Are Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott at midnight?

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In any negotiation, the most important dynamic becomes the presence of a real deadline that both sides recognize to be a real deadline. If the Cowboys and running back Ezekiel Elliott are motivated to get the player on the field on Sunday against the Giants, the deadline is here.

Unless it isn’t. The first major practice in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Giants happens today. If both sides believe Elliott must be at practice in order to play and/or to play well, the clock is striking twelve. But if one side or the other believe Zeke can suit up and go without practicing on Wednesday, maybe the deadline is Thursday. And if one side or the other believe Zeke can suit up and go without practicing on Thursday, maybe it’s Friday.

Maybe the real deadline is Saturday, if one side or the other believe he’s good enough to show up and get it done with not a single practice.

Regardless, the momentum has been building toward a deal getting done sooner than later. On Tuesday, word emerged that an extension (expected to be in the range of six years, $90 million) was close. Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, said on returning to Dallas from Mexico with Elliott that the deal is “very, very close.”

If it’s going to happen in time to get Zeke on the practice field today, it needs to happen soon. As in very soon. As in here’s hoping that one side or the other wanted to sleep on the final proposal before signing it and that it gets signed this morning and Elliott rejoins his team.

By returning to Dallas and declaring that a deal is “very, very close,” Elliott’s camp placed pressure on the Cowboys to iron out any remaining details, and possibly to capitulate on any lingering sticking points in order to get the thing done. Quite possibly, it was a calculated power play aimed at squeezing the Cowboys. If so, maybe it backfires. Maybe the Cowboys see it for what it was and dig in. And maybe Elliott’s side is the one that has to blink.

Regardless, the time has come (or it’s coming in the next 72 hours) for blinking eyelids, shaking hands, and ultimately signing names on the dotted line. The stakes rise considerably if one side or the other decides to continue this through the first week of the regular season; a loss by the Cowboys without Zeke would be blamed on the absence of Zeke, and it could indeed haunt the team in January, when playoff berths and seeds are determined.