CeeDee Lamb absent as Cowboys begin spring workout program
As expected, Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is absent from the team’s spring workout program, which began on Monday with an 8 a.m. meeting, according to Dallas Morning News‘ Michael Gehlken. The workouts and meetings at this point in the offseason are voluntary and with Lamb currently pushing for a major contract extension, he is not expected to join in.
The former first-round draft pick is in line to become one of, if not the highest-paid wide receiver in the league as his rookie deal comes to a wrap. He’s currently set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option for $17.991 million.
The Cowboys have done little to incentivize Lamb’s participation in the voluntary workouts, though they would like for him to be there. Last month at league annual meetings in Orlando, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones opened up about the potential for a holdout. He cited former first-rounder Ezekiel Elliott as an example.
“Everybody goes about it a different way,” Jones said. “We’ve had guys who have been around. [Ezekiel Elliott] was never around when he was wanting a contract. So, we’ve dealt with both. We respect Zeke, but you prefer that they’re around when they’re under contract. It’s part of the business.
“You don’t love it, but it’s part of the business.”
TMZ Sports recently caught up with Lamb at a CSA sports memorabilia event in Chantilly, Virginia, and was asked if Cowboys fans should expect him back on the field with the team this fall.
“Yeah, I’ll be in Dallas!” Lamb said. Lamb also said he’s looking forward to winning with quarterback Dak Prescott and the rest of his teammates.
For now, the Cowboys’ activities are voluntary. That changes when the mandatory minicamp comes around in early June. The team’s spring workouts are exclusively for strength and conditioning, as outlined by the CBA.
Lamb ‘more valuable’ than anyone else
Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones called Lamb “more valuable” than anybody else amid his contract talks. This season, he posted 1,749 receiving yards (second in the league) and 12 touchdowns (third in the league) on 135 receptions (first in the league). His connections with Prescott came in fourth in NFL history between a QB-WR duo.
“He’s out there and he’s more valuable than anybody else,” Jones said at annual league meetings last month. “But (being) that valuable, to have to give up four or five players to have him, you have to get that reconciled. That’s what I’m trying to say. It’s a lot quicker and easier said than done.”
After leading the league this season with 135 receptions, Lamb told teammate Micah Parsons on his The Edge podcast that he wants to be “one of” the top-paid receivers in the league, if not the highest-paid. Right now, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is the highest-paid with a per-year average salary of $30 million. More than a dozen NFL wide receivers are currently making over $20 million a year for 2024.
While Lamb is still extension-less in Dallas, it’s important to note that the Cowboys haven’t signed any of their big stars to extensions yet this summer. Prescott, Lamb, Parsons and right guard Zack Martin are all hoping for big deals to stay with the team long-term.