OXNARD Andy Isabella Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Though his math was a little fuzzy, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opened training camp by making a point that every player on the roster was under contract.What Jones really had in mind while mentioning 80 players when it should have been 90 was one in particular: star — and how holdout — running back Ezekiel Elliott.Once the questions began on reporting day Friday, Jones declared Elliott “late.” With two years left on his rookie deal, the two-time NFL rushing champion wasn’t around for a physical or conditioning test a day after missing the team’s flight to California.The first practice is set for Saturday, with no indication that anything will change with Elliott. One of Elliott’s representatives didn’t return a message seeking comment.The fourth overall choice in the 2016 draft, Elliott is due to make $3.9 million this season and $9.1 million in the fifth year, which was a team option since the former Ohio State star was a first-round pick.An opening day of the talk dominated by Elliott’s absence wasn’t what the Cowboys in mind with expectations of getting past the divisional round for the first time since the last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles nearly 25 years ago. But Jones was undeterred.“I don’t want to seem cavalier about it, but I also don’t want to be unrealistic being alarmed about it,” Jones said. “This is the air we breathe. And if you flared and knee-jerked or went just because you have parts of it that need addressing, you wouldn’t be able to manage.”While Elliott has been among the league’s most productive backs while helping the Cowboys win two NFC East titles in his three seasons, the 2016 All-Pro also has had off-field issues.Elliott was suspended for six games over domestic violence allegations in 2017, and was recently cleared by the league office for his part in an incident with a security guard in Las Vegas earlier this year.Jones went to great lengths to defend Elliott during the investigation over the domestic case, even threatening to sue his fellow owners over a contract extension for Roger Goodell when Jones was upset with the commissioner over Elliott’s punishment.“All of that comes to mind,” Jones said. “My time with Zeke has been based on just that, supporting him. And I do support him. I think he has a fabulous future here. So maybe I should be sure and say that.”Speaking of fuzzy math, the standoff with Elliott is reminiscent of Jones’ contract stalemate with Emmitt Smith in 1993 after the first of three Super Bowl victories for Dallas in four seasons.As Jones remembers it, Smith wasn’t under contract — and Smith himself was adamant that his situation was a negotiation, not a holdout. But there were initial reports of a four-year deal after Smith’s long holdout as a rookie in 1990 Clelin Ferrell Jersey , and Smith had just finished his third season on his way to becoming the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.There’s nothing murky about Elliott’s contract status, and Jones will have to hope that’s not the only difference. When Smith remained unsigned two games into the 1993 season, the Cowboys lost both before a deal suddenly got done and Dallas went on to a second consecutive title.Darius Jackson is the only experienced running back on the roster, and all six of his carries for 16 yards came in a meaningless regular-season finale at the New York Giants last season when Dallas had already wrapped up the division.The Cowboys drafted two running backs this year and are particularly high on fourth-rounder Tony Pollard out of Memphis. Mike Weber Jr. was a seventh-round choice from Ohio State.“When someone is not there, step up, next man up and let’s see what you got,” coach Jason Garrett said. “It’s a great opportunity for us as coaches to evaluate that player, see if he can hold up, see if we need to go get somebody else.”Elliott isn’t the only young star looking for a new contract. Quarterback Dak Prescott, the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in the dynamic first-year pairing with Elliott, is arguably the biggest bargain in the league at the moment ($2 million base salary in 2019).Receiver Amari Cooper, a midseason trade acquisition who provided a big boost to a sagging offense last season as the Cowboys surged to the division title in the second half and won a wild-card game, is in the final year of his contract.“We’ve worked on multiple ones before,” executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said. “We can work on three; we can work on four. When you decide you’re going to do them, it happens quickly. And when nothing’s going on, nothing’s going on.”Now it’s time to see whether a star holding out will change things.NOTES: The Cowboys will start camp with three defensive starters on the physically unable to perform list in defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence (shoulder surgery) and Tyrone Crawford and cornerback Byron Jones. Crawford and Jones each had hip surgery. Stephen Jones said all are expected to be ready by Week 1. WR Noah Brown (knee surgery) also is on PUP. ASHBURN, Va. (AP)Doug Williams looked at Alex Smith and slightly exaggerated the commitment the Washington Redskins made to their new soon-to-be 34-year-old quarterback.”He can play to 40,” Williams said Thursday. ”Can you Josh Oliver Jersey , Alex? Look at him. I think he can.”Smith smiled back and has plenty to be happy about. The veteran is now the Redskins’ franchise quarterback after being acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs and signing a $94 million, four-year extension with $71 million guaranteed that keeps him under contract through 2022.He’d be 38 if he plays out that deal, one that shows the Redskins were willing to commit long term to Smith the way they never did with Kirk Cousins. As Williams implied Cousins didn’t want to be in Washington for the long haul, Smith made it clear he did.”This is where I wanted to be,” Smith said. ”It looked fun. I wanted to be a part of it.”Smith gives the Redskins the kind of continuity at the position they lacked with Cousins, who became the first QB in NFL history to play back-to-back seasons under the franchise tag before signing a fully guaranteed $84 million, three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.”I do believe that Washington had a lot of great pieces,” Cousins said at his introductory news conference. ”They will have a lot of great pieces going forward and the margin of error is small. The difference between winning and losing is so small.”Cousins’ year-to-year status and propensity for mistakes in big moments outweighed his three consecutive 4,000-yard seasons to Washington’s front office, which decided to target Smith.”That’s somebody you can build your team around and know he’s going to be here, year in and year out,” coach Jay Gruden said. ”You’re not always looking down the road: `Oh, who’s going to be our quarterback next year?”’Williams said three or four other teams were also attempting to get Smith, which the Redskins did by sending a 2018 third-round pick and promising young cornerback Kendall Fuller to Kansas City.Smith had some say in his destination because he had to agree to the extension that Williams joked, ”If we have to add a couple more years to it, we’ll do that, too.”That was never going to happen with Cousins, a 2012 fourth-round pick taken the same draft as Robert Griffin III who thrived under the impression he was not wanted. From the Redskins’ perspective http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/quincy-williams-ii-jersey , that went both ways.”It wasn’t a matter of wanting to commit to the other guy,” Williams said of Cousins. ”We had to look at it what we had to do that’s going to be best for us, somebody who wanted to be here.”Smith’s introduction six weeks after the trade and extension were agreed to came with a welcome gift as the Redskins signed former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson to a five-year deal that’s reported to be worth $40 million.Richardson saw what DeSean Jackson did as a fellow speed threat in this offense and talked to former Washington receiver Pierre Garcon about the situation and figured it would be a good fit to catch balls from Smith.”I want him to know I’m always available,” said Richardson, who has 95 catches for 1,302 yards and eight touchdowns in four seasons. ”Just throw it. It don’t matter where it is. I’m going to go get it. And I’m going to turn him into a believer.”Smith has already made the Redskins’ brass into believers, and the entire organization from owner Dan Snyder and team president Bruce Allen down showed up for his much-hyped introductory news conference.Standing in the same building that Cousins roamed the past three seasons as the starter, Smith looked comfortable being the guy and understanding the faith the franchise put in him.”We’ve got to go win games,” Smith said. ”Excited about the opportunity because that’s what it is at this point. It’s an opportunity, and we’ve got to go make the most of it.”Gruden praised Smith for having ”all the traits” to be successful, and Williams sees the same on-field characteristics.But the Super Bowl MVP QB-turned-executive also sees another benefit in the locker room of Smith being under contract long term.”I don’t think the fans really understand when you talk about stability and when you know the guy that’s going to be leading this team is going to be in your locker room for the next three to four to five years, that’s a good feeling,” Williams said.”I think now they can relax and even during the season don’t have to worry about whether our fearless leader’s going to be here next year.”NOTES: The Redskins re-signed LB Zach Brown, whom they added in free agency a year ago. … According to tweets from their agents, WR Brian Quick re-signed and former Cowboys P Sam Irwin-Hill signed with Washington.—AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Howard Fendrich contributed.—