The Dallas Cowboys will be able to create $14 million in cap room if they cut Tony Romo after June 1, which will give the Cowboys an abundance of money to spend.
Team vice president Stephen Jones said Dallas would look into using that space to trade for a veteran player, but ESPN's Todd Archer thinks they may use that space to sign guard Zack Martin to an extension.
On June 2, the Cowboys will gain $14 million in salary cap room when Tony Romo’s release becomes official. I wonder if the Cowboys will use that space on the extension they would like to give to Zack Martin. In the Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick contracts, their extensions were effectively cap-neutral. In other words, their cap numbers really did not increase over what they were scheduled to count that year based on the structure of the new deal. With Dak Prescott on a rookie deal for at least two more seasons before he can sign a megadeal, perhaps the Cowboys would look to front-load Martin’s deal so when Prescott’s bigger contract comes on the books, they are not as pressed. The Cowboys typically structure these contracts with a low base salary in the first year and a larger base in Year 2 that they convert to create room. With Romo’s cap figures coming off the books, it might make more sense to structure Martin’s deal a little differently.
The Cowboys have already picked up Martin's contract option for the 2018 season, but Jones said they want to lock him up long-term as soon as possible. Martin has also said that he wants to remain with the Cowboys.
Last year, Dallas signed center Travis Frederick to a six-year extension. In 2014, Dallas gave left tackle Tyron Smith a six-year extension. Martin's next deal figures to be somewhere in that range.
Martin has played in and started every game in the past three years.
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