The Dallas Cowboys had the option of extending CeeDee Lamb last offseason after they picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. It seemed like a no-brainer decision after Lamb finished the year top five in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
As they typically do with homegrown stars, though, the Cowboys kicked the can down the road until this offseason. They could have negotiated a fair deal with Lamb last summer, but now Lamb holds all the leverage after he was a First-Team All-Pro and finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting.
Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Lamb hasn't reported to the Cowboys' voluntary workouts. There's been no indication that Lamb will report to mandatory minicamp next week and it stands to reason that he'll sit out training camp if he still isn't signed.
It's anyone's guess what Lamb's price will be when he signs, but he just got more expensive after one of the Cowboys' budding rivals gave an ascending star wide receiver a monster pay day.
Texans' Nico Collins extension just screwed Cowboys with CeeDee Lamb's contract
Per reports, the Texans signed Nico Collins to a three-year, $72.5 million extension. The contract carries a max value of $75 million and includes a lofty $52 million guaranteed.
It's a deserved deal for Collins, who emerged as a bonafide WR1 last season for the Texans. He finished top 10 in receiving yards and catches, as well as first in yards after the catch per reception, per PFF (subscription required) Only Tyreek Hill had more yards per route run than Collins, and his 129.6 passer rating when targeted topped all receivers.
A third-round pick in 2021, Collins is just hitting his stride and is clearly on an upward trajectory. However, 2023 marked his first season with more than 70 catches and 500 yards receiving. He missed eight games due to injury in his first two years.
Meanwhile, Lamb posted 74 catches for 935 yards as a rookie in 2020. He was the second option behind Amari Cooper. He eclipsed 1,110 yards receiving in year two alongside Cooper and nearly finished with 1,300 yards in his first year as the No. 1 option in 2022.
To put this into perspective, Collins has 2,224 career receiving yards in three seasons. Just last season, Lamb almost had 1,800 receiving yards. Incredibly, Collins is now the seventh-highest paid WR in football in terms of annual salary and his reported $52 million guaranteed checks in 10th overall.
No receiver generated more yards as an isolated receiver than Nico Collins during the 2023 regular season (546).
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) May 28, 2024
Collins' EPA when targeted as an isolated receiver (+33.9) is the highest single-season mark over the last four seasons (since 2020).@lbg_nico7 | #HTownMade https://t.co/pwMbQ9sWX6 pic.twitter.com/TceP98oRBQ
If Collins is worth $24.1 million per year, Lamb should set a $30 million baseline at the negotiation table. Regardless of how Lamb approaches negotiations, Collins' extension further complicates a tricky situation.
While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones typically ends up taking care of his guys, his timeline for doing so almost always results in him paying the absolute maximum. History looks to be repeating itself with Lamb's contract.
Just in the last month, top-flight receivers like Collins, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Amon-Ra St.Brown have all inked new deals. What's more scary is that Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase are waiting to sign extensions so Lamb's price could soar even further while Jones twiddles his thumbs.
