“You all set the tone,” contract holdout Zack Martin texts his Cowboys teammates working at camp without him. “I’ll be there soon.”
OXNARD, Calif. - Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys management is trying to keep the peace in public regarding contract holdout Zack Martin. Martin has of course gone public with hos opinion that he’s “woefully underpaid.”And Dak Prescott has in public taken a “Pay the man!” approach to the dispute.
But what about behind the scenes? Martin teammate Tyler Smith, his standout offensive line mate, offered up a revelation after Thursday’s training camp session here in Oxnard, disclosing the content of a Martin text to the fellas.
“You all set the tone,” Martin texted. “I’ll be there soon.”
Jones responded to a CowboysSI.com question by stressing the "integrity of a contract.” That’s all the Cowboys want to say.
Prescott - who is surely just a little but uncomfortable working here at training camp in Oxnard with one of the best protectors of his generation not present - can make an easy pick on choosing sides here, and has done so.
And Martin? This contractual conflict has now stretched into three camp days, and it is costing his $50,000 daily in fines.
Does this new revelation suggest Martin is weakening in his resolve? Not necessarily. Does it mean he has discovered a negotiating crack in Dallas’ armor? That’s just as likely as other suggestion.
But Martin, who believes he is underpaid at $13.5 million for 2023 (his top-ranked peers now make $20 million APY) obviously anticipates that something is on the verge of moving …
Which can mean Martin is on the verge of “moving” here to Oxnard for the summer.
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