Latest news with #CeeDeeLamb
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Cowboys may use $136 million asset less, gain more from 4x Pro Bowler in 2025
Cowboys may use $136 million asset less, gain more from 4x Pro Bowler in 2025 The Cowboys didn't need a wideout at the time, but when CeeDee Lamb fell into their laps in the 2020 draft, it may have been the wisest move in recent team history that they grabbed him. Dallas was all but set to take LSU edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson with their first-round pick that offseason; the idea of one of the draft's top-three wideouts making to them seemed far-fetched. But not only did one fall, both parts of the Alabama duo ofHenry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy somehow went ahead of him. When Ruggs' name was called to the Raiders at No. 13, the Cowboys fanbase saw the writing on the wall. The Tampa Bay Bucs at No. 14 already had Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and weren't candidates to take a WR. The San Francisco 49ers had struck gold the year earlier with second-round pick Deebo Samuel and weren't likely to take a WR either. It was when the Denver Broncos took Jeudy instead of Lamb at No. 15 that things really got interesting because Atlanta, sitting at No. 16, had Pro Bowler Julio Jones and had spent a first rounder on Calvin Ridley a year earlier. All of those things played out exactly how they needed to for the Cowboys to end up with Lamb. Rundown Position: Wide Receiver Age: 26 Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 200 pounds Hometown: New Orleans, LA and Houston, TX High School: Foster High (Richmond, TX) College: University of Oklahoma (Highlight Video) Draft: 2020, First-round pick No. 17 Acquired: 2020 Draft Contract: Four-year extension (2024), $136 million includes signing bonus of $38 million 2025 Base Salary: $1.85 million (guaranteed) | $1M in roster bonuses guaranteed) | Cap Hit: $15.3M Career Earnings: $53.1 million (per Over The Cap) Profile Lamb's talent has been undeniable as he's ascended from WR2, compliment to Amari Cooper, to WR1 to All-Pro and in the conversation for best wideout in the league. What had been questioned, his toughness and leadership, were answered in the lost season of 2024, where despite a down year for the club and losing his starting QB Dak Prescott to injury midway through the year, he powered through a badly-injured shoulder week after week. Lamb's calling card is his run-after-the-catch ability, he's a threat to score on any route that has him working across the field or vertically. He's seen at least 150 targets each of the last three years, has accrued at least 1,000 receiving yards each of the last four years, all Pro Bowl campaigns. He was a First-Team All-Pro in 2023 when he led the league in receptions with 135 and averaged almost 103 yards a game. he also finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting. After not having a true compliment in 2024, the Cowboys front office went out and got him his own "him", adding George Pickens from Pittsburgh to be a dynamic deep threat and return the club to the days of dual-WR1 like they had in 2021 and 2022. Lamb's targets might decrease slightly, but his numbers should rise as there's no way he sees the same amount of double teams he has the last two seasons. (Warning: Music is NSFW) Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Commanders Star Gives Shocking Take on NFC East Wideouts
Former Commanders Star Gives Shocking Take on NFC East Wideouts originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When the Washington Commanders traded for All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel, the team hoped they finally had a receiving group that could compete pound for pound with the Philadelphia Eagles and their elite duo of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Advertisement Not everyone is as high on the Samuel acquisition as the Commanders are, however. On the latest episode of the Up and Adams podcast, former Commanders and Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson spoke out in his belief that while the Commanders did bolster their receiving room, they didn't supplant another team in their decision. 'Obviously, Deebo - I think he's a good (addition) over there. Jayden Daniels had a heck of a year as well too. Dak (Prescott) … you know Dak, he's a regular-season hero. I just don't know how it's going to transition into the playoffs,' Jackson said. 'But as far as regular season, I think the Cowboys will have better production from CeeDee (Lamb) and George Pickens if we're just talking about receivers.' Jackson's comments about the Cowboys receiving room might be shocking to some. Dallas added George Pickens to the room in an offseason trade with the Steelers. Pickens is set to join a unit with an All-Pro in Lamb. Advertisement One argument: Is Samuel is a better player than Pickens at this time in their careers? The other, and we can settle this: As good as Terry McLaurin is, he isn't better than Lamb. And that's the demarcation point that the NFC East legend Jackson is speaking of here. In at least this one area, the Cowboys may have moved themselves up and over Washington. Related: Commanders Trade Paying Off As A Steal as Deebo Stars at OTAs Related: Commanders Rookie Putting On Show for Kingsbury at OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Cowboys' $31M in space earmarked, but massive commitments leave new deals little margin
Contrary to popular thinking, there's nothing wrong with paying out massive contracts in the NFL. Rookie contracts are great, but sometimes top-of-the-market deals to veterans are unavoidable. Massive high-end deals to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have consequences, but that comes with the territory, and these are necessary steps in remining a relevant franchise. With Micah Parsons and Tyler Smith soon joining this bank-busting bunch, the Dallas Cowboys will soon have a significant portion of their cap space tied up in just a handful of cornerstone players. As long as each of those players stay healthy and perform up to expectations, it's money well spent. Three of the aforementioned four have All-Pro seasons on their resumes and the lone exception, Prescott, has a special distinction of being the runner up for NFL MVP in his last full season played. They're all excellent players who are worth the investment, but that's not to say their contracts don't bring with them certain ramifications. The Cowboys have a hefty proportion of their salary cap wrapped up in a few key players, so they have to be careful with how they allocate the rest of their money going forward. The margin for error is slim and they can't afford to miss on any sizeable deals in the future. Despite having the league's highest annual salary at QB, third-highest at WR and 10th-highest at edge (Parsons' fifth-year option at $24 million), the club still has $31 million in cap space this season. They'll likely roll most of that over to 2026 to help withstand their upcoming deals, though they may look to realize more space next offseason. Dallas is already in a tough spot with Terence Steele and Trevon Diggs. Neither player has lived up to their respective side of their deals. Both have experienced obstacles while recovering from injury and both find themselves in prove-it seasons here in 2025. Luckily for the Cowboys, both contacts come with escape hatches in them that makes such a split possible. Not all long-term commitments have that. Players such as Jake Ferguson, DaRon Bland and George Pickens are all set to hit free agency following the season. The Cowboys have to decide which, if any, would make for a safe investment. Again, teams don't get in trouble by paying healthy and talented performers, it's when they can't stay healthy or fail to perform up to previous expectations when teams get in trouble. In order to maintain a healthy roster, the Cowboys need a healthy dose of young players playing on rookie deals. Low-cost journeymen and rotational veterans also factor into the equation. These players tend to either come at a low cost or come with a short-term commitment. Sometimes even both. The Cowboys need these players to perform as well; it's just the stakes aren't as high as individuals. It's the massive multiyear commitments that have to hit. And based on all the big deals about to be doled out, the Cowboys don't have much margin for error. You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
All 32 NFL teams (including Cowboys) ranked by FPI ratings
The Cowboys are akin to NFL's tallest short person, ranked as the top below-average team, according to ESPN's initial FPI rankings for the 2025 season. After all of the activities of free agency and the draft, and post-draft free agency, Dallas has somehow landed in pretty much the same spot they left 2024. Dallas finished last season with a lame duck head coach, without star quarterback Dak Prescott, with no viable passing game option outside of an immensely injured CeeDee Lamb, and with a defense decimated by injuries. And while they lost future Hall of Famer Zack Martin along the OL, anyone being honest with themselves know the retired nine-time All-Pro was a shell of his former self. Advertisement Since, they've replaced Mike McCarthy with Brian Schottenheimer, Mike Zimmer with Matt Eberflus, added a first-round guard in Tyler Booker to replace Martin, brought in George Pickens to compliment Lamb, and added a ton of defensive pieces to the equation. Despite these apparent upgrades, the Football Power Index does not think they made tangible gains on the rest of the NFC, ranking just 10th among its teams and No. 18 overall. The Cowboys rank behind the entire NFC North, and far behind the two teams which finished above them in the NFC East. Philadelphia, the reigning, defending champions check in at No. 1, while the Washington Commanders are ranked No. 6. FPI is a rating based on running 10,000 simulations, and "is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is." In the preseason, FPI uses a number of predictive factors to project future team strength. The main component of preseason FPI is Vegas expectations; the expected win totals and money lines for each team are an accurate representation of predicted team strength and provide a strong baseline for teams entering the season. But relying solely on Vegas has its flaws, and more information is needed to determine what percentage of a team's projected win total can be attributed to its offense, defense and special teams units -- the components that make up FPI. Therefore, other information included in the preseason ratings include: previous years' efficiencies for each unit, number of returning starters (on offense and defense), coaching/coordinator/quarterback changes and quarterback injuries. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: ESPN: Cowboys slotted woeful No. 10 in NFC in latest FPI rankings
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
All 32 NFL teams (including Cowboys) ranked by FPI ratings
All 32 NFL teams (including Cowboys) ranked by FPI ratings The Cowboys are akin to NFL's tallest short person, ranked as the top below-average team, according to ESPN's initial FPI rankings for the 2025 season. After all of the activities of free agency and the draft, and post-draft free agency, Dallas has somehow landed in pretty much the same spot they left 2024. Dallas finished last season with a lame duck head coach, without star quarterback Dak Prescott, with no viable passing game option outside of an immensely injured CeeDee Lamb, and with a defense decimated by injuries. And while they lost future Hall of Famer Zack Martin along the OL, anyone being honest with themselves know the retired nine-time All-Pro was a shell of his former self. Since, they've replaced Mike McCarthy with Brian Schottenheimer, Mike Zimmer with Matt Eberflus, added a first-round guard in Tyler Booker to replace Martin, brought in George Pickens to compliment Lamb, and added a ton of defensive pieces to the equation. Despite these apparent upgrades, the Football Power Index does not think they made tangible gains on the rest of the NFC, ranking just 10th among its teams and No. 18 overall. The Cowboys rank behind the entire NFC North, and far behind the two teams which finished above them in the NFC East. Philadelphia, the reigning, defending champions check in at No. 1, while the Washington Commanders are ranked No. 6. FPI is a rating based on running 10,000 simulations, and "is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is." In the preseason, FPI uses a number of predictive factors to project future team strength. The main component of preseason FPI is Vegas expectations; the expected win totals and money lines for each team are an accurate representation of predicted team strength and provide a strong baseline for teams entering the season. But relying solely on Vegas has its flaws, and more information is needed to determine what percentage of a team's projected win total can be attributed to its offense, defense and special teams units -- the components that make up FPI. Therefore, other information included in the preseason ratings include: previous years' efficiencies for each unit, number of returning starters (on offense and defense), coaching/coordinator/quarterback changes and quarterback injuries. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
