CeeDee Lamb Contract Extension: What's Cowboys 'Risk' in Signing?
Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb established himself as the offense's number one threat this season. After Amari Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns, Lamb stepped up and took the role with both hands.
While it did take time for the former Oklahoma Sooner to get going, once he did, career-highs in receiving yards, touchdowns, yards per game, and receptions followed.
But now, Dallas is entering a rather fateful time in Lamb's career. He is entering the final year of his four-year, $14 million rookie contract, which means he is now eligible for an extension.
So...
Will the Cowboys do it?
Per Spotrac.com, Lamb is poised to make just $2.5 million in base salary in 2023, which is low compared to his output. Dallas does have a fifth-year option to exercise (by May 1) that will see his salary move to about $18 million for 2024.
That is a no-brainer move by Dallas and a decent payday for Lamb, and no one can say the receiver doesn't deserve it. At times, he was the only reliable receiver for Dak Prescott, and when called upon, Lamb delivered.
But it should only mark the start of a new Lamb deal.
Dallas wants to both lock up Lamb with the option and retain him long-term. While the fifth-year option is a decent salary, it is far from what the top stars are making, roughly between $25 and $30 million.
We've seen some media suggest there is a "risk'' involved in the long-term deal; we don't see it. It is not difficult to project Lamb as a player worth of "top-star'' money ... and moving on this sooner rather than later is beneficially because his price tag is only going up.
The Cowboys - who habitually are not preemptive on these sorts of things. could see the fifth-year option as the better financial way. Whether Lamb will be happy with that remains to be seen as every player who outperforms their contract want to be compensated fairly for their services, and players want security in their future.
With the receiver publicly stating the need for offensive help, the fifth-year option presents the chance to do just that, at least with Lamb himself.
But...
Others in Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs (also extension-eligible now0 are also due to be paid sooner rather than later.
These decisions can have huge ramifications, but if we have learned anything from Jerry and Stephen Jones, they are good at massaging that salary cap - at least when it comes to "signing our own.''
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