The Dallas Cowboys’ strategy in extending key players like CeeDee Lamb has been baffling. Aside from being unwilling to pay the wide receiver his worth, Jerry Jones shocked the NFL world last week by claiming there was no ‘urgency’ in extending Lamb. While the damage was done, with the WR expressing his frustration over the statement, Jones attempted some damage control yesterday by admitting his mistake.
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At the NFL’s ‘Countdown to Kickoff’ show ahead of the Cowboys’ preseason opener against the Rams, owner Jerry Jones acknowledged that he might have struck a nerve with his statement about Lamb. He then clarified that no one appreciates the wide receiver’s impact and importance more than he does:
“I think I got in trouble about it the other day when I said, ‘Look, we’re not urgent about CeeDee.’ Well, no one appreciates CeeDee being on the field any more than I do.”
If Jones had stopped at the above statement, the anger among fans might have subsided. But in typical fashion, the Cowboys owner delved deeper into his “urgency” rationale, making things even more confusing.
Jones reminded reporters and Lamb that even if the contract issues were resolved between the two parties, the Cowboys, in a bid to protect their stars, wouldn’t have let them physically toil in the preseason game. So from this perspective, Jones felt there was no urgency to extend Lamb, given the net effect on the field would have been the same — Lamb training separately with Dak.
“The bottom line is… there’s not that urgency. Now, I understand completely the angst that’s happening when you’re anxious about and someone says anything about whether you’re missed or not. Well, CeeDee, you’re missed, OK? But you’re not missed out here competing, and it doesn’t put any pressure, anyplace on us.“
While one can understand what Jerry is trying to say, it’s undeniable that there’s a lot of mental gymnastics involved in his logic. If someone asks you about a contract extension, it’s logical to answer in terms of money and willingness rather than the impact on the training camp.
If Jones had simply replied with a “work in progress” last week, he would have saved him a lot of headaches. Because now, he has not only frustrated the fans and Lamb but also Micah Parsons.
Parsons sides with Lamb after Owner Jones’ lack of “Urgency” remark
After Jones’ implied disinterest in extending Lamb’s contract surfaced, the star receiver quickly expressed his frustration by commenting “lol” on a post quoting Jones’ statement.
What transpired then, however, was even more concerning for Cowboys Faithful as star LB Micah Parsons retweeted Lamb’s passive-aggressive response, thus endorsing him. For those out of context, Micah is part of a trio of Cowboys stars still awaiting their payday.
Fans were naturally worried, as the prospect of losing Parsons, Lamb, and QB Dak Prescott in a single offseason is nightmarish.
However, not everything is doom and gloom for Prescott. If recent reports are to be believed, the QB could land a record-shattering $70 million per year contract if he plays his cards right and remains patient.
Even if one were to refute this outlandish rumor, multiple sources from the grapevine have hinted that the Cowboys are being measured and are prioritizing Prescott’s next contract.
While the ideal scenario would be to extend all three, Cowboys fans, given the recent PR disaster by Jones, would be relieved if the ownership extends Lamb as soon as possible, as the wideout seems to be on his way out.
