There's less than a week until the official 2024 league year begins for the NFL and franchises are already gearing up for what should be an exciting and perhaps unprecedented offseason. With the record salary cap increase set to take effect, NFL teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, are clearing as much cap space as they can to make some splash signings and extend the contracts of star players.
The Cowboys are getting a big chunk of money back after converting All-Pro guard Zack Martin's salary for next season into a signing bonus. The move opens up $13 million in cap space for Dallas, per Tom Pelissero, while Martin gets money up front as he enters the final season of his contract.
Martin held out for much of training camp last season as he looked for a new deal. The 33-year-old followed that contract drama by earning the seventh first-team All-Pro honors of his 10-year career.
The Cowboys' offensive line has been a significant part of their identity for much of the franchise's existence. Zack Martin is right up there with Dallas greats at his position and is on track to end up in the Hall of Fame someday. Could 2024 be the last year we see him in a Cowboys uniform?
Looming decisions for Jerry Jones, Cowboys
This is an important offseason for the Cowboys as their drought without a Super Bowl win or appearance nears three decades. Dallas has the talent and has been in the dance in each of the last three years following 12-win regular seasons. A 1-3 playoff record and a couple of division titles is all there is to show for it.
With quarterback Dak Prescott and All-Pro wide receiver Ceedee Lamb on expiring contracts this year, the priority for Dallas has to be extending both of them which will cost a pretty penny. There's an argument to be made that both Prescott and Lamb should become the highest-paid player at their respective positions, but the Cowboys might try to work something out where they won’t have to completely break the bank for their stars.
Dallas also has to think about the future of Micah Parsons. The Cowboys exercised the fifth-year option in Parsons' rookie contract earlier this week, controversially as a defensive end rather than a linebacker to save a couple of million. Could that leave a sour taste in Parsons' mouth during contract negotiations?
There's a world in which the Cowboys hand extensions to all three of Prescott, Lamb and Parsons this offseason. Maybe some wouldn’t see it as smart business, but it seems within Dallas' best interest to retain all three so in the football sense of it, why wait?
Of course, money will play a significant factor, hence why the Cowboys are finding ways to help their salary cap.
The pursuit of locking up those three players long-term could force a player like Zack Martin to get lost in the shuffle. Multi-time All-Pro guards don’t just fall out of trees, but Dallas might look for a replacement in this year's draft with Martin's contract drawing to a close.
It will be a fascinating offseason in Dallas. Will the Cowboys come out the other side as a different team? We likely won’t find out until January.
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