The New England Patriots missed out on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk after the San Francisco 49ers star nixed the team’s trade offer.
As it stands, Kendrick Bourne, Ja’Lynn Polk, DeMario Douglas and K.J. Osborn are the top receivers on New England’s depth chart, with Tyquan Thornton an intriguing wild card behind them.
When Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo was asked about Aiyuk, he was tight-lipped. “I don’t talk about players on other teams,” Mayo said, via NFL.com. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf later confirmed the team had attempted to trade for Aiyuk, and also noted that door was likely closed.
In an August 19 appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Mayo was asked specifically about Dallas Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. His response was a bit different.
“You can’t talk about players on other teams, but you can put a call in,” Mayo said.
Is Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb a Trade Option for the Patriots?
“Mayo Mondays”! Pats’ HC, Jerod Mayo joins! Mayo talks about Aiyuk rumors. Mayo addresses if players want to come to NE. Mayo on CeeDee Lamb situation, Mayo: “Can’t talk about players on other teams, but you could put a call in!” @WEEI
Mayo certainly could have closed the door on any speculation when he was asked about Lamb, but he didn’t. Instead, he suggested the team might check in on the current Cowboys WR, who is a bit disgruntled at the moment.
Lamb is currently holding out of team practices and the preseason with the hopes of renegotiating a new contract. It’s likely the Cowboys will do everything they can to keep him around, but a deal doesn’t appear to be close yet.
There’s no question adding Lamb would instantly give the Pats one of the league’s most fearsome wideouts. Over his four seasons in the NFL, Lamb has amassed 395 receptions, 36 touchdowns, and 5,145 yards receiving. The 25-year-old Lamb followed his impressive 935-yard rookie campaign with a 1,100-yard sophomore season with the Cowboys.
He broke out in a big way in 2022, getting named a second-team All-Pro after catching 107 passes for 1,359 yards (12.7 yards per catch) and 9 TDs. Lamb topped that with an even better season in 2023, finishing with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards (13.0 yards per catch) and 12 scores.
In addition to his productivity, Lamb hasn’t missed more than one game in any of his four seasons.
With rookie quarterback Drake Maye ascending, adding a playmaker with the athleticism Lamb possesses would be a huge boost for the offense and the team as a whole.
Cowboys Haven’t Given Lamb What He Wants
When speaking with reporters on August 8, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he didn’t “have any urgency” regarding Lamb’s holdout.
In response, Lamb reposted Jones’ quote, writing: “lol.” He has since made other cryptic posts on social media.
It certainly appears as though Lamb is not happy. He has seen other wideouts across the league get paid in recent months — Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings is the league’s highest-paid WR at $35 million annually, while Philadelphia Eagles‘ wideout A.J. Brown is second at $32 million.
As it stands currently, Lamb is set to earn just under $18 million this season on his fifth-year option, and he’d like to make much more than that.
Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported on August 17 that the Cowboys offered Lamb $33 million per year, and that was “not good enough.” Garafolo also added that “there’s still a lot of work to be done” regarding an extension for Lamb in Dallas.
The Patriots currently have the second-most cap space in the NFL ($51 million), and they have the money to pay Lamb top dollar, so it’ll be interesting to see if any calls actually happen and materialize. It’s a long shot, but the Pats have always had a flair for drama. Stay tuned.
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Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Leaves Door Open for Possible Trade for Cowboys All-Pro