There will likely be more communication between the Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb this summer.It’s a contract year for both Dak Prescott and the All-Pro wide out. Reportedly, the Cowboys are prioritizing Prescott over Lamb in their contract queue, even though Micah Parsons seemed content with his deal negotiations beginning in 2019.
The outstanding quarterback has a lot of power this time around, having taken his time and maximized it during his first round of negotiations that lasted three offseasons.
For the Cowboys, who are likely to have three players requesting position-record extensions, Dak’s situation holding up Lamb’s might be problematic. Lamb will probably test the team in the same manner as Zack Martin did previously if there is no more announcement.
Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports that until Lamb has an agreement in place, he is not likely to report for training camp.
Not a particularly bold move, considering the fifth-year wideout missed minicamp. Naturally, that only resulted in a $100K fine. Players who fail to show up for training camp risk fines of $50,000 each day.
But in the hold-in period, Nick Bosa offered a road map that would prevent a player from losing money.
The 49ers canceled Bosa’s penalty despite his refusal to give up. The 2020 CBA prohibits teams from waiving player fines, with the exception of players with rookie contracts. Lamb is eligible since he has a fifth-year option.
Despite Martin’s 2023 holdout, the Cowboys were unable to waive his fines; instead, they gave in and converted the remaining two years of his contract into a fully guaranteed deal.
Last summer, Martin was guaranteed $36.85 million. Lamb is probably hoping to sign a deal that is on par with or slightly below that of Justin Jefferson.
The Cowboys are in for a challenging negotiation, given that the Vikings handed Jefferson $26MM more in guaranteed money than any other wide receiver and $36MM more totally guaranteed than any wideout secured.
Watkins continues, “Cowboys officials have stated they do not want to set markets with their extensions.” Given their bargaining power and/or the quality of the players they will be negotiating with, that might be a problem. In the negotiations with Prescott and Lamb, progress is still elusive.
Prescott cannot be transferred or franchise-tagged, and the Cowboys risk a $40.1MM dead money fee following another reorganization if they decide not to extend him before the 2025 league season begins. Prescott was tough during his initial round of talks, but the Cowboys are getting ready to make a big offer.
The eighth-year veteran should have presented a similar strategy by now; the QB market is now worth $55MM annually, which is $15MM more than Dak’s AAV.
The Cowboys would make sense to sign Lamb to a contract that falls somewhere between the guarantees that Jefferson and A.J. Brown obtained; yet, if they had signed Lamb in 2023, they could have signed him for less money.
Dallas has come under fire for its delays in dealing with Prescott and Lamb, and if Parsons’ negotiations do start in 2025, he will also be in a contract year.
Although the Cowboys have extended players early (Ezekiel Elliott, Travis Frederick, and Tyron Smith), they haven’t done so for a first-round pick in five years.
The Cowboys have never guaranteed a receiver more than $40MM at signing, and they escaped the other $20MM guaranteed in Amari Cooper‘s deal by trading him to the Browns.
A Lamb payday factored into that trade, with Jerry Jones citing the elder WR’s contract as the reason for the trade.
Lamb, 25, has taken off since Cooper’s exit, though the Cowboys have run into some trouble finding consistent receiving help over the past two seasons.
Lamb said in January he wanted to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver. Three receivers — Jefferson, Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown — have since raised the bar, bringing good news for the Oklahoma alum.
The Cowboys have one of the trickier contract gluts in recent memory.
If they stick to extending Prescott first, Lamb’s resolve will be tested if/once a holdout commences.
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