Is trading CeeDee Lamb financially possible for Cowboys? Recent WR swap history K.D. Drummond Let’s get this out of the way early. No, the Cowboys aren’t looking to and aren’t going to trade CeeDee Lamb. This is an exercise looking at the wide receiver market in a Marvel “What If?”-style look at the football multiverse. If the Cowboys were looking to trade Lamb, what kind of haul could they get for him? Lamb has been tremendous since joining the Cowboys five years ago. He’s made four straight Pro Bowls and three-straight All-Pro teams, two of them First-Team. In 2023 when he had a franchise QB all season, he led the NFL in receptions with 135, and was finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting. Suffice to say, the wide receiver market would be popping if Lamb were in it. Which again, he isn’t and won’t be. But what kind of compensation could Lamb bring? Looking at recent wide receiver trades, there’s a good sense as to the value that is placed on true No. 1 wideouts. Recent WR Value in Trades The first trade to look at already involves the Cowboys, who acquired Amari Cooper from the Raiders in a straight swap for Dallas’ 2019 first-round pick. As this was an in-season trade, there was no confirmed pick, but it ended up being the No. 19 overall selection. Cooper had a strong start to his career, but his numbers do not compare to Lamb’s production. During that offseason, the New York Giants traded star WR Odell Beckham to the Cleveland Browns. There were three starters thrown in as well, but the total compensation (No. 17 + No. 95) basically worked out to the No. 13 pick in the draft based on trade value chart points. Beckham, based on playing just 16 games over the prior two seasons, was no longer considered at the level Lamb currently exists. The following year saw the infamous Vikings-Bills trade that sent Stefon Diggs to New York State and saw Minnesota land Justin Jefferson. The actual trade was for four picks, which equated to be around the No. 19 pick in total value. At the time of the trade, Diggs had never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team. Another exchange for a player slightly under Lamb’s level. 2022 saw a ton of WR movement. Tyreek Hill was sent from Kansas City to Miami for picks No. 29, 50 and 121, along with fourth and sixth rounders in the next year’s haul. All together, the compensation was worth around No. 12 in the first round. Hill is a great comparison to Lamb, as he was six-for-six in Pro Bowl appearances and three-time First-Team All-Pro. He’s the ceiling. Davante Adams was traded that year as well, for the No. 22 and No. 53 picks, which equate to the the value of No. 13 overall. Adams was substantially older than Lamb, but had made five straight Pro Bowls and was named to two consecutive All-Pro First-Teams. The third trade that year was the Philadelphia Eagles acquiring AJ Brown from Tennessee for the No. 18 and No. 101 picks. That equals around the No 16 pick. At the time of the trade, Brown’s career high in catches was 70 and yards in a season was just 1,075. WR Salary Impact on Trades Adams and Hill were rewarded with top-of-the-market extensions when they landed with their new teams, as did Brown. Diggs had to wait two seasons for a new deal once in Buffalo. Beckham was just one year into his deal when he was traded, so he played that out with Cleveland. The Cowboys had 2.5 years of control over Cooper before he was able to land a new contract. Lamb’s contract is currently top of the market and only one year in, so his scenario would likely mirror Beckham’s where he’d play it out in his fictional new city. Without having to pay the signing bonus, his acquiring team would sort of be be getting a discount, along with the fact that 2025 is the last of Lamb’s guaranteed money. His contract wouldn’t negatively impact any trade value. Lamb’s Trade Value All of the trades above landed the trading team pick values between the No. 12 and No. 19 selections. The two closest comps as far as league accomplishments, Adams and Hill, both landed at the top of that scale. If the Cowboys were interested in trading CeeDee Lamb, they’d likely be able to land compensation in the range of the No. 12 overall pick; which just so happens to be where Dallas is picking this year. Impact of trading Lamb on Cowboys cap Surprisingly, the Cowboys could theoretically absorb trading Lamb away and coming out in a better cap scenario. Lamb’s deal included base salary guarantees for 2024 and 2025, but as a trade his 2025 salary wouldn’t leave any dead money as the acquiring team would pay his base salary plus game-day bonuses (total $27.85 million). Lamb’s original signing bonus was $38 million, of which $7.6 million was on last year’s cap and another $7.6 million already accounted for in this year’s cap. That means that the remaining $22.8 million would accelerate onto this year’s cap, which is less than his base salary. Dallas would be without the weapon, but there would be cap savings in addition to the trade compensation. Altogether though, if the Cowboys traded him this offseason, Dallas would have paid $40 million to Lamb for his 2024 season, which clearly is not ideal.

Cowboys’ Schottenheimer stands alone at 2025 scouting combine in more ways than one K.D. Drummond With the onset of the NFL scouting combine, the unofficial start of the league year has descended upon the people. Front offices and player agents will accidentally bump into each other during the weeklong event in Indianapolis and do their best not to discuss the myriad of free agents who may be looking for new teams. Of course, all of this will be done under the veil of conversations about players who are currently under contract, but those in the know, know. Free agency has now started and all of those deals which are announced as soon as the starting gun on the new league year fires are forged during the scouting combine. Read: 2025 NFL Scouting Combine dates, times, location, how to watch One thing that is above the board is the chance for front office executives and coaches to speak to the media, with all 32 teams getting a podium for a media scrum. This will be the first time new Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is going to be inundated with national reporters, after moving up from offensive coordinator to replace Mike McCarthy. Schottenheimer will meet with the media on Thursday, 2/27 at 3:30 pm; the only team representive scheduled for that day as all other teams will go on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unlike other teams, though, the Cowboys front office will not have a coordinated appearance for a media scrum. Dallas is one of just three organizations without a GM date/time of availability. Rest assured, though, fans will hear from owner/GM Jerry Jones. Most years, Jones holds court for the media aboard his mammoth traveling circus of a bus that wheels into Indy every year. Expect the same in 2025.

Former Saints 1st-round pick, $54 million-DT late addition to potential Cowboys free agency target list K.D. Drummond Two things are not in alignment. When the Dallas Cowboys hired Matt Eberflus to be their new defensive coordinator, the impetus of having a strong, deep rotation at defensive tackle became paramount. Eberflus doesn’t like to blitz a ton, so having tackles who can penetrate and disrupt, as well as be strong against the run became a top priority for a team that hasn’t really focused on those needs in recent years. Unfortunately, not only have the Cowboys DTs underwhelmed, they also don’t have many in the stable as their in-house free agent list is littered with folks who play that position. Of the five DTs who made the 2024 opening roster, only Mazi Smith is currently on the team’s payroll, and the 2023 first-round pick has disappointed in his two seasons. Dallas is going to need to find help from the outside. A new name has been added to the list of potential free-agent targets for Dallas, as Cincinnati has released 30-year old DT Sheldon Rankins. Rankins, a former first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, spent just one season in the Queen City, playing just seven games thanks to injury and illness. Rankins has spent about half of his career as a starter, with a lull from 2019 through 2021 where he was a backup for the Saints and NY Jets. He returned to a starting role for New York in 2022, Houston in 2023 and started all seven contests he appeared in for the Bengals in 2024. Over the course of his nine-year career, Rankins has made over $54 million in the league. Releasing Rankins saves the Bengals his $9.6 million salary and leaves $2 million of dead money on their 2025 cap. Rankins averages 4.5 sacks a season and has 30.5 over the course of his career. His Pro Football Focus grades have fluctuated, but in his last full season posted a career-best 74.7 pass-rush grade in 2023 with the Houston Texans. If he’s willing to come down in price, Rankins might make a good fit as a rotational DT in Dallas.

Pick of the Litter: Cowboys options to draft RB could lead to Day 2 selection reidhanson One conversation the Dallas Cowboys are probably having this offseason is when to draft a running back. Whether free agent Rico Dowdle is retained or not, the Cowboys are in the market for a starting-quality ball carrier. Luckily for them, the 2025 NFL draft just happens to feature one of the most gifted classes in years. Headlined by Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, the 2025 draft class is strong from top to bottom. The top four prospects look like stars in the making and game breakers capable of leading a ground game on Day 1. Kaleb Johnson (Iowa), Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) and TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) figure to be the next three off the board after Jeanty. In what order and how long after Jeanty is the real question. Kyle Crabbs, a long-time draft analyst and current scout for 33rd Team, recently ran his official mock draft. In it he shows how big of a chasm there is between Jeanty and the others and who the Cowboys could be looking at when they go on the clock in the second round at Pick 44. In this scenario Jeanty drops off the board at No. 6 when the Las Vegas Raiders select him with their first pick. It just so happens the next RB to get selected isn’t until the Broncos pick Johnson at 52. Hampton proceeds to get picked by the Chargers at 54 and finally Henderson gets picked at 62. It sets the stage for the Cowboys to be in a very advantageous position in the second round because they could have their pick of that elite second tier. Obviously in Crabbs’ mock draft Dallas did not pick a RB, choosing instead to pounce on the value that Derrick Harmon, a defensive tackle from Oregon, offered on Day 2. It would be hard to argue with that logic since Harmon plays a position of need and comes with a tantalizing pass-rushing skill set too good to pass up at Pick 44. It also speaks to the depth of the draft and how many good starting quality RBs will be available late on Day 2 and into Day 3. But for those who are gauging value and trying to prepare for various draft day scenarios this is an enlightening exercise to go through. If the Cowboys fall in love with one or two of the remaining RBs in that second tier, they may get their shot at him at Pick 44. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Parsons’ podcast again draws the ire of Cowboys rage-baiters Jazz Monet Micah Parsons is under fire… again. Media, fans, and NFL legends are up in arms over his podcast… again. And Parsons clapped back… again. At this point, it’s practically an offseason tradition. The recent comments by Lawrence Taylor and DeMarcus Ware are just parts of a tired refrain. But this time, Parsons’ response had a slightly different tone. He took to X (formerly Twitter) with a pointed question: “Lol I wonder do people hate my podcast because it’s actually good or do people hate it because it’s bad?? Because hella people in the NBA and NFL have podcasts and no one has a problem.” Here’s the likely answer: Most critics don’t care whether Parsons’ podcast is good or bad. They know talking about it stirs the pot, and this time of year, in the NFL’s dead zone—where real stakes are nonexistent—Cowboys discourse is easy engagement farming. Cowboys rage-baiting is tried and true. It’s low effort, high reward. When Dak Prescott was the favorite target, all it took was a conveniently low QB ranking to flood the mentions. But with Prescott out for most of the season due to injury, that easy engagement has to come from somewhere. Parsons’ podcast is polarizing, and unlike other Cowboys stars, he actually responds—making him an easy mark. But here’s what people aren’t acknowledging: Parsons is a high achiever Cowboys fans should be proud of—maybe even an overachiever. Despite the narrative that he’s “distracted” and needs to “focus on football,” Parsons is stacking up a career most players would kill for. 2× First-Team All-Pro 4× Pro Bowler 52.5 sacks in 63 games Top 5 in sacks among NFL linebackers in 2024—despite missing games And he’s still regarded as being on pace to become a future Hall of Famer and the most dominant defensive weapon the Cowboys have deployed. As for the so-called “distraction,” Parsons isn’t just hosting a podcast. He’s the President of B/R Gridiron, the first active athlete to hold such a position at a sports media company. He’s not just talking into a mic—he’s shaping content strategy, expanding Bleacher Report’s reach, and launching new shows. Instead of questioning whether this is taking away from his game, maybe folks should be asking: How is he doing all of this at such a high level? Two careers. Elite in both. Most people don’t see this level of success in a lifetime. When Parsons accepted his new title with Bleacher Report last May, Warner Bros. Discovery and Bleacher Report held an event to welcome him to their offices. He shared this message with his new co-workers: “I have a no-excuse rule. You’re either a go-getter, or you’re not. If you’re just doing enough, you’ll never be great.” Criticism is easy. Learning from greatness? That takes effort. Instead of nitpicking, maybe it’s time to take notes.

ESPN advises Cowboys make $94.5 million move, give defender early extension K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys are locked in with cornerback Trevon Diggs, but things haven’t exactly worked out for the best. The former second-round pick out of the University of Alabama set the world on fire in his first three years of the league, recording the most interceptions in a season in 30 years with 11 in 2021. His work was rewarded with him signing a five-year extension ahead of the 2023 season that secured with function guarantees through the 2025 season and a deal that doesn’t run out until 2029. But Diggs has hardly seen the field since that contract was signed, missing all but two games in 2023 and missing six in 2024. Along that timeline, the Cowboys discovered a Day 3 cornerback pick who was just as tremendous in Fresno State’s DaRon Bland. Bland followed up Diggs’ phenomenal success by securing nine interceptions in 2023, returning an NFL record five of them for scores. Together they’ve combined for three Pro Bowls and two First-Team All-Pro nods in their combined eight years of service; an impressive start for a dynamic duo. The Cowboys haven’t gotten the bang for the buck out of Diggs’ extension, but should that impact how they approach Bland? ESPN’s Aaron Schatz took some time to advise each of the NFL’s 32 teams on moves they should make during this offseason, and for Dallas he suggests they extend Bland now instead of waiting until his contract expires after the season. There may be some questions about extending Bland, who is going into the final year of his rookie contract, after the cornerback missed much of 2024 with injuries. And frankly, he could be a bit overrated after his performance in 2023 because there’s a lot of randomness involved in getting five pick-sixes. Still, Bland is strong in coverage. Even without any interceptions in 2024, he had an above-average coverage DVOA in his seven appearances. Extending Bland would lock down the cornerback spot across from Trevon Diggs and allow Dallas to add roughly $3.3 million in cap space. A couple notes. The Cowboys have several ways that they can create additional cap space this offseason, so the $3.3 million isn’t a dire need, and that doesn’t seem an accurate projection of the impact of an extension. Bland is set to make $5.2 million this season in base salary and an extension would likely lower his base salary to the league minimum, $1.1 million for a player with three accrued seasons. But a new deal for Bland would come with a signing bonus, and that would have to be a relatively small one to see that kind of savings. It would need to be $4 million across a five-year deal to shave $3.3 million off his cap number. More than likely Bland’s bonus would be bigger and the savings much less. Spotrac sees Bland’s market value as being a $23.7 million a year player, and suggests a four-year contract extension totaling $94.5 million in new money. A signing bonus of at least $20 million would be in play, meaning that Bland’s 2025 cap hit would go up, not down. Even if Spotrac is over-estimating Bland’s value by a large number, the likelihood an extension results in cap savings this year is unlikely. The real question is whether or not Dallas should commit to Bland for the long term. His work as a fill-in nickel corner in his rookie season was quite impressive, and he followed that up with a record-setting season on the boundary in Year 2. An injury late in training camp in Year 3 put him behind the proverbial 8-ball, but there’s no reason to think that downturn should extend into this year or beyond. It makes a ton of sense for the Cowboys to extend Bland now, especially considering they might need to leverage a franchise tag scenario with Micah Parsons next offseason. Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and Aggies Wire!

It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys have some work to do to re-establish their offense among the league’s best. It wasn’t long ago that the offense was a staple in the league’s top 10 rankings, no matter who was asking. The Cowboys were first in scoring in 2021 and 2023, and third in 2022, but plummeted to 21st in 2024. They were Pro Football Focus’ top offense in 2021, fourth in 2023, but No. 28 in 2024. Dallas finished fourth in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) in 2021, and ninth in 2023, but dropped to 25th in 2024. The drop is consistent with the loss of QB Dak Prescott, but the team’s passing game was a struggle even when he was under center and the biggest culprit was the lack of receiving options not named CeeDee Lamb. Both Brandin Cooks and Jake Ferguson struggled in 2024, with the latter turning in the worst TE performance in the history of advanced stats. Cooks is a free agent and Dallas would be wise to find help from outside. Waiting to see how the draft falls and then hoping to get elite production from a rookie makes little sense unless they are ready to early commit the No. 12 pick (or higher) to the cause. So free agency, or the trade market might be the way to go. Fortunately, this is a big offseason for potential wide receiver movement. It’s one of the most stacked positions in free agency and several other players could be available for trade. Wednesday’s announcement that the salary cap will have an additional $7 million in space certainly helps ease the idea of acquiring salary, and Dallas has options to create whatever room they desire, if they want to actually invest in Brian Schottenheimer’s tenure. Here’s a look at the wideouts from PFF’s recent list of 22 top offseason targets, which should be of great interest to Stephen Jones. 2. Tyreek Hill, Dolphins Dec 3, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) celebrates in the end zone after catching a touchdown pass against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports Hill’s public comments following the season’s conclusion and the subsequent walking back of those comments have very much put the talented receiver’s future in flux. The nine-year veteran stumbled in 2024 due to instability under center for the Dolphins and the offense’s general ineffectiveness, which earned him the lowest PFF receiving grade of his career (77.3). Despite that, the phones in the Dolphins’ front office will be ringing should Hill become available. https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2025-nfl-free-agents-trade-targets-ranked 2025 Cap Hit: $15 million (ton of dead money in guarantees follow his contract) Contract Runs Through: 2026 4. Tee Higgins, Bengals Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) lays out for a pass in the end zone but is ruled out of bounds in the third quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Commanders at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. The Bengals remain winless after a 38-33 loss to Washington. The first domino to fall in the receiver market undoubtedly should be Higgins, as he holds all of the traits coveted in a WR1 — and it wouldn’t cost draft capital to secure him. Despite an ailing hamstring holding him out at times this past season, Higgins still produced exceptionally in 2024, amassing the highest PFF receiving grade (88.3) of his career.  2025 Cap Hit: Unrestricted Free Agent 5. Garrett Wilson, Jets New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) is shown as he warms up, Sunday January 5, 2025, in East Rutherford. While the Jets’ dealing of their 24-year-old former first-round pick with nothing but stellar production is unlikely on the surface, reports that Wilson could request a trade this offseason have sprouted as of late. If he were to become available, he would immediately become one of the most coveted receivers on the trade market. Wilson is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, with his 25 missed tackles forced on receptions leading all receivers in 2024. 2025 Cap Hit: $3.5 million Contract runs through: 2026 (fifth-year option invoked) 8. Chris Godwin, Buccaneers Dec 5, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) runs against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Darren Hall (34) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Before going down with a gruesome ankle injury in October, the eight-year veteran was on pace to produce one of his best seasons as a pro. Through Week 7, Godwin boasted the third-highest PFF receiving grade (85.7) among wideouts, displaying that the savvy slot target still has good snaps left, should he be able to bounce back from his injury. 2025 Cap Hit: Unrestricted Free Agent 11. Davante Adams, Jets Aug 26, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) and Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) pose for a photo after the game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports After finding his way to New York in October to link back up with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Adams could depart alongside his teammate. Despite producing his lowest PFF receiving grade (76.8) since 2016, he still has plenty of good snaps left and would provide an established offense with an X receiver who routinely showcases his savvy route-running and contested-catch ability. 2025 Cap Hit: $36.2 million Contract runs through: 2026 13. Cooper Kupp, Rams Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) scores a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images After being the center of numerous trade rumors near the deadline, Kupp is set to depart Los Angeles after the team informed him it will seek a trade this offseason. Some risk-averse teams will likely overlook Kupp due to his age (32 in June) and recent injury history. But,

Zack Martin’s retirement after stellar 11-year career cements Cowboys’ Ineptitude Era K.D. Drummond It’s the end of an era. Zack Martin has retired from football after an 11-year career, all spent with the Dallas Cowboys. Martin’s resume is immaculate; missing more than two games in a season just twice in his career, he was named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams each of the other nine campaigns. He entered the league a dominant force of nature as soon as he was drafted from Notre Dame and converted from tackle to guard. When Martin joined the Cowboys in 2014, he was the final piece of the puzzle. Dallas’ front office had see enough. Franchise quarterback Tony Romo was being asked to do too much, and the club wasn’t protecting him at levels that allowed the veteran quarterback to perform at his best. In Jason Garrett’s first full season as head coach, the offensive line finally became a priority for the organization. Dallas drafted USC cyborg Tyron Smith that season, moving him from right tackle to left tackle the following year. After confirming they had their franchise left tackle, Dallas then drafted Wisconsin’s Travis Frederick in 2013’s first round, followed by Martin the next year. For several years, the Cowboys boasted one of the most impressive offensive lines in the league. All-Pros and Pro Bowls rained down as Dallas had a core position group that was supposed to lead to championships. But those aren’t promised and good things don’t last forever. Soonafter the second iteration of the Great Wall of Dallas hit their groove, Romo’s body began to break down. Somehow Dallas lucked into a second-consecutive franchise QB in Dak Prescott, but that joy didn’t last long either. A unique medical condition robbed Frederick of his prime years and eventually his career, and Smith began suffering a consistent stream of injuries year after year. Frederick missed all of 2018 with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an auto-immune disease. Smith, who missed three whole games and parts of several others every season from 2016 through 2019, started experiencing major issues in 2020. With Frederick retired, Smith played just two games that season (only 30 over four years), the first campaign where Martin was the last man standing. Unfazed, Martin continued to play with sheer excellence, year after year, consistently protecting his quarterback and making running lanes for backs. Even when he wasn’t his usual best, in 2023, he was still the best in the league, earning his seventh First-Team All-Pro and ninth overall. But Martin knew the end was nearing. He had publicly floated the possibility of retirement earlier that summer, holding out until the final two seasons of his contract were guaranteed. Dallas had released Smith that prior spring, leaving Martin as the elder statesman of the offensive line. Taking direction from a new OL coach in Mike Solari, the time Martin missed and the new system, along with age, allowed flaws in the armor to start to appear. In 2024, Martin wasn’t the same and he struggled long before the myriad of injuries took their toll. After 10 games, he had enough and was placed on injured reserve. Now, facing free agency, he’s decided his body has had enough, hanging up his cleats. And with his retirement, he adds his name to a ridiculously long list of star Cowboys who have now seen their career come to an end without Dallas ever hoisting the Lombardi trophy. Martin, Smith and Frederick. Romo. Prescott. Jason Witten. Dez Bryant. DeMarcus Ware. Flozell Adams. Miles Austin. DeMarco Murray. Ezekiel Elliott. Dexter Coakley. Dat Nguyen. Sean Lee. LaRoi Glover. Jay Ratliff. Terrell Owens. The talent that has flowed through the various headquarter buildings since the end of the Triplets era has been immense. And they’ve all left Dallas without winning a championship.