And we'll have a lot of dead cap money that can't be used to acquire talent players. Again, that would be an awful deal for the cowboys. He's slated to play for $4M this year and $9M next year. So paying him $10M for those seasons is a bad deal too. None of this makes even basic common sense.

But I'm willing to walk away and Jerry doesn't seem to be. Whoever is willing to walk away almost always gets the best deal. It appears this time that Zeke was more willing and will get the better end of it.

Don't get me wrong, I can see your logic. I am just glad he is going to be on the field. To me its not the real world. Just a lot of noise, either he plays or he doesn't.

This saga with Zeke certainly proves otherwise, in my opinion.

If the boys win a super bowl, I'll admit that JJ made the right call. Otherwise, this just looks like sacrificing defense and other positions to pay a position that you don't need to win super bowls.

As far as negotiating against JJ, I'll repeate what I said above - negotiation is about who is willing to walk away. If you're willing to walk and the other guy isn't, then you'll get a better deal. JJ wasn't willing to walk and Zeke was, and JJ lost. I'm not saying that I could out-negotiate JJ on any random issue - i'm saying he was needlessly outnegotiated on this deal (it appears - we haven't seen terms yet), and that it will likely cost him talent in other places on the field that are more relevant for super bowls than running back.

When it comes time to resign Cooper, LVE, or pieces of our secondary and we don't have money, we'll be looking straight at this zeke deal and wondering why JJ screwed this team up again...he's done it before with Romo, Barber, Witten, etc., so we shouldn't be surprised when this happens again. I just hoped he learned from his previous mistakes, but people that old and that rich often don't feel like there is anything else they need to learn or can learn, so he's going to keep doing things the way he's done it in the past.

We'll see - I'm not saying that it's absolutely the wrong deal. I'm saying that Zeke would have played for less, even if he sat out a week or two. Zeke had zero leverage with being under contract 2 years and it doesn't appear that Jerry used his leverage against Zeke at all.

why does every team have to make the next guy up the "highest paid player in the league"? why? the next qb whoever that is will be the highest and the next one after that will be the highest and the team will come on tv and act like its the greatest deal ever? Why not use the leverage to bring it down a little? he isn't a free agent so why don't you pay him 3 yr 30mil? with it all guaranteed? vs giving him all the money he ever asked for? he gives up waiting for free agency and you give up keeping him another 2-3 yrs at a lower pay? Its not great negotiating if you pay him ALL the money.

Agreed - when was the last time the Patriots made anyone the top paid at their position? I think the rest of these idiots are really doing it wrong.

Brilliant business man...... joke of an owner. The last 20+ years have proven you right. WOOOO!!!!

Why would you want to do it like the patriots?!?! Nah..... Jerruh knows a better way. He’s just been waiting to show everyone.

That was barely funny the first dozen or so times it got trotted out here.

I just know one thing, I sure am happy that most of you are not the GM of the Cowboys, it would really be a train wreck, lol.

Look. I’m not against paying Zeke. He’s one of the best backs in the league, but this is a stupid move. Wait.... no. It’s a great move!! I love it. Can’t wait until his next incident. Usually after the big money, they get more severe. He’s a Knucklehead. There’s no doubt. I hope the kid figures it out.

Lets see here, he pulled down the top of his girl friend, ( who was proud of them because it was reported she had already flashed them ) he supposedly decked a DJ that had it coming, and he barely shoved a kid who tried to extort him, wow he is a bad man, I think the electric chair would be fitting, lol. His only problem is he is young, immature, and loves to party, much like most of us were at that age, can't imagine the [censored] i would have gotten into if somebody handed me 25M. As far as holding out, he is the reason Dak will get 35M, I would have held out too.

Who cares. Make him the highest paid player. Not my money

I got into a lot worse situations with a lot ,lot, lot less money when I was his age. (less meaning not a flipping dime)

Man ain't that the damn truth