ZACK MARTIN

Position: offensive right guard

Size: 6-foot-4, 315 pounds

Age when season starts: 25

College: Notre Dame

Drafted: First round, 16th pick, 2014 (Dallas)

Experience: Entering third season

Contract status: Martin's four-year rookie deal is worth $8.9 million and goes through 2017.

Last season

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Kellen Moore (17) looks for a receiver behind the protection of guard Zack Martin (70) and center Travis Frederick (72) during the New York Jets vs. Dallas Cowboys NFL football game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday, December 19, 2015. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News) (The Dallas Morning News)

Martin earned his second straight trip to the Pro Bowl in his two NFL seasons. Not bad for the guy the Cowboys drafted instead of Johnny Manziel in 2014. Martin has started every game each of his first two seasons. Martin has said he felt a big difference between his first and second seasons, arriving in Dallas as a tackle at Notre Dame but excelling as a guard in the NFL. Martin had eight penalties (four holds) enforced in 2015.

"I just think he's improved in all aspects," coach Jason Garrett said during last season. "He's such a hard-working guy and so committed to being as good as he can...feet, hands, eyes -- he works at every aspect of his game."

This season's outlook

Dallas Cowboys center Jake Brendel (left) and guard Zack Martin run to a drill during OTA's Wednesday, June 1, 2016 in Irving, Texas. (G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News) (The Dallas Morning News)

This upcoming season is the final season before he and the Cowboys are allowed to negotiate an extension.

Martin and the offensive line are expecting to block for an offense that can control the ball on the ground with the addition of running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick of the draft. Quarterback Tony Romo returns from injury and should provide balance, something Dallas didn't have last season with backup quarterbacks as defenses loaded up to stop the run, but the Cowboys still finished ninth in the NFL in rushing.