The Dallas Cowboys have had a bit of a disappointing offseason to this point. They largely sat out free agency in an effort to save themselves some money for the pricy extensions they will have to pay out in the near future, but they haven't made much progress in hammering out those extensions. And now, it looks like they could have a brewing holdout on their hands with star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
While he had already cemented himself as one of the top wideouts in the league over the first three seasons of his career, Lamb took things to another level in 2023. Unsurprisingly, he wants a new deal as a result, but with talks not having progressed so far this offseason, Lamb is not expected to be in attendance for the team's voluntary workouts that get underway on Monday, an indication that he could be planning a holdout if he doesn't get a new deal in the near future.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb isn’t expected to attend the start of Dallas’ voluntary off-season program Monday while he awaits a new contract to replace the one scheduled to pay him a fully-guaranteed $17.199 million for his upcoming fifth-year option season. pic.twitter.com/68lOV8I5sv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 15, 2024
Cowboys could have a brewing CeeDee Lamb problem on their hands
This is an interesting update on Lamb, because previously he had indicated he wouldn't be holding out as he looks for a new deal. However, the fact that he isn't attending voluntary workouts is a somewhat notable sign. Fans obviously look into this stuff more than they should, but it's not too hard to put all the pieces of the puzzle together here to see the message he's attempting to convey.
Lamb is in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal with the Cowboys, and while he's set to earn a fully guaranteed salary of $17.199 million in 2024 if nothing changes, his performance last season is clearly worthy of significant pay raise. Lamb was arguably the most productive pass catcher in the league (135 REC, 1749 YDS, 12 TD), earning himself his third-straight Pro Bowl selection and a spot on the first-team All-Pro squad for the first time in his career.
There's no doubt that Lamb's upcoming extension with Dallas is going to reset the market for top-tier wide receivers, which is why it's taking so long for these two sides to find any sort of common ground. However, with other guys like Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase also needing extensions in the near future too, it may be better for the Cowboys to beat these other teams to the punch and set the market for these superstar wideouts, rather than having to adjust to what these other guys get paid.
It's an interesting line that the Cowboys have to walk, but there will certainly be alarm bells ringing after this big development involving the talented playmaker. Maybe this will encourage the two sides to head back to the negotiating table, but even though he has suggested otherwise, it's looking like Lamb could be headed towards a holdout, which is precisely what Dallas will be hoping to avoid ahead of a pivotal 2024 campaign.
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