CeeDee Lamb had an all-star season and became the first wide receiver in Dallas Cowboys history to achieve 1,700 yards in a single season.
In ESPN’s most recent poll, Lamb ranked as the fourth-best wide receiver in the league. This is a huge jump from the previous year, where Lamb barely cracked the top 10. Lamb’s talents are being recognized. These polls only increase Lamb’s value to the Cowboys’ offense.
How Long Will The Cowboys Go Without Paying Lamb?
CeeDee Lamb’s Stats for the 2023 Season
The Dallas Cowboys had an incredible winning season, going 12-5 before falling to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Lamb remained a central part of their offense, coming 2nd in the league for passing yards. But it wasn’t just that. Lamb also led the NFL in most yards after the catch, an insane 680 yards. He’s not only likely to catch the ball, but he’s likely to gain yards too.
There’s no other receiver on the Cowboys roster that even comes close to comparing to him. The second player with the most receiving yards was a tight end, Jake Ferguson. Lamb is necessary for a successful Cowboys offense. Since Amari Cooper was traded in 2022, Lamb has stepped up and continued to prove his value to the team.
Next season, Lamb’s contract will be up. Before then, he’ll need to decide on whether to return to the Cowboys or try to help another team come out on top. Right now, it isn’t looking so good.
CeeDee Lamb’s Contract Negotiations
CeeDee Lamb has been quiet about his contract negotiations, saying on X that he refuses to discuss it. He’s also mentioned that the negotiations are between his agent and the Cowboys managers.
However, Lamb’s actions made quite the statement over the summer when he refused to come to mandatory practices.
This ranking doesn’t make the decision much easier on the Cowboys. Everyone is well aware of what Lamb means for the team. But there’s a much more significant choice to make on whether or not it will be possible and reasonable to renew the contracts of the three best players they have–Dak Prescott — who ranked 10th for QBs in the league — Micah Parsons, and Lamb.
With Lamb coming out in the top five and the Cowboys possessing no other wide receiver weapons on offense, renewing Lamb feels more mandatory than optional. Sure, the Cowboys were right to pick up rookie wide receivers like Ryan Flournoy and Cam Johnson, but there’s no telling how they will do in the league.
There’s also the option for Brandin Cooks to step up. Cooks has been in the NFL since 2014, playing for four other teams before this past season with the Cowboys. Cooks had 657 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns, and 54 receptions in 16 games played in 2023. One of Cooks’ best seasons was when he played for the Los Angeles Rams and had over 1,200 receiving yards at 15.1 yards per catch. So he can potentially be a go-to target as Lamb has been.
Other Wide Receivers Only Complicate the Situation
Recently, Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers mentioned interest in being traded. As another player who just cracked the top 10 on wide receivers, it stirs the pot. If Aiyuk can switch teams and get paid well, then it shows that Lamb can do the same.
With Dallas Cowboys training camp only days away, starting July 25th in Oxnard, California, there isn’t much time before Lamb requests a trade as well.
Main Photo: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
