CeeDee Lamb wants his money.
The Dallas Cowboys squandered an opportunity to sign CeeDee Lamb to a new contract last offseason when he was first extension-eligible. Much to the chagrin of Cowboys fans, the organization has a tendency to wait until the bill comes due to extend homegrown players.
Other franchises wisely get out in front of these deals. Not only does it save the team money, but signing early gives the player an opportunity to sign another lucrative contract depending on the length of the deal. The rival Eagles are the gold standard in this regard.
The Cowboys made the obvious decision to pick up Lamb's fifth-year option, but he's currently training away from the team during OTAs. There's been no indication from Lamb or team reporters that Lamb's "holdout" will end before he signs a new deal.
Lamb has been posting photos and videos of his training. He's in incredible shape, but his latest Instagram post had a seemingly cryptic caption that could be viewed as a subtle message to the Cowboys.
Cryptic Instagram post SZN is underway pic.twitter.com/09FibL7axA
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) May 26, 2024
Cowboys star WR CeeDee Lamb posts cryptic Instagram amid contract standoff
If Lamb's goal was to apply pressure on the Cowboys, consider it done. While Dallas knows Lamb wants top-of-the-market money, it doesn't hurt to remind his general manager that he's training as hard as anybody in preparation of the new season. Lamb knows his worth. He's not ruffling feathers or being a "diva."
At the end of the day, Cowboys fans only have Jerry and Stephen Jones to blame. Only in rare cases does being proactive with contract extensions blow up in a team's face. When it comes to superstars, though, the hit rate is nearly perfect.
In Lamb's case, he established himself as a top-10 receiver after the 2022 season. It was glaringly obvious that Lamb was on an upward trajectory. Sure enough, Lamb is now cemented as a top-five player at the position after he was a First-Team All-Pro and finished third in voting for Offensive Player of the Year. He was also the most valuable WR in the league according to PFF WAR.
Fans' concerns are justified, but we wouldn't read too much into Lamb's post. If anything, it confirms that Lamb won't report to Dallas until he signs his deal. A superstar like Lamb doesn't need every rep at OTAs, minicamp and even training camp. His absence will allow the likes of KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy more reps with the first-team offense.
However, the Cowboys will be better off the sooner Lamb reports. Based on this Instagram post and the lack of progress in contract talks, it's really anyone's guess when that will happen.
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