If the Dallas Cowboys are forced to trade CeeDee Lamb, an AFC foe would be an ideal trade partner.
Lamb skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp and missed all of the team’s voluntary organized team activities. His absence comes at a time when the 25-year-old receiver is seeking a new contract. The three-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his rookie contract which will pay him slightly less than $18 million.
In a list of trade scenarios compiled by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, one of the deals proposed is none other than the Cowboys dealing Lamb in exchange for Los Angeles Chargers second-round rookie receiver Ladd McConkey and a first-round pick.
The argument is simple — the Cowboys would benefit from cap savings by unloading Lamb for a rookier receiver prospect. And they would also trade the star to an out-of-conference rival who is unlikely to contend for a Super Bowl during the 2024 season.
It’s worth mentioning that this would be a last resort option for the Cowboys if they can’t work out a deal with Lamb and the star receiver demands a trade.
“Dallas would struggle to turn down the immediate cap savings and the significant 2025 draft capital influx, especially with a bright young receiver in Ladd McConkey coming back to try to strike gold with Dak Prescott,” writes Gagnon.
Ladd McConkey Served as Star Receiver With Georgia Bulldogs
McConkey was selected with the 34th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft by the Chargers. The 6-foot, 185-pound receiver doesn’t exactly possess prototypical size for a starting receiver, but he was a highly accomplished target while playing for the Georgia Bulldogs.
The 22-year-old won two national championships while starring at Georgia, including his 2022 season where he posted 58 receptions for 762 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. McConkey posted five receptions for 88 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 65-7 national championship game win over the TCU Horned Frogs.
As Gagnon mentions, the Chargers — who would be seeking a viable receiver for star quarterback Justin Herbert — would acquire one of the best weapons in the league in Lamb after losing his top two receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, during the offseason.
“In this case, it would be a chance for Jim Harbaugh and Co. to maximize their support for Justin Herbert at a critical juncture of his career,” writes Gagnon. “And like New England, the Los Angeles Chargers have the cap space while also not being considered a primary contender.”
Why Cowboys Could Be Forced to Consider CeeDee Lamb Trade
According to Spotrac, Lamb’s projected contract value is $136 million over four years at an average annual value of $34 million. Considering the Minnesota Vikings just signed Justin Jefferson to a $140 million deal across four years ($35 million per year), the Cowboys would likely be forced to tack on some extra dollars to surpass that deal.
The Cowboys would obviously like to re-sign their star receiver, but they also have to worry about upcoming mega money deals for star quarterback Dak Prescott — who will likely earn at least $50 million annually — and linebacker Micah Parsons, who is projected to earn $32 million annually on his next deal, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
Again, the Cowboys will do everything in their power to re-sign Lamb. But in a worse-case scenario, trading Lamb to a non-Super Bowl contender from the AFC in the Chargers would be a reasonable scenario.
