Unconfirmed: I blame the Cowboys

Starforever said:

That is not the point. Sports allow for negotiations, incentives, and holdouts. This is not a 9 to 5. I don't know if you've noticed, but the team is fine. The fans are in an uproar.

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Fans are in an uproar? Really? Because they're giving their opinions on the situation. Come on now, you can't really be that soft.

The team is fine. Because these players are all still under contract and because ownership hasn't allowed themselves to be taken hostage. If they catered to this every time a player did it, players would never stop. This would be a constant issue.

texbumthelife said:

Fans are in an uproar? Really? Because they're giving their opinions on the situation. Come on now, you can't really be that soft.

The team is fine. Because these players are all still under contract and because ownership hasn't allowed themselves to be taken hostage. If they catered to this every time a player did it, players would never stop. This would be a constant issue.

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Why am I being called soft when gaskets are blown daily on this site? Watch who you are portraying as soft my friend.

If the Cowboys pay Zeke, right now today, what's stopping Collins, Jones, Dak, and Cooper from all of a sudden holding out this year. Giving in too quick could cause some backlash.

We have 36 contracts ending after this season. So right now, I stand with the FO on this one.

How many games have we lost with Zeke holding out?

Starforever said:

?????

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That just struck me as funny, nothing against you or your thread. This is not the first time I've seen this mentioned but I have no idea the origin.

But if they knew he was planning a holdout, they still hit him with that option year. That's an odd response to a threat to hold out. Oh yeah? Whammo, here's another year on top of that one! Hold out for two years!!!

What was news to me is that these 5th years are determined by position. He is getting less than players drafted behind him and has outperformed them. It's in another thread and makes no sense.

Jipper said:

how can you blame the cowboys for refusing to give a contract extension 2 years early to a guy that gets in trouble constantly? I don't blame them in the least....and i could care less what zeke says...

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That's just it Jip, they are NOT refusing........he has an offer on the table. But like I said in another thread, I do believe the offer has a two-year adjusted neg value. Other words, telling Zeke we WILL give you a contract extension two years early BUT there's a price.

Starforever said:

That is not the point. Sports allow for negotiations, incentives, and holdouts. This is not a 9 to 5. I don't know if you've noticed, but the team is fine. The fans are in an uproar.

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Not really an uproar, mildly irritated and I believe that's more about how the forum has been all about the contracts and money the entire offseason. I know that has taken a toll on me, I am tired of the money talk but that's what posters want to talk about.

CouchCoach said:

That just struck me as funny, nothing against you or your thread. This is not the first time I've seen this mentioned but I have no idea the origin.

But if they knew he was planning a holdout, they still hit him with that option year. That's an odd response to a threat to hold out. Oh yeah? Whammo, here's another year on top of that one! Hold out for two years!!!

What was news to me is that these 5th years are determined by position. He is getting less than players drafted behind him and has outperformed them. It's in another thread and makes no sense.

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These are our Cowboys.

Players play, GM's manage the team including contracts. Zeke is under contract. He does not dictate terms after the fact. You can not blame the team for holding Zeke to his contract.

Hawkeye0202 said:

That's just it Jip, they are NOT refusing........he has an offer on the table. But like I said in another thread, I do believe the offer has a two-year adjusted neg value. Other words, telling Zeke we WILL give you a contract extension two years early BUT there's a price.

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That was error #2, even negotiating with two years left. They opened the door with comments in the media and then made an offer, game on. Error #1 was not ascertaing where he head was since they knew they'd be trying to do very large deals with the DE, QB and WR.

CouchCoach said:

That just struck me as funny, nothing against you or your thread. This is not the first time I've seen this mentioned but I have no idea the origin.

But if they knew he was planning a holdout, they still hit him with that option year. That's an odd response to a threat to hold out. Oh yeah? Whammo, here's another year on top of that one! Hold out for two years!!!

What was news to me is that these 5th years are determined by position. He is getting less than players drafted behind him and has outperformed them. It's in another thread and makes no sense.

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I think they exercise that option on every 1st rounder, unless it's a busto in Claiborne and/or the agent is willing to get a deal done fast like with Frederick.

Maybe they thought he would cave, like many others who threaten that? Ramsey made a fuss, then reported in a brinks truck. Ngakoue did the same but he probably just reported to get that 4th year accrual.

The 5th year part is interesting, but I guess it makes sense due to how much Bortles was going to get paid for his 5th year option.

Jeffkills said:

How does that change the analysis?

The Jones' position, is that Zeke isn't in line this year, period.

However, they probably did underestimate how much of a giant dirt bag Zeke would be, so I suppose that's on them...

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I sense a bit of anger in your post.

JoeKing said:

Players play, GM's manage the team including contracts. Zeke is under contract. He does not dictate terms after the fact. You can not blame the team for holding Zeke to his contract.

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No, but likewise, I do not blame him for sitting it out. Joe, they didn't try and hold him to the contract, as they should have, they acquiesced and began negotiating.

Oz-of-Cowboy-Country said:

If the Cowboys pay Zeke, right now today, what's stopping Collins, Jones, Dak, and Cooper from all of a sudden holding out this year. Giving in too quick could cause some backlash.

We have 36 contracts ending after this season. So right now, I stand with the FO on this one.

How many games have we lost with Zeke holding out?

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Playing devil's advocate....the other side that coin is yes all those players reported and are in camp BUT they too are still waiting to get paid.

CouchCoach said:

No, but likewise, I do not blame him for sitting it out. Joe, they didn't try and hold him to the contract, as they should have, they acquiesced and began negotiating.

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+1....You mean similar to the position the Jags took with Ramsey by refusing to even talk contract until AFTER his fourth year.

CouchCoach said:

That was error #2, even negotiating with two years left. They opened the door with comments in the media and then made an offer, game on. Error #1 was not ascertaing where he head was since they knew they'd be trying to do very large deals with the DE, QB and WR.

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Agree 100%.......kinda hard dictate rules once the opens or game start.

John813 said:

I think they exercise that option on every 1st rounder, unless it's a busto in Claiborne and/or the agent is willing to get a deal done fast like with Frederick.

Maybe they thought he would cave, like many others who threaten that? Ramsey made a fuss, then reported in a brinks truck. Ngakoue did the same but he probably just reported to get that 4th year accrual.

The 5th year part is interesting, but I guess it makes sense due to how much Bortles was going to get paid for his 5th year option.

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Agree, that's a given but there were extenuating circumstances to consider on this. Elliott is the best skill player on the team and they're getting ready to do the largest contracts for DE, QB and WR in the history of the franchise. And he and his agent are aware of all the players up next season.

I am just saying if I was in that room, I would have brought up the RB and what he's going to be making compared to the others and maybe someone did and they just shrugged that off as "nobody no shows with two years left".

One thing this has done, shine a really bright light on the unfairness of that 5th year option on 1st rounders. Play your *** off in college to get into the 1st round and then get penalized for that with a purely arbitrary 5th year that is all for the owner. And get penalized because he's a RB, as if they aren't already pissed. Maybe now we know why there's talk of a RB union because the NFLPA sure as hell wasn't looking out for them.

Hawkeye0202 said:

Playing devil's advocate....the other side that coin is yes all those players reported and are in camp BUT they too are still waiting to get paid.

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Yeah. They took a different tactic. Show up work hard dont ruffle feathers. The business side will take care of itself.

I understand Zeke's thinking and have no problem with it. But the FO has some hard decisions to make this year. And giving in to Zeke sets a bad example. IMO.

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Oz-of-Cowboy-Country said:

If the Cowboys pay Zeke, right now today, what's stopping Collins, Jones, Dak, and Cooper from all of a sudden holding out this year. Giving in too quick could cause some backlash.

We have 36 contracts ending after this season. So right now, I stand with the FO on this one.

How many games have we lost with Zeke holding out?

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There's a difference with Elliott, they created that 2nd year with the option. Cooper is getting 14M this season and Prescott would be the first QB to ever hold out, really bad form for that position, which is why their agents do not have them do that.

Elliott is in an unique situation. He's the best skill position player, it's public knowledge that the QB needs him and he's the only player that is regarded as one of the top 3 at his position and he's getting paid peanuts compared to what's been thrown around about the QB, WR and we already know about the DE.

I wonder what would have happened if they'd talked to him and told him that would do a new contract with him after this season and not exercise that option year as good faith and incentivize him for this season so he could earn more on top of his last year.

Put yourself in his position. They option him for 9M, far off what the other RB's in his class are getting. What's to prevent them form tagging him twice and at the end of 7 years, he would have more mileage on that body than 7 years of playing. His game is contact, they want him to be that guy but he's the one at risk without a healthy guarantee.