Dallas Cowboys closing in on signing Zack Martin to a contract extension
One of the largest deals for a lineman in NFL history is coming thanks to the Dallas Cowboys
Update: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin has signed a 6-year, $84 million extension that includes $40 million guaranteed.
Original Story
Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Zack Martin is close to signing a new deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Martin, the 16th overall pick in 2014, was set to enter free agency this offseason with a megadeal in mind.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says the deal is “imminent” and will make Martin one of the highest paid guards in the league, if not the highest.
Martin has started all 64 possible regular season games for the Cowboys, who’ve dealt with major injuries over the last two seasons. He’s been a steady rock in front of Tony Romo and Dak Prescott while creating running lanes for Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris.
ProFootball Focus rated Martin as the number one guard in football last season and never worse than fifth in his four-year career.
Now Dallas must turn their attention to pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, who is coming off a career-season with 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. Lawrence started all 16 games for the first time in his career having battled surgeries to his back and foot, in addition to a four-game suspension in 2016.
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Lawrence is set to play under the franchise tag in 2018, which will pay the Boise State product $17.143 million.
Even further down the line are Elliott and Prescott, leaving the organization with a tough decision who to potentially place the franchise tag on if neither has a long-term deal. Prescott has a $725,848 cap hit this year that will grow to $815,849 in the final year of his deal.
Elliott’s paycheck is nearly 10-times Prescott’s, having been the fourth overall pick. He’ll make nearly $15 million over the next two seasons before being eligible for a fifth-year option in 2020 at the age of 24.
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Dallas opens their season on the road against the Carolina Panthers.