their three-pronged force of 27-year-old linemen — Frederick, Zack Martin and Tyron Smith — but for the time being, Looney, also 27, will have to play with the starters. Looney made three starts last season and played in all 16 Dallas games. Hill adds Martin is an emergency option at center.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Scandrick, Cowboys

August 19th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants expressed interest in cornerback Orlando Scandrick when he was released by the Redskins last week, but he landed with the Chiefs before New York could arrange a visit, tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. New York is set at outside corner, where Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple will start, but could still use help at slot, which is where Scandrick has experienced the most success. At present, veterans William Gay and Leonard Johnson are the leading candidates to play inside for the Giants, but given their interest in Scandrick, it stands to reason Big Blue could consider further additions — either via the free agent or trade market, or through a waiver claim — in the coming weeks.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Zack Martin went down on Saturday night during the Cowboys‘ second preseason game, but the news is expected to be positive for the All-Pro guard. Martin likely suffered a hyper-extended left knee, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who adds Martin is expected to undergo an MRI on Sunday. Speaking to reporters last night, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Martin’s knee issue was not expected to be “problematic,” according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. However, given his injury, Dallas could hold out Martin from game action until the regular season begins.
While Martin is likely to escape a serious injury, Cowboys safety Jameill Showers wasn’t so lucky. Showers is believed to have suffered a torn ACL, tweets Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, and will have an MRI on Sunday to confirm. After entering the league as a quarterback in 2015, Showers transferred to defensive back, and has spent much of the past three seasons on Dallas’ practice squad. While he was far from a roster lock, Showers’ injury will further deplete the Cowboys’ defensive depth.
The Cowboys need to add another receiver, opines Calvin Watkins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Dallas added free agent Allen Hurns and draft pick Michael Gallup to its receiving corps this offseason, but the position group as a whole hasn’t been overly impressive through two preseason games. While Watkins points to back-of-the-roster pass-catchers such as Noah Brown and Deonte Thompson as candidates for increased playing time, the Cowboys could conceivably look at free agents including Jeremy Maclin, Dontrelle Inman, or Brandon Coleman.

Details On Zack Martin’s New Deal

June 13th, 2018 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

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, Zack Martin Agree To Deal

June 11th, 2018 at 1:40pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

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.

Cowboys, Zack Martin Nearing Extension

June 11th, 2018 at 1:11pm CST by Zachary Links

[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.

Latest on Cowboys, Zack Martin

May 29th, 2018 at 5:18pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Although no deal is done, the Cowboys and All-Pro guard Zack Martin appear to be inching closer to an extension. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones spoke to the media recently and offered some details on the negotiations with Martin’s camp.

Jones revealed that he’s met with Martin’s agent, Tom Condon, within the last two weeks. While he said there’s no timeframe for a deal, he’s confident one will get done.

“We think he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the league,” said Jones (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “Certainly we think the best offensive guard in the league (and) should be paid accordingly.”

Jones added that the holdup was just a “matter of structures.” In the meantime, while there remains no deal, Martin continues to be absent from OTAs.

Jones’ assertion that Martin is the best guard in the league and should be paid “accordingly” seems to suggest Martin will receive more than Andrew Norwell, the league’s highest paid guard. Norwell signed a five-year $66.5MM contract with the Jaguars back in March. His $13.3MM annual salary was the highest ever for a guard, but that might not last for much longer. Martin, who has anchored the Cowboys’ dominant offensive line the past several seasons, should reset the market for interior offensive linemen.

Cowboys Expect Zack Martin Extension This Offseason

May 26th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys and Zack Martin have been circling each other for a while now, and the All-Pro guard decided to skip OTAs this week. However, Albert Breer of SI.com notes this doesn’t appear to be a contentious absence, adding the Cowboys expect to have this deal done before the regular season. This promises to be an eye-opening agreement.

Dallas expects to pay Martin at least $13MM per year. While only five linemen earn that, one of them is a guard. And as good as Andrew Norwell has been, Martin’s a more accomplished player with four Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro distinctions on his resume.

So, it’s likely Martin’s deal will come in north of Norwell’s $13.3MM-per-year pact and set the market for guards, with Breer pointing out teams aren’t going to see 2018 deals for Norwell and Nate Solder as outlier pacts based on free agency but instead will view them as the norm in a changing marketplace. Quality linemen are simply more valuable now since these particular skills are much harder to acquire out of college.

The Cowboys view Martin as the game’s premier pass-protecting guard and a player who is close to the top in clearing run lanes, per Breer, so they’re eager to ensure he’s under contract well into the 2020s.

Martin, 27, is on Dallas’ books for $9.341MM because of his fifth-year option, and the Cowboys already have a significant negotiation to finish with Demarcus Lawrence. While Lawrence said he would be fine playing on the franchise tag, that is affecting the Cowboys’ books. The defensive end’s cap hold sits at $17.143MM — second-highest on the team behind Tyron Smith.

Cowboys’ Martin May Not Show For OTAs

May 23rd, 2018 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

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.

Cowboys, Zack Martin To Discuss Extension

December 28th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys and right guard Zack Martin will take another stab at extension talks this offseason, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. This time around, the two sides will get down to business much sooner in the offseason, according to a source.

Last year, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that a new long-term deal for Martin was his top priority. That’s the case once again this year and, with any luck, something will come together before the start of free agency in March. If the Cowboys have Martin’s contract accounted for, they’ll have a better idea of how much money they can spend in the open market.

Martin has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of his four NFL seasons, including two First-Team All-Pro selections. This season, he rates as the second-best guard in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus, second only to Steelers standout David DeCastro. Although he has been among the league’s very best interior linemen since 2014, his 90.5 overall score is a career-high.

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.