Cowboys, WR CeeDee Lamb agree to terms on four-year, $136M extension – Nick Shook, NFL.com

The Cowboys finally have their WR1 back on the field for the season opener.

According to Rapoport and Pelissero, Lamb also receives $100 million guaranteed and a $38 million signing bonus, a record for wide receivers.

The deal gives Lamb the second-highest average annual salary at $34 million per year, just behind Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson (four years, $35 million per year).

Lamb has been away from the Cowboys since OTAs, which he skipped as part of his efforts to secure a new deal before the start of the season, and has become a frequent topic in Cowboys news due to his extended absence. It hasn’t been a smooth process either, especially when owner Jerry Jones told reporters in early August that he was “in no rush to get it done,” prompting a terse, disgruntled response from Lamb on social media.

Jones eventually returned to limit the public relations damage, and as the preseason drew to a close, it appeared a deal for Lamb would be struck before Week 1. That happened on Monday, giving quarterback Dak Prescott his most important weapon just in time for the start of a crucial season.

Cowboys host Dalvin Cook on visit: Dallas brings in veteran RB despite Ezekiel Elliott, according to report – Garrett Podel, CBS Sports

The Cowboys kept Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott fresh for the regular season, but are still looking at experienced options in the backfield.

Cook played his first five seasons (2017-2021) under the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, then the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He has made the Pro Bowl in four of the last five years and has rushed for at least 1,135 yards in each of those four campaigns in Minnesota from 2019-2022.

In 2023, Cook played in 15 games with the New York Jets, but only managed 214 rushing yards on 67 carries (3.2 yards per carry). He finished the year with the Baltimore Ravens, totaling 23 rushing yards on eight carries against the Houston Texans in the 2023 AFC Divisional Round. Since 2019, Cook has the fourth-most rushing yards (5,238), tied for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns (43), and the fifth-most rushing first downs (268). He is the Vikings’ third-leading rusher with 5,993 yards, trailing only Robert Smith and Adrian Peterson. His 47 rushing touchdowns rank fourth in Vikings history.

According to NFL Media, Cook spent much of the 2024 offseason rehabbing from shoulder surgery and “feels better than he has in years.”

Mike McCarthy Reacts to CeeDee Lamb’s Contract Extension with Cowboys – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com

The Cowboys head coach, who is in the final year of his contract, is certainly looking forward to calling games again with Prescott and Lamb on the field.

“I think, No. 1, it’s great to get the contract done and have him back,” McCarthy said shortly after the deal was approved by both sides. “… I expected a situation to arise sooner or later today, but it was good to get it done. I think we’re all relieved.”

McCarthy continued to maintain that Lamb would return to the team quickly and that once that happened, the Cowboys would feature the First-Team All-Pro wideout in practice.

That remains the plan for Labor Day weekend.

“The schedule we have for the week is honestly in a build-up mode,” he said. “I don’t feel like we have to adjust much. Obviously we have a plan for him.”

What Lamb has accomplished since entering the league has been outstanding on many fronts and literally historic on others, much like McCarthy can do.

“The talent has been extremely evident since this young man stepped on the football field,” the Cowboys head coach said. “Not only does he play every position on the offensive perimeter, but he’s an exceptional returner, and he loves it. He loves being in the backfield and loves to run the ball (as well). He gives you that opportunity to not only take advantage of that schematically, but he’s pretty damn good at it.”

Cowboys Rumors: Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons Contracts No Closer After Lamb Deal – Andrew Peters, Bleacher Report

The contract watch for big names in Dallas is far from over.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys are no “closer” to extending either Prescott or Parsons.

“It didn’t feel like there was a real sense of urgency to get a deal done,” Schefter said on Sports center. “And the urgency helped them today with CeeDee Lamb, but it wasn’t really there, and it shouldn’t be there with Dak Prescott or Micah Parsons. So those two situations continue. And now that Dallas has reached the deal with CeeDee Lamb, it can take some of the focus off of their wide receiver and focus on the quarterback and the elite defensive player that is Micah Parsons.

“But it doesn’t appear at this point that a deal with either of those players — Parsons or Prescott — is any closer, despite the fact that CeeDee Lamb now has an agreement to keep him in Dallas for the next five years.”

Prescott is set to become a free agent after the 2024 season and should be in line for a significant pay raise this offseason. The veteran led the NFL with 36 touchdowns and had the third-most passing yards last year with 4,516.

The quarterback market has been rekindled this offseason after Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love signed deals that pay them more than $50 million per year. And Prescott is certainly making some money in that range, too.

The Cowboys have more time to figure out Parsons’ contract situation, as he is under contract through the 2025 season. That also gives Parsons time to have a career season and increase his value even further.

Jerry Jones believes the ‘fear, pressure’ of being in the final year of a contract is a positive – Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk

Jerry is counting on his team to perform well under pressure this season, because of course he is.

Mike McCarthy is entering the final year of his contract with the Cowboys, something he admits is a “challenge.”

Jones said Saturday night that he believes you get the best out of yourself when your back is against the wall.

“Absolutely, I do. I really do,” Jones said. “I have no doubt that the fear, the pressure and the fight will bring out the best in this game for coaches and players. But… this game has to have a little bit of extra (fire) about the guys you’re in front of (on the field). That’s why I’m a little surprised that someone would talk about their job without a contract. That blows me away.”

McCarthy has posted two straight 12-win seasons, a feat Dallas hasn’t accomplished since the dynasty of the ’90s. The Cowboys are 36-15 in the regular season over the past three seasons, with only the Chiefs, 37-14, posting a better record in that span.

Could the Cowboys trade Trey Lance, or is he in Dallas for the year? – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire

Negotiations for a Trey Lance trade will continue into the regular season, even though Cooper Rush will likely be the Cowboys’ QB2.

The Cowboys are in a tough spot because Lance is expected to take $5,310,717 off the salary cap, which is more than most teams are willing to spend on the QB3 position. Lance is still valuable in some ways as a developmental piece, but it would have to be on the right team for the right amount.

The Cowboys have to ask themselves if that is in Dallas, under his projected cost, or if there are alternatives. Based on Jerry Jones’ comments, he is committed to the cause, but words are not actions and things can happen behind the scenes.

“Sure, we plan to have him in our squad, that’s for sure,” Jones said of his young QB.

If the Cowboys are open to the idea of ​​trading Lance, these are exactly the kinds of statements Jones would have to make. A trading team doesn’t want to float the idea that the player in question might get fired. But since Dallas wouldn’t get any relief by letting Lance go, it’s safe to assume Jones was being honest and Lance’s spot on the 53-man roster is all but secure.