Zack Martin might be the reason we have no running game

[darealvelle]

Martin is washed.

 

[tm1119]

The dumb posts on this board never cease to amaze me. Is Martin the player he was 5 years ago? Of course not. Is he bad or even top 10 biggest problem on this team? Not even close.
Post some proof, show me where Martin can’t block.

The problem is much more a combination of lack of talent at RB and bad play calling.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Stephen doesn't wipe his nose without asking how.

LOL

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Martin is washed.

Another future HOF career wasted for the Clampetts family.

 

[darealvelle]

Another future HOF career wasted for the Clampetts family.

i agree

 

[ArtClink]

Jerry is useless when it comes to roster/cap management.

He's a very bad head coach too.

 

[LovinItAll]

One year ago one of the highest paid guards in football holds out so that he can be the highest paid guard in football. One year later people are saying this will be his last year in Dallas. If you want to know why we can never seem to get over the hump look no further than situations like this. Salary cap money is not treated with the respect it deserves. Veteran players on the decline are treated with too much respect.

You want to know why we have no run game? Dude might very well be the biggest reason why. Tubby better get it in gear and start pancaking people.

The sickest part of it all is that this is his last year under contract but he already counts for 11 million against next years cap and 17 million against the year after that.

That is a modern day future Cowboy hall of famer for ya. A burden for years to come.

Can’t argue with any of this other than him being the only reason we have no run game. We just don’t have the personnel at RB. I’m still a little salty that we didn’t even try to go after Henry.

This will not be a popular take, but just give it to Zeke 15-18x for a game and see what happens. Let him get some flow and let’s see just how washed he is. Won’t be worse than the haphazard approach we’re currently taking.

 

[RonWashington]

Jerry is useless when it comes to roster/cap management.

I started a thread about Dallas needing a “ football guy “. Meaning a GM who can understand and manipulate the cap and people here came back said Jerry is a “ football guy “ he played for the Arkansas Razorbacks “ 60 yrs ago “ ….oh boy

 

[BHendri5]

Zack martin and Steele got beat like a drum on Sunday. Yes Zack is playing his last season I believe he's already checked out. We shoud go ahead and put T.J >Bass in his spot and probably Hoffman in Steele's spot, or maybe move Zack to RT

 

[RonWashington]

Bass has done well when he plays . Bass & Smith are the future at guard . To be honest Dak Prescott was not under heavy pressure when passing against the Saints .

And as far as the run game well your running attack is a guy you got rid of 2 yrs ago and an UDFA and an extremely small gadget type player. That position may be the problem more then the OL

It’s the DL that had surrendered the flag early and often last week . Pitiful .

 

[Verdict]

Martin was one of Jerry’s best draft picks, and has been an exceptional player for the Cowboys. But in typical Jerry fashion he WAY overpays for past performance in future years, when a player is not likely to continue to perform at such an elite level. To make the problem even worse, Martin does not play at a premium “money” position.

The Cowboys are somewhat idiotic with how they treat aging players. It happened with Dez, Sean Lee, Witten, Martin, Tyron, Zeke, Crawford, Jay Ratliff. The list goes on and on.

 

[noshame]

You have to throw down the field. When KM designed this horizontal short passing game it was successful because defenses respected our 10-20 yd patterns. Now with MM and Scott's old style WCO (remember "a short pass is as good as a run") WCO mantra? Well defenses have moved up to prevent this. Now a 3yd pass to CeeDee nets 3yds not 15.
Then we use a outdated blocking scheme that cannot compensate for today's fronts. There's only one way forward, Dak has to be more mobile and create separation but since the injury he doesn't seem capable.
All I can say is thank God the giants are coming!!

 

[McKDaddy]

the poster has claimed I believe that Martin has been on the decline for at least three years now

You & I seem to see most things similarly. Not this subject apparently. I'm not claiming it, it is being proven by this open conversation. He didn't go from All Pro to people openly saying this is probably his last year. It's been a decline over time just like I have said. He was getting All Pro nods based on rep not play these last few years.

 

[Blackspider214]

I believe the game has passed him by and he's just here to earn a paycheck. The reason New England was so great all those years is Billy Boy would cut players just before they started to lose a step or two. That can't be said about the Cowboys the way JJ keeps extending their contracts to help the Cap situation, but it only hurts the Cowboys in the long run with the dead money that will hit against the cap when a player like Martin is no longer on the roster.

Correction, the reason NE was so good was having arguably the best QB ever who could cover up weaknesses. Same as Mahomes. He can cover up weaknesses for KC. Bill's approach without Brady netted them nothing.

But yes, you are correct. Jerry loves rewarding big future contracts for aging players for past performance and then those contracts end up being terrible. We had quite a few of these in the Romo/Witten era.

Jerry is loyal to a fault to the guys his front office drafts.

 

[Sydla]

LOL. Bass over Martin.

You guys...............

 

[MyFairLady]

LOL. Bass over Martin.

You guys...............

Pretty short sighted view. How about instead of Martin you live with Bass at guard and you free up money to add Josh Jacobs to help with the run game and a mid level DT to help with the run game.

 

[TexasBacon]

I believe the game has passed him by and he's just here to earn a paycheck. The reason New England was so great all those years is Billy Boy would cut players just before they started to lose a step or two. That can't be said about the Cowboys the way JJ keeps extending their contracts to help the Cap situation, but it only hurts the Cowboys in the long run with the dead money that will hit against the cap when a player like Martin is no longer on the roster.

It just baffles me how some of you guys think that players who have put in the effort to become a perineal all-pro over a decade long-NFL career that someone like Zack Martin has all of a sudden just wake up one day, evilly twirl their mustache, and think "how can I milk Jerry for all he's worth." The OP of this thread may be the worst, I've been on this site for years and I don't think I've ever seen him make one positive post about anyone or anything. It's all just doom and gloom and all these guys who have had the work ethic and countenance to become all-pro players are all robbing Jerry and are lazy, and this and that. It's just ridiculous how many armchair fans sit here and talk about pro athletes and call them losers when they couldn't handle a single week of the work they do.

 

[aikemirv]

One year ago one of the highest paid guards in football holds out so that he can be the highest paid guard in football. One year later people are saying this will be his last year in Dallas. If you want to know why we can never seem to get over the hump look no further than situations like this. Salary cap money is not treated with the respect it deserves. Veteran players on the decline are treated with too much respect.

You want to know why we have no run game? Dude might very well be the biggest reason why. Tubby better get it in gear and start pancaking people.

The sickest part of it all is that this is his last year under contract but he already counts for 11 million against next years cap and 17 million against the year after that.

That is a modern day future Cowboy hall of famer for ya. A burden for years to come.

Zach played Jerry plain and simple!

 

[thunderpimp91]

When I look back at the tape am I seeing an all pro G? No. Is he even living up to his contract right now? Probably not. He is still probably a top 30 G in the NFL though. He is far from a liability for this team right now, and probably the 2nd best OL on the roster.

 

[jay94]

Many reasons why the run game has declined, Martin is just one of those reasons. He's definitely very overrated now, in both, last year by his standards he was bad from what I saw. He was above average, but to pay him what he got was not worth it.