CeeDee

Lamb

The Cowboys were intent on force feeding Lamb in the first half, even designing three carries for the explosive wideout. Lamb was a victim of game script in the second half. A dominant special teams and defensive performance by Dallas left the offense without any urgency to score in the final two frames. Lamb will once again be an elite option in Week 2 against New Orleans.

This was always thought to be the outcome ahead of their Week 1 game against the Browns, with the roster transaction making it official. Lamb, fresh off a lucrative contract extension, will look to bolster his numbers after finishing as fantasy’s top wide receiver in 2023. That path starts against the Browns on the road.

After missing nearly all of training camp while holding out for a new deal, the Cowboys now have a little less than two weeks to ready Lamb for the start of the season. It’s worth noting that the Cowboys were granted a two-game roster exemption for Lamb, meaning he does not currently count against the team’s 53-man roster, but that can be lifted at any time once the team deems him ready to go. It would be surprising if Lamb didn’t suit up for Week 1 against the Browns, as he’s reportedly remained in playing shape while working out away from the team.

Lamb becomes the second-highest-paid receiver in the league on a per-year basis and will receive a $38 million signing bonus — the largest ever for a receiver, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Lamb was one of three receivers sitting out camp hoping for a new deal and becomes the first one signed, leaving Brandon Aiyuk and Ja’Marr Chase still to go. Lamb caught 135 passes for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns last season — all career highs — and should flirt with similar totals this season playing in a Cowboys offense that appears short on running back talent. Fantasy managers who were worried about him potentially missing the start of the season can rest easy, as Lamb should have more than enough time to get up to speed before Week 1’s opener against the Browns.

Alrighty then. Lamb, who has not reported to camp as he awaits his new deal, responded with a one-word quote tweet of “lol.” Either Jones is playing hardball or has lost his fastball, as this would not be a recommended negotiating tactic with a player the Cowboys desperately need for 2024.

The Cowboys have a lot to figure out as far as player contracts are concerned. Prescott is in the final year of a four-year deal he signed in 2021, while CeeDee Lamb is in the midst of a holdout as he awaits a lucrative extension. On top of that, the bills will also soon come due for star pass-rusher Micah Parson, who is under contract through 2025 but will likely be pushing for an extension at the end of this season. The Cowboys could free up ample cap space for this season by signing Prescott, who is set to earn just north of $55 million, to a new contract, but the team has been slow in getting that done. Prescott said earlier this month that “there’s been conversations” about a new deal but didn’t provide much beyond that. It’s hard to imagine the Cowboys moving on from Dak after this season, but retaining all three stars in the coming years could prove difficult.

Lamb skipped voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp this offseason and is now holding out of training camp while he awaits a contract extension from the Cowboys. Earlier reports from the offseason indicated that Lamb would hold out and now Watkins reports that is indeed the case. The All-Pro wideout is set to earn just under $18 million with his fifth-year option, but is likely expecting to sign a deal close to Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension. The Cowboys have to figure out new deals for both Dak Prescott and Lamb as their offensive cornerstones and waiting this long has led to other teams paying top players at those positions high-end money, bumping up the asking price for Prescott and Lamb. Though talks were expected to speed up after Jefferson signed his deal, the Cowboys and Lamb are not yet close to a deal. Now with a holdout, the Cowboys have to deal with an unhappy star receiver who is one of the best at his position and wants to be paid like it.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as Lamb skipped voluntary workouts and also passed on attending mandatory minicamp. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported earlier that Lamb and the Cowboys were “expected to ‘speed up’” in early June, shortly after the Vikings signed Justin Jefferson to a four-year, $140 million extension, but there’s but little word on the two sides being anywhere closer to a deal than they were a few months ago. The Cowboys’ first day of training camp is scheduled for July 25, giving the team a soft deadline to get a deal done before this becomes a major headache before the start of the season. Lamb is set to earn $17.991 million on his fifth-year extension and went for 135-1,749-12 last season.

Lamb hasn’t been present at voluntary OTAs as he eyes a contract extension before the start of the season. Last year’s receptions leader (135) is set to earn $17.991 million in the final year of his rookie deal, but with Jefferson’s $140 million extension now setting the market for other receivers, Lamb and the Cowboys now have a number to work within as they hope to hammer out a deal. The Cowboys are low on cap space and have to figure out new deals with Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons in the near future. A new deal with Lamb gets one big extension out of the way and allows Dallas to move on to other deals they need to work on.

The key word here is “voluntary,” but the words “contract extension” are also of great value. Lamb is set to earn $17.199 million in guaranteed money this season while playing on his rookie fifth-year option. In search of a long-term deal from the Cowboys, Lamb isn’t expected to report to any voluntary workouts, but the real fun could begin come training camp. It’s already been rumored that a holdout could be possible for Lamb, but we won’t know more about that until we get closer to camp. The former No. 17 overall pick has more than outplayed his rookie deal, but the Cowboys are in a tough cap position and still need to figure out what to do with Dak Prescott beyond this season.