Sports To borrow Jerry Jones’ indulge in metaphor, we’re skipping straight past summer season and into autumn together with your whole leaves that are starting to hit the bottom.
Or no longer it’s most efficient been one month because the Cowboys owner and widespread manager made headlines alongside with his contract approach. Asked why there turned into so dinky dawdle within the bother to re-heed his Mountainous 3 of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, Jones selected foliage as his metaphor.
“We must respect more leaves tumble,” Jones said at the time. “We must respect more dawdle. Or no longer it’s called option quarterback. I’ve spent my life [playing] option quarterback. I desire to respect some more cards performed.”
As some distance as Lamb and the huge receiver market, we have our most smartly-liked reminder that the cards are flying furiously. On Thursday morning, the Dolphins signed famous particular person receiver Jaylen Trek to a three-one year, $84.75 million extension with a formidable $76 million of that assured.
Trek is now the fourth receiver from the 2021 NFL Draft class, alongside with Amon-Ra St. Brown , DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins, to heed a mega extension. Or no longer it’s an eyebrow-elevating quantity of dawdle interested in these players all contain a one year last on their rookie contracts, no longer to claim the franchise and transition tags that are on the total utilized in these instances. Throw within the early $96 million extension that A.J. Brown signed last month, and it feels love a downright surprising stage of narrate.
But it absolutely becomes loads more understandable when framed against what’s serene to attain attend — or slightly, who’s serene to heed.
Now we contain talked eternally at this point referring to the deals coming down the pipe for Lamb, as well to Vikings All-Pro Justin Jefferson. With each and every passing deal, it begins to feel love other receivers are slotting themselves in below just a few paydays that are about to blow the roof off the market.
The last numbers are tricky to guess, nonetheless it’s likely you’ll maybe presumably be ready to scrutinize the set aside this is heading. Three receivers now moderate $30 million or more per one year, and 6 receivers are playing on deals valued at $100 million or more, with Davante Adams and St. Brown topping the market at $140 million and $120 million, respectively. Some distance more famous than the value of the deal, guys love Brown and Trek contain secured as a lot as 85-90% of their deals assured.
With all of that in thoughts, it have to no longer be a shock if Jefferson winds up because the NFL’s perfect-paid non-quarterback, topping Nick Bosa’s figures of a $170 million contract and a $34 million salary.
Now we contain got the context clues to guess this about Jefferson, nonetheless what does it all indicate for Lamb?
Ought to the Cowboys be WORRIED about CeeDee Lamb? That negotiation is loads murkier, given the seeming lack of communication between Lamb and the Cowboys. To this point, all we know for definite is that Lamb is absent from the team’s voluntary offseason workout routines while he waits for a brand unique deal. And clearly, we know the Cowboys front set aside of job’s desire to respect more leaves tumble.
It feels exhausting to give it some thought be gotten thus some distance. In any case, Lamb turned into a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and averaged 87 catches and 1,132 receiving yards over the three years ahead of that. Or no longer it’s some distance uncomplicated to evaluate an world the set aside the Cowboys lengthen him for $25 million a one year ahead of time — same to what we’re seeing lawful now with St. Brown, Smith and Trek. As a change, the fifth-one year option on Lamb’s contract is costing the Cowboys $17 million on this one year’s salary cap, hindering their capacity to heed originate air free agents. And of course, his eventual deal have to with out complications exceed $30 million per one year.
Proactive habits hasn’t on the total been the Cowboys’ sturdy swimsuit by the narrate of high-of-the-market players, though. Lamb can set aside a inquire of to Prescott about that, because the Cowboys’ starting quarterback is in some unspecified time in the future of the 2d contract standoff of his profession.
And to be lovely to the Cowboys, most likely this turned into all portion of the conception. Or no longer it’s value noting that Lamb and Jefferson are each and every represented by the agency CAA, which is among the game’s finest energy brokers. Perhaps it be the players, honest as a lot because the teams ready to respect how these cards secure dealt.
No subject posturing which will likely be taking set aside feels beside the point at this point. Each and every passing deal that gets signed is a reminder that, finally, Lamb and Jefferson are going to blow the receiver market sky-high. The finest inquire of now is how many more leaves are left to tumble.
David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports actions and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent 9 seasons keeping the Cowboys for the team’s legit net site. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his position in producing ” Dak Prescott : A Family Reunion” referring to the quarterback’s time at Mississippi Insist. Insist him on Twitter at @davidhelman_ .
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