Signed by Cowboys Cowboys and Martin reach deal. Zack Martin ends holdout

[gimmesix]

Now I get what you are trying to say but it is likely incorrect. The dead money at the end of the deal (2025 and 2026) before his contract was restructured this week was not cash to be paid out in a future year, but rather just the allocation of a previously paid restructure bonus for cap purposes (bonuses can be split over up to 5 years for cap purposes). This is in addition to that and that did not go away. It's just clearly additional money he will be paid. We should find out exactly what they did soon to see how this was structured and what the impact by year is.

edit: My guess is at least this years "raise" will be paid as a bonus and split over the life of the contract or 4 years. Next year may be paid as additional base salary and this time next year will be converted to a bonus and split over the remaining 3 years. Doing this would add almost nothing to this years cap.

They could have done the entire $8 million as bonus prorated over the next four years (since they have two void years on the end). Then we're talking cap-hitwise, $2 million this year and next year. But it adds more money to his dead cap hit in 2026 when he's not under contract.

 

[MyFairLady]

Do we not think Baltimore caved to Lamar Jackson? The Ravens didn't want to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history or guarantee him $185 million, but that's what it took.

Big difference between Lamar Jackson and a 33 year old RG.

 

[Sydla]

Piggy got more money and the teams chances to win got reduced. Our "stars" get what they want and Jerry is the big man running the show. Win win for everyone but the fans of the team.

LOL.

Explain to me how the teams chances to win got reduced by giving Martin about $8MM more over the next two seasons?

 

[gimmesix]

Big difference between Lamar Jackson and a 33 year old RG.

Yes. Martin is an All-Pro and has been in eight of his nine seasons, including last year. Jackson has been All-Pro once (2019), the only season he had a QB rating over 100. Martin is the best to second-best (depending on the year) at his position. Jackson is top 10 most years at his.

 

[MyFairLady]

Yes. Martin is an All-Pro and has been in eight of his nine seasons, including last year. Jackson has been All-Pro once (2019), the only season he had a QB rating over 100. Martin is the best to second-best (depending on the year) at his position. Jackson is top 10 most years at his.

If you honestly believe Martin moves the needle more than Jackson then this discussion is pointless. I am not even a Lamar fan but the idea that a 33 year old RG is in the same category as a young QB that has won an MVP is ridiculous.

 

[MyFairLady]

LOL.

Explain to me how the teams chances to win got reduced by giving Martin about $8MM more over the next two seasons?

8 million dollars less to build a team than you had before. Pretty basic math really.

 

[Sydla]

8 million dollars less to build a team than you had before. Pretty basic math really.

They have more than enough cap space for this season (and they aren't signing anyone at this point worth anything) and next season. Next year's addt cap hit is only like $4MM more than what it would have been anyway.

If you want to talk about Lamb and Parsons, their new deals wouldn't kick in for a few years later anyway so Martin getting more doesn't contrain our cap the next 2 years to the point we have to make tough decisions.

So again, how did our chances of winning go down by bringing back our best OG for what aren't cap crushing increases?

 

[MyFairLady]

Spin it any way you like but 8 million less is still 8 million less.

 

[charron]

They all do unless it's a player they feel they can do without or no longer really want. Just like they cave to some players, they also force other players to take a pay cut or be released. It's part of the game.

Do we not think Baltimore caved to Lamar Jackson? The Ravens didn't want to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history or guarantee him $185 million, but that's what it took.

Of course they do, all teams do but most team owners don't come out and say they aren't doing XYZ only to end up doing exactly that.

 

[rambo2]

8 million dollars less to build a team than you had before. Pretty basic math really.

The team is loaded as it is.

 

[Sydla]

Spin it any way you like but 8 million less is still 8 million less.

I’ll spin it the most logical way. The Cowboys rarely spend every cap dollar they have or can create. They are currently sitting on 22MM in cap space right now.

So Martin’s extra 8MM isn’t realistically going to prevent Dallas from doing what they want.

 

[stilltheguru]

Big difference between Lamar Jackson and a 33 year old RG.

Moving goalposts. Your agenda to portray dallas as the only team that caves is false. Just admit that

 

[Sydla]

Moving goalposts. Your agenda to portray dallas as the only team that caves is false. Just admit that

And imagine getting pissy that Dallas rewarded one of their best players ever and it won’t really have much of an effect at overall roster decisions.

 

[AsthmaField]

There isn’t a team in the league that would let a player, who is definitely underpaid, who is among the very best in the league at their position, sit out the season.

They all would do something to rectify the situation. Get the guy’s money up to where it needs to be, and bring him in.

I’ve said it already, but I’ll say it again: this was always going to happen. There was never an outcome in play where Dallas lets Martin miss games. The team didn’t want him to miss. Martin didn’t want to miss. And fans in touch with reality didn’t want him to miss.

Just a small (but vocal) portion of the fan base wanted the team to play hardball with Zack. That never was going to happen. None of the NFL teams would have let that happen.

That we are 14 pages into this is just irrational. This was a foregone conclusion.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

And imagine getting pissy that Dallas rewarded one of their best players ever and it won’t really have much of an effect at overall roster decisions.

It's because people believe Jerry's lies. You'd think after 30 years people would know him by now.

 

[AsthmaField]

It's because people believe Jerry's lies. You'd think after 30 years people would know him by now.

Every owner talks to the media like he isn’t going to pay. Then they pay one of their best players. You simply shouldn’t listen to what the team is saying to questions about a holdout.

Just like when people listened to Jerry after Zeke was cut and said, “Jerry is going to bring Zeke back!”

No. There is no way Jerry would ever talk bad about Elliott to the media. He is always going to be positive about Zeke. He was not ever planning on bringing him back… but he answered the question like Zeke was great. That is what front office people do in those situations. It is what happens.

Don’t listen to Jerry. Just use common sense and come to conclusions.

 

[gimmesix]

If you honestly believe Martin moves the needle more than Jackson then this discussion is pointless. I am not even a Lamar fan but the idea that a 33 year old RG is in the same category as a young QB that has won an MVP is ridiculous.

Different position so different pay. Martin's deal is not remotely comparable to Jackson's. It is comparable to other guards close to his caliber. Dallas paid the going rate for a player his caliber and the position that he plays. Any team would have done that for an eight-time All-Pro, but for some reason, our fans get incensed when we do it.

Jackson was only brought up as an example of other teams caving, which the Ravens did as should have been expected. There are plenty of other examples that could be used.

 

[Jarntt]

Him playing under his original contract would have been best for the team. If our best offensive player is our RG then we are already screwed. We pay our QB 40 million per year. He needs to be our best player. Players holding the team hostage for more money and the Owner caving in every time does not make the team better.

And if he didn't play, with OL depth, season pretty much over...

You pick and choose your spots and a first ballot HOFer who is still your best Offensive player and has never been anything but a great player, teammate and role model isn't the place to take a stand IMO

 

[khiladi]

Somebody mentioned the interior OL was pretty bad in the first game. Zach Martin, from a purely performance standpoint, had the leverage if they didn't want the offense to implode.

 

[maryquality]

There isn’t a team in the league that would let a player, who is definitely underpaid, who is among the very best in the league at their position, sit out the season.

They all would do something to rectify the situation. Get the guy’s money up to where it needs to be, and bring him in.

I’ve said it already, but I’ll say it again: this was always going to happen. There was never an outcome in play where Dallas lets Martin miss games. The team didn’t want him to miss. Martin didn’t want to miss. And fans in touch with reality didn’t want him to miss.

Just a small (but vocal) portion of the fan base wanted the team to play hardball with Zack. That never was going to happen. None of the NFL teams would have let that happen.

That we are 14 pages into this is just irrational. This was a foregone conclusion.