Notre Dame Football: Two former Fighting Irish ink NFL deals
By Ben Belden
As the Irish begin their fall preparation for the 2018 season, two former South Bend standouts inked NFL deals today.
There are still about 83 days until the Irish take on the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium, but two former Notre Dame players had big days on Monday. The day started with a record breaking contract for offensive lineman Zack Martin and ended with a rookie deal for former defensive lineman Jarron Jones.
Zack Martin
Martin has been a key cog in the offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys since being drafted in 2014. Since being drafted, Martin has made the Pro Bowl in all four of his NFL seasons. He has twice been a First-Team All-Pro selection (2014, 2016), adding two Second-Team selections (2015, 2017) in his four years as a professional.
Monday, Martin signed his record-setting contract that was first reported by Ian Rapoport:
The #Cowboys are giving star G Zack Martin a 6-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid guard with the largest guarantee at his position in NFL history, source said. Richly deserved, as Dallas locks up another key building block on the O-line.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 11, 2018
Becoming the NFL’s highest-paid guard is a pretty solid Monday.
Jarron Jones
A defensive lineman at Notre Dame, many encouraged Jones to pursue a career on the offensive side of the ball. Jones signed today as an offensive tackle and will attempt to resurrect his career.
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For Martin, his contract comes as a reward for hard work and dedication. For Jones, it serves as a chance to re-invent himself. Whether or not Jones will catch on as a tackle in the NFL will be an interesting development to watch. Irish fans should take note.