Dallas Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin is holding out for a better contract as the team begins training camp without him in Oxnard, California this week.
Despite the inconvenience it poses for the cohesion of the offense, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday that he understands Martin’s need to make whatever move is best for him business-wise.
“My father always told me, and I think it’s true, you never talk about another man’s money, and most importantly, never talk about your own,” McCarthy said, via Jon Machota. “It’s business, and Zack needs to focus on that. We all respect that. We don’t feel any differently about him. He’s always going to be a leader of our football team. But this is a business situation.”
Though McCarthy neglected to share the name of the man stepping into right guard for Martin, he did note that the OL would start training camp the way it finished offseason activities.
With former All-Pro Tyron Smith fully healthy, Tyler Smith has moved to left guard, taking the place of Connor McGovern who departed for the Texans in free agency. Almost fully healthy, Terence Steele is back at right tackle with Tyler Biadasz at center.
Reporters confirmed at practice that former Marshall tackle Josh Ball is stepping up at guard. Ball was a fourth-round pick for Dallas in 2021.
Cowboys continue on without Martin
New Cowboys lineman Chuma Edoga is fresh off of one season with the Atlanta Falcons. He’s also capable of playing tackle and guard for the Cowboys, opening up even more options for the oft-injured position group.
Another option is Matt Farniok, who is currently a backup for center Biadasz.
Practicing with different alignments and personnel is no new thing for the Cowboys. After a barrage of injuries last season, the offensive line group is now used to shuffling around. McCarthy knows having the same five players start for a full season is highly unlikely.
“I like the versatility that we have,” McCarthy said during OTAs. “We all want to lineup and play five guys for 20 games, but you do have to recognize that 17 games, it’s a bit of a stretch. Position flex is critical. You guys know all the combinations, you’ll see us working those.”
Martin last signed a deal in 2018 for six years and $84 million. Although he has arguably been the best guard in the league over the last few years, he isn’t currently paid as such.
The top-paid guard going into the 2023 season is Chris Lindstrom with the Falcons. He signed a five-year deal in March for $102.5 million. The Cowboys star is making roughly $6.5 million less per season than Lindstrom.
There is precedent for the team to renegotiate with the star guard despite two years left remaining on his deal. In 2002, they signed guard Larry Allen under similar circumstances to a new deal in order to make him one of the highest-paid OL in the league once more.
