The Dallas Cowboys may soon be in a position to throw in the towel. There are certainly reinforcements coming, but the injuries have hardly been the only issue with the way the 2024 season has unfolded. A lame-duck approach to the coaching staff that spent the offseason trying to convince their roster to go all out despite star-player contract controversies of various magnitude had a negative impact.
And now sitting at 3-4 and traveling to the NFC South leading Atlanta Falcons for an early kickoff, things could be very dire in very short order. The question would then become, would Dallas become sellers at the trade deadline? And if so, would they offload Zack Martin?
Martin is in the final year of his contract, making just under $100,000 a week in salary after he had his base converted to a bonus to spread cap hit off into the future. The nine-time Pro Bowler and seven-time First-Team All-Pro guard has been underwhelming this season and it’s hard to tell which factor is most prevalent in his decline.
Martin is playing next to right tackle Terence Steele who is offering zero in pass protection, and also next to rookie center Cooper Beebe. At 33, decline is inevitable for someone who many consider a first-ballot Hall of Fame candidate, and his offensive line coach of the last two seasons, Mike Solari, does not seem to have his finger on the pulse of how to deploy his troops in the best way.
Any and all of those factors are at play, but the underlying point is Martin is set to hit free agency, and other than nostalgia, there’s zero reason for the Cowboys to not explore getting draft compensation from a team in the hunt and in need.