Dallas Cowboys go all-in with new Zack Martin deal
With the news that the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a contract extension with guard Zack Martin, the team is entrusting it’s future to their offensive line.
Since 2011, the Dallas Cowboys have used three of their eight first round picks on offensive lineman. And during April’s NFL Draft, they used a second rounder to secure another.
The Cowboys decided a long time ago that they were going all-in on building a talented offensive line. But high draft selections were just one half of the cost. When those rookie contracts expire, the cost of re-signing these talented trench warriors takes another toll on the team.
On Monday, the most talented of Dallas’ offensive lineman, Zack Martin, appears to be getting a massive contract extension from the Cowboys. And that reported deal should not only make Martin the highest paid player at his position, but he has also been apparently given the largest guaranteed money ever awarded to an offensive guard in league history. That news according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
The exact numbers have yet to be released, but we know Martin’s contract will be bigger than the five-year, $66.5 million contract Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive guard Andrew Norwell signed back in March.
But if any NFL player is worth that kind of payday, it’s Martin. The 27-year old lineman has been a Pro Bowler every single season he’s been in the NFL. He’s also been named to the All-Pro first or second team every year as well. Quite simply, Martin is the best player at his position and is going to be paid like it.
Martin’s potential new six-year extension should make him apart of the Cowboys offensive line until 2024. He’ll be joined by fellow former first round pick center Travis Frederick, who inked an eight-year, $66.56 million contract back in 2016. And premier left tackle Tyron Smith, who signed a ten-year, $109 million deal in 2014.
This talented trio added a potential first round pick back in 2015 when they signed likely the greatest rookie free agent in league history in LSU’s La’el Collins. The 24-year old inked a two-year, $15.4 million extension just last year, prior to shifting from left guard to starting right tackle.
The Cowboys then selected Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft to presumably fill the vacant spot at left guard, thus completing the team’s massive investment into their offensive line.
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Due to this potential new deal struck with Zack Martin, the Dallas Cowboys continue to push all of their chips in on this offensive line being the difference maker in the standings. The Cowboys have possibly made an over-investment in both monies and draft picks to this positional unit. To the point were the team is weaker in other areas because of it. Dallas must win now in order to prove they were right to invest so much on one area of their roster.