NFL insider describes Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb negotiations as making progress, but not close
The Dallas Cowboys have been in Oxnard for about a week and concluded four training camp practices officially. Things are off and running.
For the most part the status quo has been maintained, but it is difficult to fully feel that way when the team’s top wide receiver is not present and accounted for. CeeDee Lamb is holding out and is subject to fines for the days that he is absent. Notably as Lamb is still on his rookie contract the team can waive these fines if and when they strike a contract extension, but the if/when remains to be seen.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport discussed the Lamb situation on Sunday and noted that the two parties are making progress and are in ‘a better place’ at the moment, but also noted that they are ‘not close.’
“I would say at least they’re in a somewhat better place than they were a couple of days ago, a couple of weeks ago. Not there yet. This is not a deal that I would describe as close, but at least there has been some progress. At least some hope that at some point the Cowboys could lock in CeeDee Lamb… it doesn’t seem like he is going to beat Justin Jefferson, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he got pretty close.”
Rapoport notes that it does not seem like Lamb is going to quite reach Justin Jefferson’s contract, but that he could get pretty close.
Here is a reminder at the important details of Jefferson’s deal with the Minnesota Vikings:
- 4-year extension
- $140M overall deal
- $88.743M due at signing
If it was not obvious Jefferson is currently the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL (and NFL history if that also was not obvious). So far throughout camp Stephen Jones has mentioned several times that the Cowboys have two different players on their roster who could/may/might challenge for this distinction in Lamb and Micah Parsons. Parsons is a year behind Lamb contractually and even though he is eligible for an extension he is present at camp.
The degree to how close Lamb could come to any one of these numbers obviously remains to be seen, but given that he is holding out he seems to have a preference or two that is currently not being met on the Cowboys side of things.
It may sound frustrating to hear that things are “not close”, but these types of things can change on a moment’s notice if the price is right.