LAFC forward Carlos Vela has been voted captain of the MLS All-Stars for the second year running.

The vote was conducted on Twitter with the hashtag #CaptainVela representing one vote. Orlando City SC forward Nani, D.C. United midfielder Wayne Rooney and San Jose Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski were the other nominees.

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LA Galaxy superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who engaged in a war of words with Vela before and after his hat trick led the Galaxy to a 3-2 win in the "El Trafico" derby last week, was not nominated.

The MLS All-Stars will take on Atletico Madrid on July 31 at Orlando's Exploria Stadium.

The Mexico international is the runaway leader in the league MVP race this season, with 21 goals and 12 assists. His combined total of 33 goals and assists is already tied for the fourth-most in league history.

With 13 games remaining in the regular season, Vela has a chance to break the regular season goal-scoring record of 31 set last season by Atlanta United's Josef Martinez.

ATLANTA -- In the 40th minute of a match in late June involving Atlanta United and the Montreal Impact, midfielder Saphir Taider sent a pass toward center back Zakaria Diallo. Gonzalo "Pity" Martinez got in the passing lane, deflecting the ball into the air. As Diallo received the now-bouncing pass, United forward Brandon Vazquez arrived, stretching a raised foot to the ball, appearing to catch it and then follow through into Diallo's ankle. The defender went down, and referee Ramy Touchan blew his whistle.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," assistant referee Corey Rockwell, located on the sideline near the play, yelled into his headset. "Card if you want it. Card. Card. Let's do it. Let's do it. Yeah." Touchan ran over to the point of contact, reaching into his pocket and showing Vasquez a yellow card.

In a small room high above the field, Tim Ford leaned forward in his chair, peering intently into the large monitor in front of him. It showed the play as seen from four different angles.

"Did he get the ball? I'm going to check it again, to make sure," Ford, the video assistant referee (VAR) for the match, said to himself and assistant video assistant referee (AVAR) Kyle Longville seated next to him. If Vasquez didn't get the ball before clattering Diallo's ankle, the laws of the game would allow for a potential red card.

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Ford hit a large red button in front of him, marking the start of his review, then hit another switch that opened a communication channel with Touchan and the other on-field referees. "I'm gonna double check this," Ford said to group. To do so, he needed the best views. The operator sitting next to him, who was looking at a screen with all 14 camera angles, dropped the "low-mid" camera view onto Ford's monitor. The VAR used his fingers to enlarge the image, then asked the operator if there was anything better.

Down on the field, only a few seconds had elapsed. As Diallo recovered, Touchan told a player that VAR was checking the play. "I had point of contact top of foot, top of foot," Rockwell said into his mic. To another player, he explained: "They're checking right now, too. They're checking. It's a yellow, but they're checking, OK?"

In the booth, Ford continued looking at the play. Twenty seconds had gone by since he started his check, and while he was beginning to feel that the call on the field was correct, he wanted to make sure. "I'm fine with it, but I want to see it in full speed, please," he said to the operator. "Playing full speed," the operator responded as the clip streamed on Ford's screen.

"We're still holding up play here," Longville noted for Ford, who was too consumed with replays to see that Touchan hadn't given the Impact the go-ahead to take the free kick. Seconds later, after one final full speed replay: "Ramy, this is Tim. Check complete." As soon as Touchan heard those magic words, he blew his whistle and the match continued.

It took 40 seconds from foul to "check complete." There was no need for Touchan to go to the pitch-side monitor; he had gotten it right originally. Another play reviewed efficiently and accurately.

Welcome to the world of VAR.

Major League Soccer's stated goal is to become one of the best leagues in the world. One way it hopes to achieve this end is by embracing new technologies like VAR. "This is something that's at the very heart of MLS: to be a world leader, to be innovative," Jeff Agoos, MLS senior vice president, says.

In 2014 and 2015, MLS ran experiments in three different venues to test whether there was time to conduct video reviews. A year later, bolstered by this experience, the league tested the review system on behalf of the IFAB and FIFA and became the first league in the world to put VAR in every game in late 2017. It hasn't been a perfect rollout -- players like Toronto FC's Jozy Altidore and Atlanta's Leandro Gonzalez Pirez have criticized the system and mocked the officials this season -- but VAR is here to stay in MLS and the wider soccer world. It was used in all the major summer tournaments, including the 2019 Women's World Cup, and will make its Premier League debut on Aug. 9 when Liverpool hosts Norwich to open the 2019-20 season.

VAR does improve accuracy. According to league officials, 94.4% of calls would be correct in the absence of video review. With video review, that number jumps to 98.4%. Better, yes, but still not perfect. Therein lies the rub. Video review takes time and alters the flow of the game. Fans, then, expect it to be correct 100% of the time. But it won't be, for reasons that are both technical (camera angles didn't catch the action) and subjective (the interpretation of different rules varies from ref to ref and league to league).

In an interview about the present and future of VAR, Professional Referee Organization (PRO) general manager Howard Webb talked about the latter issue. "I think [VAR] will evolve with the culture of how the game is played across the world for the more subjective manners," he says.

"Interpretation of a handball in the Premier League is different from what it is in La Liga. VAR should reflect that."

In short, it's very much a work in progress. Rules and regulations will be developed and refined so VAR becomes as accurate as possible. It will never be perfect, meaning communication is key both for fans and referees. MLS launched a Twitter feed to explain what is being reviewed, why and the outcome in real time. According to Webb, unlike some other leagues and tournaments (the Women's World Cup), MLS head refs always go to the monitors to look at a call. "Fans said it wasn't clear why that was happening," he says of the reason for the decision.

In the chaos of a video review, it's essential for the VAR to be a good communicator, too. PRO refs participate in simulators and try to standardize their language to facilitate this back and forth. "When you're on the field and you're in a delay situation, you're listening for one of two things: Check complete or on-field review," Mark Geiger, PRO director of senior match officials says. "When the VARs start explaining everything, it gets lost."

It was easy to see this in practice in the booth in Atlanta as Ford calmly and cooly explained to Touchan what he was checking. The VAR and his operator worked seamlessly to get the right views on the four-panel screen. Ultimately, Ford saw that the on-field call was correct and that there was no need for an on-field review.

After the match, Ford sat in the ref locker room in the bowels of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and talked about those moments. "We checked the yellow card to make sure it wasn't over the line," he said. "[Vasquez] gets the ball and follows through, but he actually plays the ball."

"It's cool," he said, of working as a VAR. "To be honest, I think it's good for the game. That's why I enjoy it. It saves everybody from the headline."

In a surprise development, OPPO, the Chinese mobile manufacturing company that paid a record sum in 2017 to secure the sponsorship rights of the Indian cricket team, has bailed out of their contract nearly three years before it ends. On Thursday, the BCCI said OPPO was being replaced by Byju's, a learning app, which will now be the Indian team's sponsor till March 2022.

As part of the deal, the Byju's logo will be on the shirts of the Indian players, both men and women, in all three formats starting with the series against South Africa in September.

OPPO had originally paid INR 1079 crore (approx USD 162 million) for their five-year deal, which was double the base price of INR 538 crore (approx USD 81 million) set by BCCI in 2017. As per the deal OPPO would pay INR 4.61 crore (approx USD 693,000) per match for bilateral series and INR 1.51 crore (approx USD 227,000) per match for ICC sponsored tournaments.

ESPNcricinfo understands OPPO has opted to assign the remainder of the sponsorship to Byju's, which is allowed under the terms of the original contract. However, Byju's would need to pay the BCCI an additional 5% over the balance amount as re-assignment fee.

According to a board official, if it were to put out a tender to sell the sponsorship rights for the truncated period of 19 months, it might have received a smaller bid since the market is currently "soft". With Byju's picking up the contract from OPPO, the official said BCCI had actually managed to generate a profit.

Byju Raveendran, Byju's founder and chief executive officer, said the deal would have a positive impact for his company. "We are proud to be the Indian Cricket Team sponsor. Cricket is the heartbeat of all Indians and we are thrilled to be an integral part of our much loved team," Raveendran said in a media release issued by BCCI. "As a learning company, BYJU'S has always recognised the critical role that sport plays in a child's development. Just as cricket inspires a billion budding dreams across India, we too as a learning company hope to inspire the love of learning in every child's heart."

Hick XII 120 and 156 for 5 (Bancroft 93*) beat Haddin XII 105 and 170 by 6 wickets

Cameron Bancroft inched his way to the defining innings of a low-scoring scrap in Southampton to give himself the best possible chance of being named in Australia's Ashes squad on Friday, and also help the Hick XII to victory over the Haddin XII in an internal trial match played on a dicey pitch.

All the qualities that saw Bancroft first picked for Australia in 2017 - dogged defence, absorption of quality bowling and a limited game around which others can blossom - were on display as he posted the highest score of the match, an undefeated 93 from 194 studious balls. David Warner, who may now be reunited with Bancroft as openers, made the only other half century, while Marnus Labuschagne's 41 on the first day was also noteworthy.

Thanks to Bancroft, the chase was negotiated effectively, as Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Jon Holland were unable to force their way through, and the Test captain Tim Paine was at the crease to help knock off the last 22 runs required. Pat Cummins, having bowled so well on the first two days, was spelled from the attack ahead of the first Test against England in Birmingham next week.

Mitchell Marsh also made a useful partner for Bancroft in a stand worth 54, with scores of 29 and 23 plus 5 for 34 amounting to a significant allround contribution. Bancroft, Labuschagne, Marsh James Pattinson (4 for 35 from 23 overs for the match) and Peter Siddle (5 for 45 from 24) were the fringe players to acquit themselves best in this fixture, providing the selectors Trevor Hohns and Justin Langer with the final pieces of information for their squad deliberations.

At the same time, Kurtis Patterson, Joe Burns, Matthew Wade and Pete Handscomb would have been disappointed not to make their mark in what were admittedly very difficult climes for batsmen. Any umpire marking the surface were it a formal first-class fixture would have been hard-pressed to give the pitch a passing grade. Low scores for Steven Smith and Travis Head compounded the sense that Australia's batsmen will be undercooked for Edgbaston next week.

Even so, the match figures returned by Starc (1 for 79 from 22 overs) and Hazlewood (2 for 56 from 24) will cause further contemplation by Hohns and Langer as to the best balance of the Australian bowling attack for Edgbaston. Starc, who was taken for a precautionary knee scan on Wednesday, bowled with high pace at times, but was blunted consistently by Bancroft, only taking his first wicket of the game when it was very near the finish.

Ticket sales have soared for the early rounds of the Vitality Blast, with several counties reporting record attendances as they look to capitalise on a post-World Cup final buzz.

Lord's, The Oval, Taunton, Chesterfield, Cheltenham, Hove, Headingley, and Chelmsford have all seen at least one game sell out, while other counties have seen various records broken.

Nottinghamshire's game against Northants on Wednesday night attracted 13,691 fans - a record for a midweek T20 at Trent Bridge - while Lancashire's game against Durham on Sunday saw 13,710 tickets sold, a record for a non-Roses T20 at Old Trafford.

Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket, said that the club sold 2,800 tickets for their opener against Worcestershire in the three days after England's World Cup final win.

Durham's game against Northants on Friday was their highest T20 attendance for a fixture against a team other than Yorkshire, with the gate exceeding 6000 at a ground that has historically struggled to sell tickets for domestic cricket.

Somerset's sales are up 33% on the equivalent time last year, and their first three home games are all sell-outs.

Surrey announced that their sales were up 18% in the week before their first game at The Oval, despite the fact only one of their home games is in their favoured Friday night spot.

Sussex sold out their first two home games, as well as their 'Blast Pass' season tickets which secure a seat for all home matches, while Hampshire's game against Kent on Sunday drew a crowd of 10,000, the highest domestic crowd at the Ageas Bowl for two years.

The strong sales will inevitably raise questions as to how counties that are not host venues for The Hundred will continue to draw fans next year, with the Blast's group stage likely to be finished before the start of the summer holidays.

That said, with the exceptions of Cardiff and the Ageas Bowl, tickets for Blast games at the competition's host venues have been strong, and will be expected to grow for The Hundred after an ECB marketing drive next summer.

Gloucestershire 151 for 8 (Hammond 63) beat Middlesex 148 for 9 (Simpson 42*) by two wickets

Cheltenham-born Miles Hammond delighted his home crowd with a brilliant array of shots as Gloucestershire inflicted a first defeat on Middlesex in this season's Vitality Blast.

In front of a sell-out 5,000 attendance at a steaming College Ground, the 23-year-old opener smashed 63, including nine fours and three sixes, to help see his side to a two-wicket win after the visitors had won the toss and elected to bat.

Without AB de Villiers, who was nursing a hand injury, Middlesex could post only 148 for 9 on the fast-scoring College Ground, Stevie Eskinazi making 40 and John Simpson 42 not out. David Payne claimed 3 for 32, while Ryan Higgins and AJ Tye both returned 2 for 23.

In reply, Gloucestershire slipped to 84 for 5, despite Hammond's efforts, before Benny Howell (33) and Jack Taylor (24) made sure they reached 151 for 8 and won with four balls to spare.

Middlesex began like a team who had won their first two group games, as Eskinazi hit three fours off the first four balls of the match, sent down by Payne, and Dawid Malan lofted Graeme van Buuren's second ball from the other end over deep square for six.

But left-arm spinner van Buuren stemmed the early momentum with his next delivery, which saw Malan caught and bowled off a skyer.

Dan Lincoln came in at three in the absence of de Villiers for his Middlesex debut. The 24-year-old Surrey-born batsman and Eskinazi, who faced only 26 balls, took the score to 73 before the latter was brilliantly stumped by James Bracey off a Howell leg-side wide.

Lincoln, a non-league goalkeeper who was only registered by Middlesex yesterday, made sure the momentum was maintained, hitting Higgins for a straight six, before being caught at deep midwicket off the following delivery for a promising 30.

The same over saw Nick Gubbins taken at long-on for a single and at the halfway stage Middlesex were 81 for 4. The visitors were then squeezed by Howell, AJ Tye, Higgins and Tom Smith, losing George Scott cheaply as they added 26 in four overs.

Toby Roland-Jones and Tom Helm perished to catches at extra cover off Payne, while Nathan Sowter also succumbed to an attempted big hit, and Mujeeb was bowled by Tye for a duck.

Middlesex had lost their early momentum, with a straight six by Simpson off Howell in the 15th over a rare blow of defiance.

Gloucestershire's innings began as their opponents' had done, Hammond hitting two fours and a six in the opening two overs.

But the third saw Tom Helm strike a double blow, having dangerman Michael Klinger caught behind for ten and Ian Cockbain taken at point two balls later to leave the hosts 25 for 2.

Hammond continued to attack with a series of sweetly-timed shots that help take the hosts to 59 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. Soon the local boy was raising his bat to acknowledge warm applause for a 26-ball fifty.

Bracey and Higgins fell cheaply before Hammond's superb knock was ended by a low catch from wicketkeeper Simpson off Roland-Jones. At 84 for 5, Gloucestershire had to regroup.

Howell, dropped at short cover before he had scored, and Taylor added 45 priceless runs together. Both fell at the end, along with van Buuren, but had already ensured a hugely successful festival for Gloucestershire ended in style, as Smith hit the winning runs.

Mitchell Starc may be in line to miss the opening Ashes Test in Birmingham in order to ensure he has found the ideal red-ball rhythm that was far more evident in the bowling of James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood on a Southampton pitch the captain Tim Paine labelled "bordering on dangerous".

As the Australian squad prepared to be cut back from 25 to a likely 17 on Friday, Paine revealed he had made his last contribution to the selection debate on Thursday morning before the Australians' internal trial and warmup game concluded well inside three days. He also spoke glowingly of the toughness of Cameron Bancroft, who ground out the highest score of the match and faced down the best that Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc could hurl at him.

But in assessing the pacemen, Paine was frank in his statement that Starc remains in transition mode from his World Cup exertions. He was far more enthusiastic in his praise of Pattinson and Siddle in particular, lauding their accuracy in probing on a surface that offer assistance both lateral and vertical, while also indicating Hazlewood was tracking as desired.

"Josh, who I have been with for the last five or six weeks, he hasn't played cricket since the Indian series last year but what we have seen with him is he is tracking in the right direction, every time he has bowled in a match he has got better and better," Paine said. "We're thrilled with that and obviously he is going to be a key bowler for us at stages during this Ashes series. He is getting better and better every time.

"We know what Starcy can do when he is on fire and on song like we saw in some of the World Cup games, he can get any batter out in the world. He's coming off a lot of white-ball cricket, so Starcy takes a little it of time to adjust back up with his lengths and stuff, but he'll be working hard next week again, and when he's song he will be playing a huge role in these Ashes.

"It was a different wicket but the really accurate bowlers were a real handful, whether they were bowling at James Pattinson speed or Peter Siddle speed the guys that hit the correct length on that wicket were an absolute handful. It's going to be no different, we need guys that can adjust to different conditions really quickly and bowl the appropriate length on different surfaces and guys that can adapt to that really quickly is a real key and we saw some of our seasoned pros adjust to that really quickly and hit a perfect length on that surface."

Adjustment was also crucial to the way Bancroft, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne made runs in often fiendish circumstances. Bancroft was happy to wear blows to the body, while leaning on his cover drives with a carefully angled bat that reduced the chance of outside edges while the runs ticked over steadily.

"I thought Bangers played unbelievably well. To get basically a hundred on that wicket was an unbelievable effort," Paine said. "I thought what it showed is Bangers' toughness. The reason the guys were getting stuck on the crease a lot is because the odd ball was jumping up at them.

"That can play on a guy's mind, and mix with a batsmen's feet, particularly when they are bowling the speeds guys were. But that just shows the mental application and toughness that Bangers has got, to keep going forward, to keep wearing balls on the body. The boys think he has a bit of a screw loose but he seems to enjoy getting hit on the body, it seems to make him bat better. He was superb in that second innings."

Alongside Bancroft, Smith and Warner have eased into their Test series preparations for the first time with quiet resolve a little more than a year on from the Newlands scandal. Paine, eager to stress the issue as closed, focused on how much English knowhow the trio possess.

"That's all in the past. I think everyone is rapt to have them back, that's the emotion, everyone is excited to have two of our loved teammates back in, and Bangers, three," Paine said. "Having all three adds not only to our team but knowledge of English conditions. Bangers has played a lot of cricket over here now and the other two are two of the best players in the world. We are thrilled from a cricket aspect, we are thrilled from a team aspect to have those guys back in around our group."

"I'll speak to all the guys who are going home, and you obviously feel for them because they've got so close to every Australian cricketer's dream" Tim Paine

The batting forebearance shown by Bancroft in particular will have to be mirrored by the eight players informed they will not be going on the remainder of the Ashes tour. Labuschagne, Bancroft and Alex Carey have county deals to keep them on hand should they miss the cut, while others will be charting European holidays in the midst of a British hot spell that nudged 38C in London on Thursday.

"I've already spoken to them [the selectors] this morning, so I've given my thoughts. Obviously we've been in constant communication for some time and bouncing squads and teams off each other the whole time. I sort of had my final say this morning and they'll make the rest of the decisions from there. On the phone, this morning we had a hook up. I passed on what I think is the best mix to win the Ashes in England.

"I'm not totally a part of the final decision. So obviously I'll speak to all the guys who are going home, and you obviously feel for them because they've got so close to every Australian cricketer's dream. To have it taken away a week before the first Test is going to sting but we've got a really close group of 25 cricketers here and I'd imagine every one of our squad will be speaking to those guys in the next 24 hours."

The team's balance remains in some doubt, with the preponderance of Tests and tour matches over little more than six weeks leaving open the possibility of a sixth fast bowler being part of the group. Balance between the batsmen and the need for an allrounder are also key debates.

Possible Ashes squad: Tim Paine (capt), David Warner, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Cameron Bancroft, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland.

METAIRIE, La. -- Wide receiver Michael Thomas has not reported to New Orleans Saints training camp as the two sides continue to negotiate a long-term contract extension, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Saints veterans were scheduled to report to camp Thursday, with the first practice scheduled for Friday. Thomas, who is due to make $1.148 million in the final year of his rookie contract, is subject to a maximum fine of $40,000 per day for missing camp.

Thomas, 26, participated fully during the Saints' organized team activities and minicamp practices earlier this offseason, telling ESPN, "I'm a football player first; I like being at work."

But the first-team All-Pro has been unable to work out a long-term extension with the Saints despite negotiating for weeks, according to Schefter.

A source told ESPN's Dianna Russini last month that the Saints were comfortable making Thomas the NFL's highest-paid receiver -- a title currently held by Odell Beckham Jr., whose deal is worth $18 million to $19 million per year with $65 million in guarantees.

Thomas could be seeking a significant bump from that amount, considering fellow top receivers such as Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, A.J. Green and Tyreek Hill are also seeking new deals that should continue to raise the salary bar.

The Saints have never paid a skill position player more than $10 million per year, which was the size of tight end Jimmy Graham's extension before he was traded away in 2015. But Thomas, who was drafted in the second round out of Ohio State in 2016, has played a bigger role in New Orleans' offense than any skill position player to come before him in the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era.

Last year, Thomas set franchise records with 125 catches and 1,405 yards while catching nine touchdown passes. His astounding catch rate of 84.5% in 2018 was the highest of any NFL receiver since at least 2001, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Thomas' 321 career catches are the most in NFL history by a receiver in his first three years. Beckham ranks second with 288.

The Saints have about $12 million in salary-cap space after they signed All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan to a lucrative contract extension earlier this offseason. But they have some serious budgeting issues to consider in the near future.

Next year, Brees, backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and guard Andrus Peat are among the scheduled free agents. Then running back Alvin Kamara, guard Larry Warford and linebacker Demario Davis come due in 2021, followed by cornerback Marshon Lattimore and offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk in 2022.

The Saints also have more than $26 million in "dead money" scheduled to count against their salary cap in 2020 because of the way they have structured Brees' contract.

PITTSBURGH -- One of the NFL's longest-tenured head coaches is extending his stay in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers announced an extension for Mike Tomlin, who is now under contract through at least the 2021 season.

Tomlin had two years left on his deal, and the team added an additional year plus an option year, a source told ESPN. His contract is aligned with that of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, whose deal goes through 2021.

"Mike is one of the most successful head coaches in the National Football League, and we are confident in his leadership to continue to lead our team as we pursue our goal of winning another championship," team president Art Rooney II said in a statement.

Since his 2007 hiring, Tomlin has not had a losing season and has won at least 10 games in eight of his 12 years. Among active head coaches, only New England's Bill Belichick and New Orleans' Sean Payton have logged more years in their current jobs.

"I am very appreciative of this contract extension and opportunity and want to thank Art Rooney II and everyone in the organization for the support in my first 12 seasons," Tomlin said in a statement. "We have a goal of winning the organization's seventh Super Bowl championship, and I couldn't be more excited about this upcoming season."

The Steelers have typically extended Tomlin's contract every other year around training camp. In 2017, the team agreed to a two-year extension with the coach.

OXNARD, Calif. - Running back Ezekiel Elliott is not on the plane to Los Angeles with the majority of Dallas Cowboys teammates and coaches for the start of training camp in Oxnard, California, multiple sources told ESPN on Thursday.

That does not yet mean Elliott is a no-show for training camp. Players have to be at the team's River Ridge Residence Inn set-up by Friday morning in time for physicals and a conditioning test before they are considered late for camp and subject to a fine.

The Cowboys' first practice is Saturday.

Rumors have persisted for most of the offseason that Elliott would sit out of camp in hopes of getting a long-term contract extension, but he did not miss a day of the voluntary offseason program or mandatory minicamp in June. He is under contract for two more years, set to make $3.85 million in 2019 and $9.09 million on the 2020 fifth-year option the team picked up in the spring.

Elliott's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, did not return messages seeking comment.

Coach Jason Garrett told reporters Wednesday that he expected Elliott to be on the plane.

If Elliott does not report, he would be subject to fines of $30,000 per day, while a missed preseason game would cost him roughly $226,000. If he does not report by Aug. 6, he would not earn an accrued season toward free agency.

The Cowboys and Arceneaux have had talks within the last two weeks regarding a deal, but sources have said nothing is close.

Once the team arrives in Oxnard, the plan is to kick-start talks with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper, who are in the final years of their contract, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the Cowboys do not have a pecking order in who needs to get done first, including Elliott.

The Los Angeles Rams signed Todd Gurley to a lucrative extension last offseason after his third season, and Elliott would like to have the same in place.

Elliott has led the NFL in rushing in two of his first three seasons but missed six games in 2017 because of a suspension. He recently avoided penalty from the league under the personal conduct policy after an incident in Las Vegas. The Cowboys have supported Elliott through his off-field issues and Stephen Jones said what happened in Las Vegas would not impact the negotiations.

The Cowboys have plenty of cap room to get a deal done, adding $5 million with the release of wide receiver Allen Hurns on Wednesday.

They have a history of getting extensions done with players during camp with Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick the most recent and would like to finalize deals for Prescott, Cooper and potentially Elliott if possible.

For now, however, the Elliott Watch commences.