Contract talks with holdout running back Ezekiel Elliott are active, and there are looming negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper for the Dallas Cowboys to consider, too.
But days after owner Jerry Jones said it doesn’t take a league-leading rusher to get to the Super Bowl, his son, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones, expounded on the team’s position at the negotiating table.
“We’ve got three really good football players that we’re dealing with here and that have very good representation. And they want to see the market,” Jones said. “We can’t push the issue unless we want to be a market-setter. And we’re damn sure not going to be a market-setter, because of all the things that go with being a Dallas Cowboy.
“We want to be fair. We want our players to feel good about their contract. But at the same time, we don’t want to do things that are out of line because we can’t afford to be that way. Whether it’s Dak, whether it’s Amari, whether it’s Zeke, they all understand we’ve got a whole group of young players coming behind them that want to be Dallas Cowboys and want to stay here. When we save money, whether it’s with Dak, whether it’s with Zeke, whether it’s with Amari, it’s not saving Jerry and I a dollar. It’s just money that’s going to go to another player. …We’re very convicted that we’re going to get these deals done.”
The comments come in the wake of the New Orleans Saints and wide receiver Michael Thomas reaching agreement on a landmark five-year deal worth $100 million, a contract stratosphere not previously reached by a wideout. The Saints are the first team to pay a quarterback and wide receiver $20 million per season.
Beyond the skill-position players due large paydays, the Cowboys must consider deals for linebacker Jaylon Smith, offensive lineman La’el Collins and cornerback Byron Jones. Stephen Jones referred to those three players as “Guys that are important to our football team. I promise you, Zeke, Dak, Amari all understand that.”
