It just wouldn't be the same without Greg Ellis every year

[DeMarco Murray 29]

Greg Ellis: Contract uncertainty hurt Cowboys last season (http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/greg-ellis-contract-uncertainty-hurt-cow.html)

1:59 PM Mon, Mar 30, 2009 | Permalink (http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/greg-ellis-contract-uncertainty-hurt-cow.html) | Buzz up! (http://buzz.yahoo.com/article//) Yahoo! Buzz (http://buzz.yahoo.com/article/dallas_morning/http%253A%252F%252Fcowboysblog.dallasnews.com%252F archives%252F2009%252F03%252Fgreg-ellis-contract-uncertainty-hurt-cow.html%253Fnpc)
Tim MacMahon http://www.dallasnews.com/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail (tmacmahon@dallasnews.com) http://www.dallasnews.com/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/assets_c/2009/03/ellis30-thumb-250x167-37842.jpg (http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/assets_c/2009/03/ellis30-37842.html)The subject of Greg Ellis' contract situation came up during his sitdown with WFAA Ch. 8's Ted Madden. (http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/cowboys/stories/wfaa090330_ac_ellis.874079ed.html)

Shocking, huh?

Ellis, the resident Valley Ranch worrywart, said he's not sure whether he'll be back with the Cowboys this season, when he's scheduled to count $6.25 million against the salary cap.

"Protocol calls for just me in this situation to either do something to lower my cap number, because it's a healthy cap number right now, or you say, 'Well, Greg, it's been a good run, man,' " Ellis says. "You know what it is and I won't be mad at Jerry."

It's really not that cut and dry. There's a decent chance the Cowboys could let Ellis, who is expected to be used as a pass-rushing specialist while Anthony Spencer starts, play out the final season of his contract.

But Ellis remains on his never-ending quest for satisfaction with his contract situation. Quite frankly, he comes across as a guy who is really reaching for straws when he tries to link the Cowboys' annual December fades to contract uncertainty.

"We players love football [or] we wouldn't be playing, but you have a responsibility to your family, so those contract things come into concerns," Ellis said. "That's typically why owners or GMs don't let guys, or even coaches, they don't let you get to that last year because they want you to know you're either in or you're out.

"They're making their business decisions, which sometimes in my opinion is a negative thing, and in my opinion last year it was a negative thing, when it came to our football season."

It's really tough to make that case about the '08 Cowboys, considering the fact that Jerry Jones handed out five huge contracts in the spring (http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/jerry-jones-08-spending-spree-isnt-worki.html), none of which seemed worth it last season.

[jnhay]

Can't they just restructure his contract, or is he not worth paying for the next 2-3 years?

[Westbrook36]

The Cowboys would have loved to get rid of him before last season. They would have if Spencer had showed he can be a starter in the NFL.

He still hasn't.

[DeMarco Murray 29]

Can't they just restructure his contract, or is he not worth paying for the next 2-3 years?

The problem is they just re did his contract to ensure him as being a Cowboy. It's the same song with Greg Ellis every year for the past 5 years.

Crying foul about his family due 6 million bones next year.

[AKM311]

The problem is they just re did his contract to ensure him as being a Cowboy. It's the same song with Greg Ellis every year for the past 5 years.

Crying foul about his family due 6 million bones next year.

I don't know the history, but remember, this money they get stops at 35 the latest.

That means all that money needs to last 40 more years. That is why they worry so much.

Investments go bad, so they need to be smart with it.

[bubba9497]

name the dome after him :)

[tr1]

Spencer's performance is why Ellis is even a topic on ATN.

Spencer is ORDINARY. Ellis prior to 2008 was very, very productive.

[DeMarco Murray 29]

I don't know the history, but remember, this money they get stops at 35 the latest.

That means all that money needs to last 40 more years. That is why they worry so much.

Investments go bad, so they need to be smart with it.

True.

But I have heard only a handful of other guys complain ever about it.

With Greg, it's the same thing EVERY year since he turned 30.

[DeMarco Murray 29]

Spencer's performance is why Ellis is even a topic on ATN.

Spencer is ORDINARY. Ellis prior to 2008 was very, very productive.

Nobody is saying they want Greg gone. Dallas fans like Greg.

We are just saying to Greg, to shut his whiny mouth and play football.

[royallypwned]

Well whaddya know. You could publish this same article and release it about the same time every year. It's like clockwork.

[sideshow24]

It just wouldn't be the same without http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7303/muppetsanimaln.th.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=muppetsanimaln.jpg) every year.

[ouvan59]

I don't know the history, but remember, this money they get stops at 35 the latest.

That means all that money needs to last 40 more years. That is why they worry so much.

Investments go bad, so they need to be smart with it.

Why? Are these guys not allowed to work after they leave the game of football? Yep, their huge paydays probably end at 35 but they all know this and if they haven't planned accordingly that's their fault. You'll have to stretch that a long, long way before I'll fee one iota of pity for someone who signed a $10,000,000 contract at any time in their life and can't make it last. These guys have been offered a free education and a huge jump start on lifetime security.

[pjfootballer]

I agree with ouvan. I'd take 10 million and use half for my salary and the other half would have gone straigt into a retirment fund that I couldn't access until I was 50.