With all the talk of all the Cowboys players who soon will be getting new deals Mike White Jersey Stitched , the one guy who gets mentioned the least is running back Ezekiel Elliott. Given the wear and tear inherent to position that he plays, it’s hard not to wonder whether the Cowboys would like to chew up all five years of his rookie contract and possibly tag him once before moving on.That’s what they did with DeMarco Murray four years ago, letting him walk despite setting a franchise single-season record with 1,845 rushing yards. They had only four years with Murray; Elliott, as a first-round pick, has five years under contract before becoming eligible for free agency or the franchise tag.What if the Cowboys string it out? The reported arthritic condition in the knee of Rams running back Todd Gurley could prompt teams to think twice about giving huge second contracts with major guarantees to tailbacks, especially when (in the Cowboys’ case) they can easily squat on Elliott for three more years before letting someone else overpay him.Which brings me back (eventually) to the point of all this. With three years in, Elliott is eligible for a new contract. Should he draw a line in the sand, the same way Emmitt did after his third NFL season, some 26 years ago?Stay away. Incur the fines. Hold out. Wait to get paid. Given the clear and obvious urgency with which owner Jerry Jones is pursuing one more Super Bowl win Youth Taco Charlton Jersey , taking a hard line could be the quickest way for Elliott to get paid.And he should do whatever he has to do to get paid. He plays the most demanding and risky position in the game, and he deserves much more than the $3.85 million he’s due to earn this year. If doing what he has to do includes doing nothing, he should strongly consider that option. Starting on Tuesday next week, the Cowboys and all other teams can start signing unrestricted free agents without compromising possible compensatory picks in 2020."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Dallas Cowboys NewsDallas Cowboys 2019 Free AgencyWill Cowboys go shopping in second wave of free agency? New,228commentsStarting on Tuesday next week, the Cowboys and all other teams can start signing unrestricted free agents without compromising possible compensatory picks in 2020. CDTShareTweetShareShareWill Cowboys go shopping in second wave of free agency? Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY SportsFor years, June 1 was an important date for NFL teams, because after June 1, unrestricted free agent signings didn’t count against a team’s compensatory draft-pick formula. Starting in 2015, that date was moved to the second Tuesday after the draft Taco Charlton Jersey Stitched , so this year that date is May 7. The move was made to incentivize teams to sign veteran free agents shortly after the NFL draft instead of waiting until shortly before camp as many teams had done in the past. The thinking was that those veterans would then be able to participate in a team’s OTAs and offseason program instead of sitting on their couch and waiting for a call in July or August.The Cowboys currently don’t stand to get any comp picks in 2020, as their compensatory free agents signed (Randall Cobb, Christian Covington, George Iloka) cancel out the compensatory free agents lost (Cole Beasley, Damien Wilson, Geoff Swaim), but that could change if the Cowboys decide to cut one or more of their acquisitions early. Including the 13 undrafted free agents the Cowboys have reportedly signed, the team is currently at the NFL roster limit of 90 players, but the team has repeatedly emphasized that roster building is a year-round activity. Except that there isn’t all that much quality available at this time of year. Most big-name free agents were signed at the start of free agency, but almost 20 of NFL.com’s top 101 free agents remain unsigned Womens Marcus Martin 2019 Jersey , among them DT Ndamukong Suh, DE Ziggy Ansah, LB Zach Brown, and CB Morris Claiborne.The second wave of free agency has been a mixed bag of the goods for the Cowboys in the past. The Cowboys did manage to sign the likes of George Selvie (signed Jul 26, 2013), Rolando McClain (acquired in a trade on July 2, 2014), and Justin Durant (signed July 18, 2016), who all provided a welcome Cheap Tavon Austin Youth Jersey , if brief, contribution to the team. But a look at the players the Cowboys signed in the second wave of free agency last year showsjust how barren the landscape can be at this time of year:May 21: Damien Mama (waived Sept. 1)May 29: Eric Pinkins (waived Sept. 1)Aug 1: Ricky Jeune (waived Aug. 28)Aug 3: Korren Kirven (waived Aug. 28)Aug 3: Joby Saint Fleur (waived Aug. 15)Aug 14: Jacob Alsadek(waived Aug 22)Aug 14: Darren Carrington (waived Sept. 1)Aug 15: Dres Anderson (waived Sept. 1)Aug 21: Caraun Reid (waived Sept. 1)Aug 21: Dominick Sanders (waived Sept. 1)The Cowboys will certainly continue to bring in players to maintain a minimum body count during training camp, but very few of those signings will be expected to survive final roster cuts.The team might still be in the market for a veteran backup QB, some extra depth at linebacker, perhaps a tight end with speed, they could bring in a kicker to compete with Brett Maher, and they’ll likely continue to look for bargains all over the roster, but the list of remaining veterans is slim pickings indeed.Unless you have a guy you think the Cowboys must absolutely, positively sign. Right now.
