Will Cowboys pay RG Zack Martin in excess of $13 million per year?

One storyline after the first week of OTA’s was that Cowboys’ right guard Zack Martin would not be participating in practice until he inks a new deal with the team. Can you blame him?

Martin has been one of the best offensive lineman in football since entering the league in 2014. In his four years with the Cowboys, Martin has been selected to the Pro Bowl every single year, and also has two first team All-Pro selections on his resumé as well. Zack Martin is the definition of the “right kind of guy”, just as good off the field as he is on it. So what’s the hold up?

It was somewhat surprising that the Cowboys weren’t able to get a deal done with the former first-round pick last offseason, but everyone felt that it would happen before the start of the offseason program this year. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet and the Cowboys currently have the fifth-year option in place that would fully guarantee Martin $9,341,000 in the 2018 season.

For a guy that’s played in every single game, and has been the best at his position, since entering the league, Martin and his team want long-term commitment making him the highest paid offensive guard in the NFL. It was reported by Pro Football Rumors early this morning that the Cowboys are expected to pay their right guard $13 million per season with a new contract.

Dallas expects to pay Martin at least $13MM per year. While only five linemen earn that, one of them is a guard. And as good as Andrew Norwell has been, Martin’s a more accomplished player with four Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro distinctions on his resume.

This is a big chunk of change to dish out to an offensive lineman that isn’t a left tackle, but as you can see he would be joined by some impressive company in Jacksonville Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell.

There is still a ton of offseason left, so I wouldn’t start to worry just yet, but it is something to keep an eye on as the offseason progresses. As it stands now, expect the Cowboys and Zack Martin’s side to come to an agreement on a new deal right around training camp at the end of July. That matches up perfectly for when Tyron Smith (July 31st), Travis Frederick (August 13th), and La’el Collins (July 25th) all received extensions, though this one probably won’t be as team-friendly as the other three.