Contract negotiations have long been a recurring theme for the Dallas Cowboys, and the latest potential saga revolves around CeeDee Lamb. Lamb is slated to play under a fully guaranteed $17.199 million fifth-year option in 2024.
According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Lamb is not expected to participate in the voluntary portion of the Cowboys’ offseason workout program commencing on April 15. Additionally, there’s speculation that Lamb could opt to hold out of training camp if a new contract isn’t reached.
When questioned about his future, Lamb ambiguously stated, “Yeah, I’ll be in Dallas.” However, he did not specifically address whether he would skip the voluntary workouts, the mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 4-6, or the start of training camp.
The likelihood of team owner Jerry Jones compelling Lamb to fulfill his rookie contract and potentially designating him as a franchise player in 2025 appears slim.
Historically, the Cowboys have refrained from utilizing the franchise tag on any of their first-round picks since the implementation of the rookie wage scale in the 2011 NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. Instead, core players have typically received contract extensions.
While instances such as Ezekiel Elliott’s situation may be viewed as anomalies, a pattern emerges when considering scenarios like Zack Martin’s. Jones’ handling of Martin’s contract negotiations inadvertently set a precedent, potentially emboldening agents of star Cowboys players in future negotiations. Until Jones adopts a more stringent approach in such situations, it’s unlikely that this trend will change.
