As absences and fines pile up in this Zack Martin saga, the margin for error on the Dallas Cowboys' offensive line continues to shrink. And now, the team might have just been dealt a considerable blow to its depth.

Chuma Edoga suffered an apparent knee injury at Thursday's training camp practice and was carted off the field, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas News. The biggest question surrounding the 26-year-old when the Cowboys signed him in the offseason was his health. After knee problems caused him to play just two games with the Atlanta Falcons last year, fans might have to prepare for the worst again.

Edoga was playing snaps at both tackle and guard, so a potential significant or season-ending injury could make Jerry Jones and company much more desperate to work something out with Martin. The star right guard has yet to report to camp, missing more than a dozen practices and accruing more than $600,000 in fines. Jones has been adamant about Martin playing under his current contract, which was the most ever for a guard at the time (2018) and still has two years left on it.

The eight-time All-Pro feels he is owed more than $14 million per year and is pressing on with his holdout. Although it is obviously devastating, Edoga's injury may in fact give Zack Martin more leverage in his talks with the organization.

This is a divisive issue among fans, as most contract disputes tend to be. On the one hand, the 32-year-old's consistent top-notch play in the unforgiving trenches reasonably warrants him being more than just the eighth-highest paid guard in the NFL. However, he committed six years of his time to Dallas. He could have taken the more prudent approach and waited for the market to raise again before signing such a lengthy extension.

There is immense pressure on the Cowboys to finally blossom into a true Super Bowl contender this season. That means long-term financial flexibility might have to be sacrificed for short-term stability on the offensive line. Otherwise, fans might be subjected to more of the same in 2023-24, or worse.