Cowboys’ stance on Martin ‘not about precedent,’ Jones says – Todd Archer, ESPN
Jerry Jones couldn’t resist talking about Zack Martin’s contract publicly, and his comments split the fanbase.
Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones does not sound as if he is ready to adjust the contract for All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, who has missed the first five days of training camp in a holdout.
Martin’s absence so far has cost him $250,000 in fines that cannot be rescinded when he does report.
“It’s not about precedent. It’s about facts,” Jones said. “We need the money to pay [Micah] Parsons. We need the money to pay the players that we got to pay in the future. It’s a fact. It’s not even a philosophy. It’s just a fact. Those dollars are there and we have this at this level, and if you redid all the contracts, then you never could put a roster together.”
[…]
Jones said he is not sure when Martin will report to camp. Each missed day costs the player $50,000. Jones said there have been conversations with Martin and his representatives, although he did not indicate when those took place. Sources said Martin’s agent and the team had brief discussions at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis in February.
[…]
“Not him [only, but] any player, [if] you make an adjustment like that, then all of a sudden you don’t have the money to go pay the guys on their first contract that you need to pay,” Jones said. “That’s not him. This has nothing to do with him. … I know this: He’s been a credit to everything that we’ve ever done and he’s done. What we haven’t done is we haven’t won a Super Bowl. I want him to get on a team that can win a Super Bowl.”
Micah Parsons: Cowboys Defense ‘Can Be Up There’ with 2000 Ravens, 2010s Seahawks – Jack Murray, Bleacher Report
Micah Parsons is a phenomenal defender. While still early in his career, Parsons has shown to be as impactful on the field as some of the best defenders of the past. Unsurprisingly, Parsons made some confident comments on how to view this year’s Dallas defense.
After some headline pickups and retaining some key pieces, the Dallas defensive unit figures to be among the league’s best. Parsons, the runner-up for the 2022 AP Defensive Player of the Year award, thinks they can achieve that and more.
“I think this defense can be up there with the 49ers’ great defense,” Parsons said (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “I think we can be up there with the Ray Lewis’ (Ravens) defense. I think we can be up there with the Legion of Boom (Seahawks defense), just with the talent we have and the vet guys mixed with the young guys, the experience that we all have. I just feel since my rookie year we got thrown into the fire. We just keep having those tough games, those hard games, playoff-level games.
The Cowboys had the No. 6 ranked defense in the NFL in 2022, according to ProFootballReference, a list that was topped by the aforementioned 49ers.
Additionally, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn returned after receiving head coaching interest, and the team acquired five-time pro-bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore and selected Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Those additions should help the Cowboys shoot up the rankings, but joining the likes of the 2000 Ravens and “Legion of Boom” Seahawks defensive units would definitely require some more playoff success.
Free-agent RB Ezekiel Elliott visiting Patriots on Saturday – Kevin Patra, NFL.com
From trying to stay sharp on Instagram in his workouts, Ezekiel Elliott heads up to New England in hopes of playing in Gillette Stadium in the fall.
Former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is visiting the Pats on Saturday, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Saturday, per sources informed of the situation.
Jordan Schultz first reported the news.
The Patriots recently hosted Leonard Fournette for a visit and have been linked to Dalvin Cook. New England is seeking a veteran to pair with Rhamondre Stevenson after the offseason addition of James Robinson didn’t work out.
Elliott has a bigger name than game at this stage of his career, but he can still be productive in the right situation. Zeke saw career lows with 867 yards on 231 attempts in 2022. His 3.8 yards per carry average was the first time he’s been below the 4.0 mark in seven seasons. However, the 28-year-old can still get it done in the red zone, netting 12 touchdowns last season, an area the Pats can use some help.
Opportunity for Markquese Bell after injuries to Wilson and Mukuamu – Shane Taylor, Inside the Star
Having injuries happen at this stage of the season can be detrimental. However, injuries have opened the door for a certain undrafted free agent to seize the opportunity.
MARKQUESE BELL
Standing at 6’2, 212 pounds with 4.41 speed, he went undrafted from Florida A&M last year. Quinn said last year he even wanted to draft him as a linebacker. Maybe if he shows something the next few weeks, he finds a spot there. LVE and Jabril Cox are the only two that are sitting pretty at the position now.
He made the 53-man roster and was on it all year in 2022. As a senior at A&M, Bell led the defense with 95 tackles and five forced fumbles. Next man up, the door is WIDE open. I would rather have him than Kelvin Joseph. Bell found most of his snaps on special teams in 2022. That is where he played 54% of his eligible snaps.
With Wilson going down, Jayron Kearse is the only starter from 2022. Bell has a huge chance to prove that he should be on the field more times than not on defense and not on special teams. He already has confidence from making the 53-man roster last year as a UDFA.
This should fire him up even more. It’s only the first week, and the Cowboys got hit with a few injuries. Again, luckily for them, they happened early, and both Wilson and Mukuamu won’t miss the season opener against the Giants.
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