Dallas Cowboys Trade Rumors: Jerry Jones Seemingly in a Dilemma Over Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb; What’s Next?

This year finally seemed like the Dallas Cowboys would advance to the NFC Championship, something they have not done since 1995. Instead, the team’s playoff woes continued. Despite winning 16 straight games at home, NFC’s No. 2 seed fell 48-32 to the No. 7 Green Bay Packers on Super Wild Card Weekend. Owner Jerry Jones had to make a tough decision, reinstating HC Mike McCarthy. However, the sword is now hanging above Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb due to their demands.

Given Dak Prescott‘s contract, which is set to have a $59.4 million cap hit next season, is likely to receive an extension before the start of the business year. That’s pretty unsustainable and would break the Cowboys’ bank. On the other hand, CeeDee Lamb’s contract of $14 million and the demands to increase the contract to $30M would mean Jerry would have too little money to spend on extra resources. Dallas would struggle in 2024 to build a roster if left untouched, and being able to re-sign other players would be almost impossible.

However, GM Jerry Jones has three options to consider concerning Dak. First, “bank” on him. Pay the 30-year-old his almost $60 million and let him remain a Cowboy. Second, they could cut him or trade him after June 1. If they decide to move on from the QB, what would be the benefits? It would save them a mammoth sum of $34 million. It would also free up about $9 million of the salary cap in 2024. And the final option: Do nothing. Salary remains the same. No extension for Dak. And the cap gets absorbed in 2024. Meanwhile, they also have the Lamb dilemma to solve.

There’s no arguing that Lamb has earned his stripes. He leads the NFL in receptions at 122. But that’s just the beginning. He is second in terms of receiving yards. Lamb is third in WR touchdowns at 10. He also set a Dallas record recently. His last two stats surpassed Michael Irvin’s, which he set in 1995. It might not be too much of a stretch to say that he’s the best WR the Cowboys have had in a while.

But then his financial ambitions match his exploits on the gridiron. When he was asked if he’d like to become the league’s highest-paid receiver, Lamb said, “Ideally, yeah, for sure.” How much will that cost the Cowboys? A whopping $30 million worth of an extension. That will dry up the Cowboys’ finances and render them incapable of signing more players during the upcoming Draft.

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The two have played together since Lamb was drafted by the Cowboys in 2020 with the 17th overall pick. Since Lamb joined the team, the duo is just 1-3 in the playoffs. After a third straight season with an early playoff exit, it appears there is a bit of familial in-fighting among those near and dear to some Cowboys’ stars. Meanwhile, the situation has caught the attention of many, including Lamb’s mother and Dak’s brother, to comment on the situation.

Dak Prescott faces severe criticism after playoff exit

Just a few weeks ago, the Cowboys’ QB was in the MVP conversation. He was touted as a frontrunner in the MVP race. But after the humiliating defeat against the Packers, things shifted. In the wild-card game against the Green and Gold, Prescott went 41 of 60 for 403 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, including a pick-six.

This had fans criticize Prescott, labeling him as overrated and doubting his ability to lead the team to Super Bowl victory. CeeDee Lamb’s mother, Leta Ramirez, reportedly took to Facebook to express her dissatisfaction with Dallas’ starting quarterback. Assuming the account is legit, the No. 1 wide receiver’s mother wrote, “DAK ISNT IT.” She continued to bash the Dak by replying to comments and adding to her original statement, “They need to get rid of his a**.. It’s guys on that team that want a RING! They work too hard.. he don’t want to win a RING!”

This forced Dak’s brother Tad Prescott to reveal his desire for Dak to move away from Dallas, not due to any dissatisfaction with the city or the team, but because of the ongoing drama and attitudes of certain fans. Tad took to ‘X’ and wrote, “Cowboy fans why continue to DM me TRUST ME, if I could get @dak to leave Dallas I would. I too want him out of Dallas. The city and organization have been great to he and our family, but done with drama and the so called fans, but he loves this team, and wants to bring it rings.”

Both Lamb and Prescott made the Pro Bowl this season, but aside from individual accolades, it was another season of falling short for them. As the Cowboys enter the offseason, which path will Jones and his team take?

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