With CeeDee Lamb officially holding out of training camp, you would think members of the Dallas Cowboys would be disappointed to see the team's top target abstain from organized team activities in favor of pursuing his own financial well-being, right?
Are there a few members of the Cowboys roster who might feel that way? Eh, maybe so, but when it comes to big named stars like speedster Brandin Cooks, who will likely serve as the WR2 next to Lamb's WR1, they know this sort of flashing abstinence from on-field action is nothing more than a negotiation tactic and as a result, doesn't hold it against the Pro Bowler.
Why? Well, because offseason holdouts don't usually impact regular season play, as he watched Aaron Donald miss camp for multiple years during his run with the Rams and ended up winning Defensive Player of the Year.
“(CeeDee Lamb) is the best receiver in the league for a reason,” Brandin Cooks told The Athletic. “I played with a guy in Aaron Donald, who if I’m not mistaken, didn’t come to camp three years in a row and won Defensive Player of the Year. And (CeeDee’s) that good as a receiver.”
To Cooks' credit, his recollection is correct; in 2017, Donald did hold out for a new contract and ended up winning his first of three Defensive Player of the Year awards at the end of that campaign. Now granted, Donald didn't actually earn a new contract in 2017, as he ended up playing for the Rams on the fifth-year option and wouldn't cash in on his six-year, $135 million contract – with $87 million guaranteed – until August of 2018, but in a way, their situations aren't too dissimilar at all; both players have vastly overperformed their rookie contract and are now looking to get paid like the top stars at their positions they are.
Will Lamb earn the sort of extension that Donald received with the Rams, becoming the highest-paid player in the NFL at his position, at least for a time? Maybe yes, maybe no, but so long as his teammates stay on his side, which Cooks and a few others have actively stated they are, fans shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott backs up CeeDee Lamb too
While Cooks may earn the majority of the headlines for comparing the Pro Bowl wide receiver to one of the best defensive linemen to ever do it, he isn't the only Cowboy to come down on the labor-management debate as Ezekiel Elliott, now in his second run in Big D, also stood behind the holdout.
“The team understands that CeeDee needs to handle his business, and CeeDee understands that he has the support of the team behind him,” Elliott told ESPN Staff Writer Todd Archer. “Just stay in shape, which it looks like he's doing, and be ready to go once the deal gets done.”
No stranger to holding out himself, Elliott was able to use his own absence to secure a massive contract extension with Dallas a few years back, even if he was ultimately released due to his massive cap hit. If Lamb is able to secure a similar bag while staying in optimal playing shape away from the team, it's safe to say this will all be worth it for the Oklahoma product, too.
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