Ellis gets contract extension

by Raul Villaronga
Staff Reporter, theboys.com Ž

Defensive end Greg Ellis has signed a seven-year contract extension worth $21 million that includes a $4.2 million signing bonus.

Ellis, who the Cowboys selected as the 8th overall selection in the 1998 NFL draft instead of grabbing Randy Moss, was in the final year of the contract.

The extension increased his salary for this season from $1.4 million to $2.7 million.

Ellis will receive $13.4 million in the first three years of the contract, which also includes roster bonuses of $1 million in 2004 and 2005. The deal also includes an escalator clause that will increase his salary if he records 10 sacks in a single season.

"Right now, he has the opportunity and the talent to be a Pro Bowl player," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "He's a team leader, and for all that he's done in his career, I told him he deserved this."