Cowboys Trade Proposal Flips CeeDee Lamb for Packers Star & Picks

The days keep passing without a new contract for Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb, which is not great for the team but always good for the formulation of potential trade packages, whimsical as they might be. But as August keeps plowing forward, the possibility of the Cowboys and Lamb making no progress and eventually having to consider NFL trade options grows, even if only incrementally.

It does not help that the situation continues to be hijacked by outside noise. We have seen Lamb scrub the Cowboys from his social media accounts, a symbolic expression of frustration disgruntled players often utilize.

We’ve also seen team owner Jerry Jones step in it by saying there is no urgency to get Lamb into camp, quotes he tried to clean up on Sunday after there was backlash from Lamb and others.

All of that has little impact on the core issue for Lamb and the Cowboys, which is that Lamb wants to be paid $35 million annually like Justin Jefferson of the Vikings, and the Cowboys are trying their best to find ways get as far below that number as possible. Until there is a resolution on that, Lamb’s holdout will proceed.

And if there is no hope for a resolution, well, then it will be time to consider hitting the “eject” button and finding a trade.

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Cowboys Would Land Christian Watson

That’s the thinking at Bleacher Report this week. In an article titled, “5 NFL Teams That Should Revisit CeeDee Lamb Trade amid Cowboys WR’s Holdout,” the site’s Maurice Mouton suggests that one viable deal could happen with the team that KO’d the Cowboys postseason hopes in January, the Packers.

The Cowboys could get a star-caliber player in return, plus draft picks—if that player can stay healthy, that is. The player is Christian Watson, who has seen his promising career bogged down by two major hamstring issues. Still, the Cowboys know what Watson can do when healthy. His breakout game came against Dallas as a rookie, when he posted a 107-yard, three-touchdown game.

Remembering that, maybe the Cowboys would sign off on this B/R deal:

Cowboys receive: 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-rounder, Christian Watson

Packers receive: CeeDee Lamb

It is a sizable package, and considering there should be some interesting options available at wide receiver in next year’s draft, it’s something the Cowboys would have to, at least, consider.

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CeeDee Lamb Lacking Leverage

But that’s only if they get to a point of no return with Lamb. Fact is, the Cowboys hold the leverage in the situation, with Lamb already signed on a fifth-year option worth $18 million. That’s not enough for a player who posted 135 catches and 1,749 yards last season, both franchise records. Alas, under the rules of the CBA, the Cowboys have every right to require Lamb to play under that contract.

Lamb could continue to hold out but he is going to cost himself significant money for the time he misses. If he decides not to play at all this year, it would hurt the Cowboys but it would hurt Lamb a lot more.

That’s why Jones said there was no urgency.

He tried to soothe the situation Sunday. “Now I understand completely the angst that’s happening when you’re anxious about it and someone says anything about whether you’re missed or not. Well, CeeDee, you’re missed, O.K.?” Jones said. “But you’re not missed out here competing and it doesn’t put any pressure any place on us.”

Indeed, there is little pressure on the Cowboys here. And that’s why, ultimately, they’re not trading Lamb.

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