Where CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys are in their contract negotiations before training camp – Calvin Watkins, DMN
CeeDee Lamb is reportedly undecided about whether to skip training camp.
Due to his ongoing contract holdout, which has persisted the whole offseason, Lamb will not be reporting to training camp in Oxnard, California, the following week.
The good news is that Lamb is now the Cowboys’ first priority. A source familiar with the Cowboys’ inner workings claims that Lamb’s contract extension negotiations are taking precedence over quarterback Dak Prescott’s.
Next Thursday is anticipated to see Prescott on the field for the first training camp session of the summer. With the knowledge that Prescott is showing up for work, you can later finalize his anticipated large deal.
It’s unclear when Lamb will arrive in Southern California for his job. According to a source familiar with Lamb’s thoughts, he hasn’t decided definitively whether to stick with his holdout come training camp.
The Cowboys’ incapacity to put together a deal good enough to convince Lamb to work is what’s causing the holdup or the holdout. This might also be seen as Lamb refusing to make further concessions in order to seal an agreement.
Holdout predictions for the 2024 NFL training camp: Cody Benjamin of CBSSports lists CeeDee Lamb among the major names to watch.
The Cowboys, most likely without Lamb, arrive in Oxnard on Wednesday.
After leading the NFL in catches during his rookie season, Lamb possesses nearly all the leverage in his play to get a long-term contract. With many other clubs rewarding their pass catchers this summer and Dallas heavily depending on Lamb’s availability as Dak Prescott’s top target, Lamb’s future success will be determined by his availability. This is why the All-Pro decided to forego the entirety of the minicamp, feeling at ease enough to swallow fines. Just like they would with Prescott, the Cowboys will eventually pay up, but perhaps not until Lamb forces their hand with yet another stand.
Forecast: Remains outside of camp
Preview of Dallas Cowboys training camp: main plot points NFL.com’s Eric Edholm
CeeDee Lamb is not the only focus of training camp. There are two more plots to follow:
4) Mike Zimmer returns to lead the defense, and it will be interesting to watch if he can keep up the caliber of playmaking that former coordinator Dan Quinn attained. The Cowboys defense wasn’t quite what we had anticipated for the 2018 campaign, particularly after Trevon Diggs’ injury. Towards the end of the season, they had some subpar games against the Seahawks, Bills, and Packers in the playoffs. Quinn’s teams relied heavily on pressuring opponents into making mistakes and virtually never used Micah Parsons, who was a real rusher. Zimmer, I believe, will approach things a little differently. The good news is that Zimmer’s methodical, straight-forward style helps correct some of the careless run plays and mishandled coverages from the previous few years. The concern is that a big-play unit may lose some teeth as a result of this kind of plan. In any case, Parsons oversees a strong rush unit, and the secondary is well-established. Therefore, it would be disheartening to see much regression from the NFL’s fifth-best scoring defense from the previous campaign.
5) What is the status of the relationship between Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy going into this crucial season, and how much does it matter? The Cowboys have finished 36-15 in their last three regular seasons, proving that winning cures all. McCarthy has been given an opportunity to pursue his goals in Dallas as a result, although his confidence has been somewhat undermined by a 1-3 postseason record (including two home losses). McCarthy must now hope that Zimmer has a comparable impact on the defense as he did last year when he brought in Brian Schottenheimer to assist with running the offense, which helped the team earn top-five statistical numbers. The roster may not be as talented as Dallas’ was coming into the previous campaign, and McCarthy and Prescott’s careers are still very much in jeopardy. Can the Cowboys finally win a Super Bowl that they haven’t won in 28 years? Or will this be the season that sets off dramatic changes that occur during the next offseason? Going into 2024, that is the only thing on the line.
Is this the Cowboys’ last run given the Dak conundrum, the defense adjustments, and the approaching bills? – CBSSports’ Zachary Pereles
According to Pereles, the Cowboys have an inexpensive, well-stocked roster, but at least one of those may soon change.
Thus, Dallas will resemble this: There is a lot of high-end talent surrounding them, particularly on defense with Parsons, Bland, and Trevon Diggs, a star quarterback entering his final season, a star wide receiver who is not happy, a superstar defender adjusting to a new scheme, and a lot of pressure. Does this help the squad make its first conference championship game appearance in thirty years? It’s challenging to determine.
The Cowboys, who are matched with the Packers in the NFC, have longer Super Bowl chances than the 49ers, Lions, and Eagles, according to consensus odds. Compared to other clubs, Dallas made surprisingly few upgrades during its dissatisfied summer. Could Dallas have played run defense, wide receiver, and running back with greater vigor? Yes, maybe, if Jerry Jones really was “all in” on utilizing every opportunity to win a championship. He’s not, though.
Clearly, the Cowboys are playing for now, even though their roster isn’t the best for now. They can still win, and win big, despite this. Anything is possible if Prescott exorcises his playoff demons. However, they are placing an extremely large wager on a lot of things going well; if not, things could go horribly wrong in a matter of months.
The Cowboys, which combine elements of mystery, drama, and athletics, are always a must-watch program. The stakes are undoubtedly bigger than they have ever been, and this year won’t be any different.
4 rookies for the Cowboys who might earn starter jobs by 2024: Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire
These rookies have a good chance of succeeding in their debut NFL season.
Tyler Guyton, LT
There is absolutely no surprise in this prediction. Even before the draft happened, the Cowboys had virtually put themselves in a difficult situation. They were aware that they were selecting a tackle and that they intended for that tackle to start the season as the starter. Right now, the circumstances are more important than the player personally.
The Cowboys are essentially counting on Guyton to take the starting left tackle spot because they don’t want to move Tyler Smith outside to tackle. Guyton’s job is to lose because there aren’t any outstanding alternatives on the depth chart to oppose the rookie.
LB Marist Liufau
While not too so, some injury conjecture is necessary to get Liufau into a starting spot. Two of the Cowboys’ three presumed starters suffered season-ending injuries in 2023. Linebacker is a fairly physical position that sees a higher rate of injury than other positions.
Eric Kendricks, a 32-year-old experienced linebacker, is the main obstacle on Liufau’s path at Mike. Although Kendricks has missed time in three of the last four seasons and has only played in all 16 games twice in his nine-year career, he is by no means fragile.
Advertised as a brilliant player who outplays almost everyone on the field in terms of intensity and speed, Liufau is. These are the attributes that might help him crack the starting lineup this coming campaign.
Josh DeBerry played in almost 50 collegiate games, according to Nick Eatman of Dallas Cowboys.com.
Corner of undrafted free agents Josh DeBerry faces a challenging path to join the team.
How He Got Here: DeBerry only played for the Aggies for one season in College Station, starting seven games in 2023, despite being labeled as a rookie free agent from Texas A&M. DeBerry tied for the team lead with seven pass deflections and two interceptions in his one season in the SEC. However, he spent the most of his four seasons as an Eagle at Boston College, where he completed his college education. DeBerry participated in 39 games during that time, recording 158 tackles, 19 pass breakups, and four interceptions.
What’s Next: Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland will both be 25 years old when they report to training camp, so it won’t be easy for DeBerry to break into the squad as an undrafted free agent. However, he will be joining a veteran cornerback group. While veteran Jourdan Lewis will undoubtedly return to the field as the third corner, other contenders including Josh Butler, rookie Caelen Carson, Nahshon Wright, and DeBerry will compete for the other spots. However, it appears that a few UDFAs emerge each year as the camp surprise. DeBerry might be able to accomplish this if he can demonstrate that he can battle with the receivers in one-on-one drills, that he isn’t scared to mix things up in the run game, and, of course, that he can excel on special teams.