Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys Negotiating Contract Extension; No Deadline for Deal

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday that the organization is negotiating a contract extension with guard Zack Martin.          

According to ESPN.com's Todd Archer, Jones added that he isn't placing a timetable on when the sides need to complete a deal:

"I'm never going to put a deadline on something like that. Sometimes players don't like to think about it a lot, but then you're able to work behind the scenes sometimes and still get it to where they're comfortable. But obviously we're going to respect Zack and how he wants the mechanics of the process to work and we'll work within those. I fully suspect we'll work something out at some point in time and he'll be a Dallas Cowboy for most of his career, in my mind."

Martin has two years remaining on his contract, as the Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option for 2018.

While Jones intends to make every effort to lock up Martin long term, he conceded he doesn't know when or if it will happen:

"It's too early for me to speculate whether we're close or whether this thing can get done or not. We'd love to get it done, but there's two sides to this. Certainly, it's not easy to figure out exactly where it should be, but the good news is I think Zack really wants to be a Dallas Cowboy and we really want him to be a Dallas Cowboy. That's helpful."

Since getting selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft out of Notre Dame, Martin has been one of the NFL's premier offensive linemen.

The 26-year-old has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, and he is already a two-time All-Pro first-team selection.

Martin has started all 48 games at right guard for the Cowboys during his young career, and he is a key part of what has been the league's top offensive line in recent years.

Last season, Martin helped pave the way for the NFL's No. 2 rushing attack and the leading individual rusher in running back Ezekiel Elliott.