Cowboys are looking to get a head start on some important roster moves
The Cowboys are entertaining the possibility of early contract extensions for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and cornerback Trevon Diggs.
The Dallas Cowboys will always remember the 2020 NFL draft with fondness.
With the first-round pick, they took wide receiver CeeDee Lamb at 17. In the second round, they selected cornerback Trevon Diggs at 51st overall.
Lamb and Diggs are now in a position to receive contract extensions going into their fourth seasons. When Cowboys' executive vice president Stephen Jones spoke with the media at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday in Indianapolis, he mentioned that the team is exploring doing so with both.
“You’re always looking at something like that. …Obviously, they’re in our plans long term," said Jones.
Since Lamb was a first-round selection, the Cowboys have the fifth-year option when it comes to him. That price is $17.9 million for the 2024 season which would allow the Cowboys to work out a long-term contract before he hits the open market a year later.
The Cowboys have until May 1 to make this decision on Lamb. If not, he'll become a free agent after the 2023 season.
It's highly unlikely that the Cowboys would take this route with Lamb. He's coming off a monster year with 107 receptions for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns and has multiple Pro Bowls (albeit one as an alternate) plus a second-team All-Pro honor on his resume so making sure he's on the roster for an extra season is the smart way to go.
Diggs is in a different situation.
As a second-rounder, Diggs is entering a contract year. His market value at the moment is over $15 million annually. A year from now, that price will go up, and if his play continues as is, it could rise significantly.
Diggs got off to a slow start as a rookie, and breaking his foot and missing four games didn't help. However, he's tied for the most interceptions since he entered the league which included an unreal 11 in 2021 which is the most since the 1981 season.
Diggs has made multiple Pro Bowls just like Lamb, and has a first-team All-Pro nod to boot, proving he was well worth the draft pick.
It would be wise for the Cowboys to get something done in terms of extending Lamb and Diggs now rather than later because as everyone knows, contracts are steadily rising league-wide.
Feature image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
