Cowboys news: A hint at how much Ezekiel Elliott wants in his new contract

Here’s what Ezekiel Elliott apparently wants from Cowboys, amid contract holdout — and it’s a historically high figure - Darryl Slater, NJ.com

Former NFL lineman Joe Thomas tweeted that Zeke should get a 15-20% bump over Tod Gurley’s contract, Ezekiel Elliott apparently agrees as he re-tweeted Thomas.

The Cowboys have reportedly offered to make Elliott one of the top two highest-paid running backs in the NFL, but not necessarily the highest-paid.

We think that’s a good enough offer for Elliott to end his holdout, but Thomas clearly disagrees.

In terms of the Cowboys’ reported offer to Elliott, consider that the Jets’ Le’Veon Bell and Rams’ Todd Gurley are currently the NFL’s two highest-paid running backs.

Bell’s contract is worth $13.125 million per year, and he got $27 million guaranteed, all of which was fully guaranteed at signing. Gurley’s contract pays him $14.375 million annually, and he got $45 million guaranteed, including $21.95 fully guaranteed at signing.

So the Cowboys are likely offering Elliott between $27 million and $45 million guaranteed, though it’s not clear how much of that money would be fully guaranteed at signing. Guaranteed money, particularly fully guaranteed money at signing, is what matters most in an NFL contract.

But to Thomas’ point, 15-20 percent more than Gurley would be $51.75 million to $54 million, if we’re going off Gurley’s $45 million guaranteed money figure.

Cowboys confident Elliott deal done by opener - Todd Archer, ESPN.com

If a deal isn’t done this weekend, is there a deadline for both sides to get one done?

FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones is confident a deal with running back Ezekiel Elliott will get done before the team plays the New York Giants in the Sept. 8 regular-season opener.

”Things happen real quick,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Sometimes within hours.”

As for a deal happening soon, Jones said, “I don’t think we’re close because there’s not a lot of activity.”

For nearly three weeks, the Cowboys have had an offer on the table that would make Elliott the second-highest-paid running back ahead of the $13.125 million average of Le’Veon Bell with the New York Jets and the $14.375 million average of Todd Gurley II with the Los Angeles Rams. The structure and guaranteed money in the Elliott offer is not known.

Earlier in training camp, Jones said the Cowboys would not be market setters for any of their contracts for Elliott, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, but he offered up a definition of what that term means to the organization.

”I think market-setting to me is when, it would be like a Thomas deal in New Orleans,” Jones said of the contract signed by Saints receiver Mike Thomas. “The highest-paid receiver is ($18 million) and all of a sudden it’s almost ($20 million). To me you’re changing the market when you do something like that. We just can’t go to a place like that.”

Who to Watch: 4 Defensive Rookies to Keep - Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com

What rookies should we keep an eye on for this weekends dress rehearsal game?

Justin Phillips - This is amazing, considering he was cut just before camp, then called back and now has a shot to make this team. Not just the practice sdquad, but make the team. If Phillips can put together another solid performance, maybe even get his hands on another turnover, I think he’ll get on the team, especially if Luke Gifford is going to be placed on IR when the cuts come out next weekend. Phillips is very athletic and could be a good special teams player as well. But in my opinion, it’s either practice squad or the roster and Phillips needs one more good game to get on the 53.

Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster projection heading into preseason game against Houston - Johnathan Hull, El Paso Times

With just two weeks left before the start of the season, what is the final 53-man roster going to look like?

Receiver (6)

Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Randall Cobb, Tavon Austin, Cedrick Wilson, Devin Smith

Notable cuts: Jon’Vea Johnson, Reggie Davis, Jalen Guyton, Noah Brown

There’s a lot of debate about the back end of this group. Will Brown, who hasn’t practiced during training camp, make the team? He’s beloved for his down-field blocking ability, but if Dallas is truly going to a more aggressive offense under Kellen Moore, then keeping a receiver just for his blocking seems unlikely.

Wilson has likely established himself as the fifth receiver on this team. The Cowboys have enough talent at the position to warrant keeping six players. Smith has started to pull away from the competition and a third straight strong preseason performance Saturday could seal his roster spot.

Johnson, Davis and Guyton are all eligible for the practice squad. At least two of them likely make it.

DON’T FORGET SPECIAL TEAMS VALUE IN COWBOYS ROSTER DECISIONS - Jess Haynie, Inside the Star

Could special teams abilities help a few players stick on the 53-man roster?

Some players have survived in the league by being just good enough at their listed positions but excelling in special teams roles. You may think of former Dallas safety Bill Bates, who was personally responsible for a special teams player being made part of the annual Pro Bowl roster. A more recent example would be Keith Davis, who was an adequate safety but a special teams ace for several seasons.

To be sure, someone is going to be on this 2019 Cowboys more for their special teams value than their actual offensive or defensive ability. Who might he, or they, be?

One candidate is veteran Cornerback C.J. Goodwin. He is considered an exceptional talent in coverage on punts, which is probably the only reason he’s still in the NFL today. At age 29, Goodwin has never really emerged as a consistent contributor on defense.

Young players like Donovan Olumba or rookie Michael Jackson, if not already superior cornerbacks to Goodwin, have far more upside to keep on the roster. But considering how little they may get on the field anyway as the fifth or sixth corners, you can see why special teams value becomes so important. It may be the only time you actually see them in the game.

Cowboys will wear blue jerseys in half their regular-season games - Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk

2019 is apparently the year of the navy jerseys.

After the Cowboys lost to the Browns in the 1968 playoffs and then in Super Bowl V to the Colts, both times while wearing their blue jerseys, the Cowboys and their fans began thinking of the blue jerseys as a jinx.

Many opponents then began making the Cowboys wear their blue jerseys when the Cowboys went on the road.

The “curse” of the blue jersey has faded over time, and this season, the Cowboys will play half their games in their blue jerseys.

(They are 67-70-1 all time in their blue jerseys, according to Mark Lane of WFAA.)

According to Todd Archer of ESPN, the Cowboys will wear blue jerseys with silver pants at Washington, at New Orleans, at the Jets, at the Giants, at Detroit and at Chicago. They also will their blue jerseys with white pants at home against the Vikings and the Rams.

They will wear their Color Rush uniforms — white on white — against Miami and at New England.

The Cowboys will play in their traditional white jerseys for home games against the Giants, Packers, Eagles, Bills and Washington and their road game at Philadelphia.

Of course, if the Cowboys miss the playoffs, the idea of a “curse” likely will return.