Jerry Jones gives updates on CeeDee Lamb’s contract, Trey Lance’s Cowboys roster status

As the Dallas Cowboys conclude training camp this week, owner Jerry Jones offered his own synopsis of training camp and gave an optimistic update on contract talks with hold out receiver CeeDee Lamb.

That Lamb, the team’s top offensive weapon, still has not shown up remains a sticking point for the Cowboys less three weeks before the season opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Time is running out for Lamb to get acclimated to be his best for that game.The two sides remain at odds on base salary, structure and contract length. Lamb is scheduled to make $17.9 million in 2024 in the final year of his rookie deal.

He is seeking a deal similar to Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s contract that earns him $35 million annually.

The Cowboys reached $33 million in their last offer to Lamb.

“I don’t mean that to be insensitive to our fans or to CeeDee, but we’re in good shape there and we are having promising talks,” Jones said. “You say, ‘Well, why do you keep talking? Why don’t you do something?’ Again, as in anything, it takes both of you there at the same time. But I believe it’s got the proper amount of everything — emphasis, importance — for everybody involved here, and we’ll see how it goes.”

More importantly, Jones expressed confidence in getting a deal done with Lamb before the start of the season.

“And when I say that, it doesn’t sound too promising,” Jones said. “The facts are that I believe we’ll come together. I don’t want to speak for him. That’s what I’m trying not to do. But we wouldn’t have offered him what we’ve offered him if we didn’t want him to be here.”

Jones also guaranteed that No. 3 quarterback Trey Lance will make the team’s 53-player roster. There is little chance that Lance will pass Cooper Rush for the team’s backup job behind starter Dak Prescott.

After a disappointing performance in the preseason opener against the Rams, Lance took a step forward in the second preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

He simply hasn’t played enough football.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Lance will likely go the entire way in preseason final against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium on Saturday.

“I’d like to see us really be able to have our quarterback depth,” Jones said. “I’d like to see him get some more work in this weekend, that would be number one.“Do I need to see any more from Trey Lance? The answer is yes, but he’s going to be on the 53.The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick to the 49ers a year ago to obtain Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021.

He is 40-of-64 for 339 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in two preseason games, adding 78 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

There is chance that Prescott acts as the offensive coordinator and calls plays for Lance against the Chargers.

Both Jones and McCarthy were pleased with the work the Cowboys got done in training camp.

It was the team’s longest stay in camp in California since they started coming to Oxnard 2002.

Normally, the Cowboys break camp after the first two preseason games but they return to Oxnard for three more practices following last Saturday’s 27-12 victory at the Las Vegas Raiders. They suffered a 13-12 setback at the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason opener.

McCarthy wanted to get three more good practices days in the cool temperatures of California before returning to the Texas heat. The daily high in Oxnard is around 80 degrees with it dropping into 60s in the morning and early evenings, compared to the 100-degree temperatures in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Cowboys will conduct two night practices indoors at the Ford Center on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

“A lot of factors (go into it),” McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday. “Number one, the weather, the opportunity to train another week in this climate, that is very, very important. The week back is always an adjustment, the other factor is the bye week layout, just the way it’s laid out, with the three days of practice and how you have to practice, it’s regulated. I’d rather do that the week we return than a week earlier.”

You’re on an adjustment schedule anyways, plus we have to be indoors the week we go back obviously because of the transition from the weather here to Dallas. All those factors are involved and I think the straw that broke the back was the opportunity to hang out with the media for another week,” McCarthy added jokingly.

This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 9:21 AM.