Cowboys Re-Do Zeke Contract for Cap Room
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys have added to their salary cap “slush fund” by flipping the switch on a re-working of the contract of Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The move - likely an option already built into Elliott’s contract as opposed to any sort of negotiation or sacrifice - opens up almost $7 million of cap room.
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As first reported by ESPN, the restructuring means the team has converted $8.6 million of Elliott’s $9.6 million base salary into a signing bonus - in essence, meaning they have simply moved the money due Elliott from one pocket to another pocket.
The new room could in theory be about Dallas initiating a specific chase for a player; some fans could now call for, say, the purchase of a backup QB in the form of Chicago’s Nick Foles.
But we’re told that level of specificity (with Tuesday’s NFL cutdown to 53 looming) is not the plan, that it’s more of a “just-in-case” device for this year or even for a carryover year. Additionally, CowboysSI.com is told by an NFL source thar the re-do in no way changes the Cowboys” contract escapability” with Elliott; that time is still March 2023 as before.
The two-time NFL rushing champion Elliott, 26, is presently under contract through 2026 and is ready to find motivation from last year’s failed season in which he ran for a career-low 979 yards
It was just three years ago when Elliott led the NFL in rushing with 1,434 yards.
"You've got to experience the lows to enjoy the highs," said Elliott, who this year has trimmed his playing weight by 10 pounds, down to 218. "I definitely had some lows last year, so I am ready to experience some highs this year."
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