Cowboys miss out on Zack Moss due to being priced out by Bengals, per report

Although the official start of the 2024 free agency is scheduled for March 13 at 3 PM CT, teams have already begun negotiating with the upcoming class of free agents. Some teams have hit the ground running, agreeing, in principle, to deals with players set to hit the market. However, one team that was believed to be ‘All-in’ this offseason has been relatively quiet—the NFC East Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas has been relatively quiet on Monday, March 11, the first day franchises can start negotiating with upcoming free agents. The Cowboys did have an upcoming free agent running back they were in talks with, but ultimately, they could not come up with a deal both sides could agree on.

Thanks to Dallas Cowboys reporter Michael Gehlken, we now know who that running back is and what went wrong in the negotiations.

“Cowboys were in the mix today for RB Zack Moss, a person familiar with the discussions said. Ultimately, the price extended past their comfort point. Moss agreed with Bengals on a two-year, $8 million contract that includes $4.525 in earnings this year,” said Gehlken via X.

It is unclear where Dallas’s line in the sand was regarding a contract with Moss. However, as it appears, $8 million was too rich for the Cowboys’ blood.

Nothing is set in stone on free agents until March 13. So, while plenty of players have agreed in principle to contracts with various franchises, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still has plenty of time to work his magic and swipe a big-name player or two during this year’s free agency period.

Cowboys restructure All-Pro guard Zack Martin’s contract, clearing cap space

The Dallas Cowboys and All-Pro right guard Zack Martin agreed to a contract restructure that will clear roughly $13 million in cap space for the team in 2024, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. Martin could still be headed for a major extension this offseason after negotiations for a bigger deal pushed into training camp last year. If they don’t extend his contract, he’s set to become a free agent in 2025.

By converting the bulk of Martin’s salary into a signing bonus, the Cowboys can now say they are in the green in cap space for the 2024 season. They’ve yet to release any key players or convert any other players’ contracts, but those moves should be coming.

Martin earned his seventh First-Team All-Pro honor this season after starting 15 of 15 games played. He missed time due to an ankle injury early in the year. He also has two more All-Pro second-team honors on his resume, making him one of the most decorated players in Cowboys history.