Getty Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst (left) speaks with head coach Matt LaFleur (right) during an OTA practice session in May 2023.
The Green Bay Packers have spent two consecutive NFL drafts building up one of the youngest and most dynamic group of pass-catchers in the league, and they may be able to cash in on that to the tune of one of the biggest star wide receivers in the game.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report on Thursday, June 6, authored a trade pitch that would see Green Bay flip a future second-round pick, Jayden Reed and either Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs to the Dallas Cowboys for All-Pro CeeDee Lamb.
“The Green Bay Packers have a lot of good, though not great or well-established, receivers. But in a huge year for Jordan Love and Co., the team might want to go bold with Lamb and sacrifice two of them [for his services],” Gagnon wrote.
He continued: “In this case, we’re presenting the idea of Dallas landing one primary slot guy to more directly replace Lamb (Jayden Reed) along with one of two talented, but generally disappointing, outside figures. All come cheap right now, and the Cowboys would be foolish to turn away from them, as well as some Day 2 draft capital, ahead of such an odd-looking season.”
CeeDee Lamb Could Command Richest WR Contract in NFL History This Summer
GettyDallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb has been undeniably awesome across his first four seasons and has carved out a place for himself not just as a true WR1 in the NFL, but as among the very best in the game right now. He led the league last season with 135 receptions, posting career highs of 1,749 receiving yards and 12 TDs, per Pro Football Reference, while earning a first-team All-Pro selection in the process.
The Minnesota Vikings put Dallas in a tough position by agreeing to a four-year, $140 million mega-deal with Justin Jefferson that includes $110 million in total guarantees. The extension makes Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at $35 million annually.
Lamb is also extension-eligible. Spotrac projects his market value at north of $136 million over a new four-year deal ($34 million annually), and the Cowboys may have to kick in a few million more just to get him even with (or slightly ahead of) the number for which Jefferson signed.
Dallas doesn’t have to play that game just yet, as Lamb is under contract through 2024-25 on an $18 million fifth-year team option, which the Cowboys were allowed to exercise due to his status as a former first-round pick (No. 17 overall). Beyond that, Dallas could use a franchise tag to keep Lamb with the team through 2025-26.
CeeDee Lamb Would Cost Packers Before, After a Trade
GettyDallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Despite all that, however, Lamb still holds reasonable leverage in contract negotiations with the Cowboys simply due to his stardom and inevitable ability to walk in free agency at the end of either two (or possibly three) more seasons in Dallas.
That said, uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of quarterback Dak Prescott and a recent history of untimely playoff exits add a murkiness to the Cowboys’ collective future that could impact Lamb and his negotiations.
Trading for Lamb is a doubly pricey proposition considering not only how much the Packers would have to surrender in the form of assets to acquire him, but the massive financial commitment they would be making to sign him long-term after that. However, if there is a chance to pair Love with a top-five receiver for the next half-decade or more, it’s something Green Bay must at least consider.