In April, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence leveraged his pending shoulder surgery into a five-year, $105 million contract. It is safe to say that Lawrence maximized his value with this contract.
The Cowboys offensive triplets took notice. Quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper entering the last year of their rookie contracts reported to training camp while their agents and the Front Office continue to negotiate their next contact.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott took a different approach. With two years remaining on his rookie deal that pays him in 2019 with the eighth highest average per year salary for his position factoring in his fifth year option, Elliott decided to withhold his services and not report to training camp.