Monday marked 13 days to the season opener for the Dallas Cowboys. Training camp is complete. The preseason is over. Finalization of the 53-man roster is happening with a deadline of Tuesday at 4:00pm ET, but there remains no sign of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
The last official team event that Lamb participated in for the team was the playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. Here we sit, on August 26th, with his holdout continuing.
It remains frustrating that this situation is festering, but clearly both sides feel passionately about what they want out of a contract extension. Recent reports suggest that they are not far apart and on Monday ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that it is “roughly” a million dollars per year.
“To me, I cannot believe it’s August 26th and it’s still not figured out. And I don’t think the sides are all that far apart. And I don’t think they’ve been all that far apart and yet here we are. In the spot we are and it’s still not done. And so most people believe this deal’s going to get done at some point in time, that he’s going to make it back, that he won’t miss the opening game against the Cleveland Browns… that still is the thinking. But again. To me. What are we talking about here? If they are, as I’ve heard, roughly $1M/year apart on average… just figure out a way to get it done. Get both sides to the table. Sit ‘em down. And make sure nobody leaves until there’s a solution. Again. I’m sure I’m simplifying it some, but it can’t be that hard to bridge a difference that is that close together already.”
The salary cap is real and hardly an easy thing to navigate through. We can all admit that. But if the price difference is really something along the lines of a million dollars per year then it seems rather silly to continue dragging this out with the regular season beginning so soon. We are way past time for this to have been done.
The market isn’t going to change. Lamb likely isn’t going to bend on his holdout. The situation is what it is and the corner has been painted into, it is simply time to walk through the freshly coated floor and out the door.
Get it done.
