When Zach Martin joined the Cowboys in 2014, he was three years behind Tyron Smith and one year behind Travis Frederick as the new core of the offensive line. He is currently the last remaining man of that trio in Dallas and is also the longest-tenured player on the entire roster. Thankfully, after 10 seasons and at age 33, he's still one of the best guards in football as well.
Martin is not the oldest player on the roster. That person is punter Brian Unger, who turns 36 in October and joined the NFL in 2012. But while Unger only joined Dallas in 2021 as a veteran free agent, Martin has been a constant presence since his debut and has seen many coaches and players. Move back and forth around him.
In fact, the difference in longest tenure between Martin and another 2014 draft pick, DeMarcus Lawrence, is pretty close. But not only was Martin selected 18 spots earlier than Lawrence in that draft, he also signed his rookie contract days before Lawrence. So no matter how you slice it, Martin has technically been in Dallas longer.
More importantly, while Lawrence took several years to find his way and overcome some injuries, Martin was an unconventional sensation. He was named an All-Pro and Pro Bowler as a rookie and has enjoyed those honors every year except for 2020, when he missed six games due to injury. Martin has arguably been the gold standard and best player on the Cowboys' roster for most of the past decade, especially since 2016, when Tyron Smith missed many games.
Martin has earned great respect from his peers around the league. He was the highest-ranked guard in the league, No. 68 overall on last year's NFL Top 100 list. Even the Falcons' Chris Lindstrom, who is also considered one of the league's elite guards, called Martin “the best” when the list was announced.
A franchise fixture like Martin has already paid the Cowboys more than enough dividends over the past decade, but he's by no means a luxury for the Cowboys in 2024. With Tyron Smith as well as center Tyler Biadasz leaving as a free agent, Martin will be relied upon heavily to stabilize the offensive line. He'll get help from up-and-coming star Tyler Smith, as well as Terrence Steele, who is expected to improve after further injury withdrawal. But with two new starters coming in in 2024 and the possibility of Smith sliding to left tackle, Martin will need to continue to be great for the Cowboys to continue solving problems. there will be.
Thankfully, greatness hasn't been elusive for Martin, no matter what has happened over the past decade. We're shocked when he's on the bad side of any play. Because it rarely happens. That's the best compliment an offensive lineman can receive. One can only imagine how many “booms” and re-enactments Martin's work would be at the center of if John Madden were alive today. In fact, as legendary as Larry Allen was, Martin came pretty close to that standard in Dallas.
Unlike Tyron Smith, we hope we never have to see Zach Martin in another team's uniform. He has a huge advantage in reliability over his former teammates, which undoubtedly helps with his job security. Even if he falls from elite status, Martin could remain in Dallas as a capable starter for a while. But whenever that decline begins, I hope it won't happen until at least 2024. If the Cowboys are going to play this season, they will need Martin to remain one of the best players in the business.
