NFL Trade Rumors: Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb Not Reporting to Training Camp

The Dallas Cowboys are feeling the salary cap crunch. According to Dallas Morning News's Calvin Watkins, All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is not expected to be present when the Cowboys open training camp on Wednesday.

A person with knowledge of his thinking, said CeeDee Lamb will not report to Cowboys' training camp tomorrow.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) July 24, 2024

Lamb is entering the fifth-year option of his rookie deal and is looking for a new contract. He's earned it: The Cowboys took Lamb with the 17th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he has exceeded all expectations. Over 66 appearances for the Cowboys, Lamb has totalled an astonishing 5463 yards from scrimmage and 35 touchdowns. Without a doubt, he's been the focal point of a Cowboys offense that has finished first, fourth, and first again in points scored over the past three seasons.

Whenever it comes, Lamb's next contract may very well set a new bar for the wide receiver position. He only just turned 25, and he's only getting better: his 135 receptions and 1749 receiving yards in 2023 were both franchise records, but he has improved in both categories every season since he entered the league. Lamb has earned the chance to be one of the highest-paid wide receivers in NFL history, and he could even flirt with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson's recent record-setting deal (four years, $140 million).

Unfortunately, the Cowboys may struggle to strike that deal. Per over the cap, they're presently sitting on a little over $12 million in cap space. They're also negotiating a contract with quarterback Dak Prescott, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency next year and is ineligible for the franchise tag. Extending Prescott could theoretically open cap space for Lamb, but given the leverage Prescott possesses, that may require an unprecedented deal.

Lamb and Prescott are the cornerstones of arguably the league's best offense, but their next contracts will make it very difficult for the Cowboys to maintain the current quality of their roster. Unless the Cowboys are willing to radically change course or can swing a blockbuster trade of one of their stars (think Herschel Walker), owner and president Jerry Jones will simply have to dig deep into his pockets.