The Dallas Cowboys have had an offseason to forget. Jerry Jones has spent less than the bare minimum to upgrade the roster in free agency and quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb still haven't signed new contracts with offseason workouts on the horizon.
Contract holdouts have become a normalcy for the Cowboys of late. Last summer, All-Pro guard Zack Martin didn't report for the start of training camp as he sought a raise. Martin and Dallas eventually agreed to a reworked contract, but it served as an unnecessary distraction that should've been nipped in the bud long before the team reported to Oxnard.
A similar situation might be unfolding with CeeDee Lamb. Per the Dallas Morning News, Lamb doesn't currently plan on participating in voluntary workouts next week. This doesn't come as a surprise, but that doesn't make it any less of a terrible look for the front office.
Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb could stage contract holdout come training camp
It stands to reason Lamb's "holdout" could extend into training camp if he doesn't have an extension by then. Coming off the best statistical season for a receiver in Cowboys history, Lamb has all of the leverage. Michael Gehlken of the DMN believes Lamb's contract will make him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
It would make little sense for Lamb to jeopardize an historic pay day by getting injured in a voluntary practice. The same goes for training camp. Maybe Lamb will join teammates for weightlifting sessions, but he shouldn't step foot on the practice field until he has the security of a long-term contract.
Lamb will sign a new contract this summer -- potentially even before training camp -- but the fact the stage has been set for a potential holdout is another black eye on this front office given he's been a no-brainer for a new deal for over a calendar year.
Jerry Jones' paved way for John Calipari's move to Arkansas
One of the most decorated college basketball coaches of the last 50 years, John Calipari stunned the NCAA landscape late Sunday when he decided to leave Kentucky to become the next head coach at Arkansas.
Jerry Jones can't be bothered to spend in free agency, but his status as an Arkansas booster helped fund Calipari's move to the Razorbacks.
"Calipari won't face the same pressure he endured in Lexington, but he will have access to power boosters (the Tyson family, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the Walton family) who will supply enough NIL money to help him attract elite talent," wrote ESPN columnist Myron Medcalf.
Jones has extensive ties to Arkansas as a former running back for the Razorbacks. Lucrative NIL deals have become imperative as far as landing big-time recruits. A booster like Jones will help Calipari as he attempts to lead Arkansas back to the NCAA Tournament after a lackluster 2023 campaign.
The fact Jones' ability to spend money propelled one of the biggest non-football stories of the year when he's been reluctant to spend to upgrade the Cowboys' roster is certainly something.
Stephon Gilmore named free agency fit for two Cowboys rivals
It's become increasingly unlikely that the Cowboys re-sign Stephon Gilmore. That would be a boneheaded decision; one that could come back to haunt Jerry Jones if Gilmore's next home is with one of Dallas' rivals.
Well, Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon views Gilmore as ideal fits for the Eagles and Lions. Both teams stand in Dallas' way of winning the NFC.
"Gilmore makes a ton of sense for the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions in particular. Both have the cap room, the need and the win-now window. But the Lions are a little shorter on experience in the secondary, so we'll roll with Gilmore to the Motor City."
Gilmore joining Philly or Detroit would be another gut-punch to Cowboys fans. Hopefully, Jadeveon Clowney ramps up his recruitment of Gilmore to the Panthers. Gilmore and Clowney are both from Rock Hill, SC, went to the same high school and were teammates in college at South Carolina.
It hasn't been reported that the Eagles or Lions are interested in Gilmore, but that could change on a dime. The longer he goes unsigned, the more likely it is that an NFC contender swoops in with an offer Gilmore might not be able to turn down.