Negotiations between the Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb are likely to progress this summer. Both the All-Pro wide out and Dak Prescott
are in their contract year.According to a new rumor, the Cowboys may prioritize Prescott over Lamb in their extension talks for next year, while Micah Parsons appears to be satisfied with his current contract.
Prescott clearly took his time maximizing his advantage during his first round of negotiations, which lasted three offseasons, and the star quarterback has significant power this time around.
Dak’s predicament, which is holding up Lamb’s, may be troublesome for the Cowboys, who are likely to have three players pressing for position-record extensions. If Lamb does not receive an extension, he will likely put the team to the test, similar to how Zack Martin did last season.
According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, Lamb is unlikely to attend training camp without a signed extension. The fifth-year wideout skipped minicamp, making this decision less surprising.
Of course, that drew a mere $100,000 fine. Players who fail to attend training camp face a $50,000 fine for each day missed.Nick Bosa, on the other hand, established a template for such a path that did not cost a player anything during the hold-in era. Bosa declined, but the 49ers waived his fines.
According to the 2020 CBA, teams can no longer waive fines for players, however there is an exception for players on rookie contracts. Lamb qualifies since he has a fifth-year option.
Despite being unable to eliminate Martin’s fines during his 2023 holdout, the Cowboys eventually agreed to make the last two years of his contract completely guaranteed. Martin obtained a guarantee of $36.85 million last summer. Lamb is presumably seeking a contract comparable to Justin Jefferson’s. The Cowboys will face a difficult negotiation due to the Vikings giving Jefferson more guaranteed money than any other wide receiver, including $36MM in completely guaranteed money.
According to Watkins, Cowboys officials have stated that they do not want to set market prices for their extensions. That might be a concern depending on the leverage and/or caliber of the players with whom they will bargain. Negotiations with Prescott and Lamb have yet to yield any results.
Prescott cannot be franchise-tagged or transferred, and the Cowboys would suffer a $40.1MM dead money cost if they did not extend him by the start of the 2025 league year.
The Cowboys are poised to make a substantial offer, but Prescott played hardball during the initial round of discussions.
It would be surprising if the eighth-year vet did not present a similar strategy, especially given that the QB market has reached $55MM per year ($15MM higher than Dak’s AAV) this time around.
The Cowboys should consider a contract that spans the gap between the guarantees Jefferson and A.J. Brown earned.
However, they could have signed Lamb for a lower price if they signed in 2023. Dallas has faced criticism for the delays with Lamb and Prescott, and if Parsons’ negotiations begin in 2025, he will be in a contract year as well.
The Cowboys have acted early on extensions for Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Ezekiel Elliott, but not for a first-round pick in five years.
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.