If the Dallas Cowboys and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb are unable to figure out their contract issues, there will be a litany of teams waiting on the other side of the road.
Veteran oddsmaker Adam Thompson of bookies.com evaluated the lay of the land and revealed his “2025 NFL odds” for the All-Pro pass catcher and it included the New York Jets among the betting favorites.
- Washington Commanders (+350)
- Arizona Cardinals (+400)
- New York Jets (+550)
- Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys (+650)
- New England Patriots (+900)
- Denver Broncos (+1200)
- The Field (+475)
Lamb, 25, has one year left on his rookie contract. That fifth-year option is worth $17.9 million. The former Oklahoma product is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Jets Have a Chance to Go Back in Time and Fix an Egregious Error
In the 2020 NFL draft, the Jets held the No. 11 overall pick in the first round. This was the first official draft under the leadership of general manager Joe Douglas.
This was a rich first round that featured plenty of talent in two key areas: offensive tackle and wide receiver.
New York would have been pleased with either area but the lean from the organization was offensive line. Douglas is a former offensive lineman himself and he wanted this first pick to set the tone for his regime.
Four offensive tackles were considered the top of the class. However, there was no guarantee that one of those players was still going to be on the board by the time the Jets were on the clock.
Ultimately when it got to draft day, two offensive tackles were on the board for the green and white. Those were Mekhi Becton out of Louisville and Tristan Wirfs out of Iowa.
The Jets went with Becton because they valued a player who could play left tackle. There was a belief inside the building that Wirfs was exclusively a right tackle or maybe even a guard.
Ironically Becton is the one who ended up getting moved over to right tackle and eventually guard on his second team with the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Wirfs became an All-Pro and recently moved over to left tackle himself.
Someone else the Jets passed on is Lamb. He ended up going to the Cowboys with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round.
The Jets missed out on an elite offensive tackle and a superstar wide receiver. Now they have a chance to totally redeem themselves.
Lamb Is Going to Cost a Bag, but He Brings a Special Skillset
Brett Bodzinski of bookies.com revealed that Lamb is “seeking a contract extension comparable to Justin Jefferson’s, worth $35 million annually.”
Jefferson became the highest-paid wide receiver this offseason at that $35 million annual salary.
Speaking of paying pass catchers, the Jets will soon have to join this booming market with Garrett Wilson eligible to discuss an extension next offseason.
It’s rare but two NFL teams are paying two wide receivers inside the top 10 highest paid at their position.
The Miami Dolphins have Tyreek Hill ($30 million per year) and Jaylen Waddle ($28.25 million per year). While the Philadelphia Eagles have A.J. Brown ($32 million per year) and Devonta Smith ($25 million per year).
It’s unclear if Douglas is willing to pay a premium receiver, let alone two. However, it might be too tantalizing of an opportunity to pass up.
