How Stephen's delaying tactic CeeDee contract cost Cowboys

[MarcusRock]

I don't think there was any doubt whether or CeeDee was a legit No.1 WR this time last season.

I don't know about that. This time last season CeeDee had just put in only a half year of elite play. Before that there was chatter he might not get a second contract with us. Honestly, I'd have wanted to see more too. To his credit he put in a full elite year thereafter so the team needs to put up or send him onward.

 

[CWR]

So everybody knows that if ceedee signs early , he loses money.

So why the heck would his agent advise him to sign early? Do you people think at all?

The best way to get someone to sign is to actually attempt to negotiate. Don't you find it odd the only agents who wait represent COWBOY players?!?!

What are all these other agents doing?

 

[JBS]

The best way to get someone to sign is to actually attempt to negotiate. Don't you find it odd the only agents who wait represent COWBOY players?!?!

What are all these other agents doing?

The exact same thing. Why don’t you look around the league

AJ Brown traded
D. Adam’s. Traded
T. Hill. Traded
Jefferson late deal
Chase not signed
Lamb not signed
Aiyuk not signed
Metcalf late deal
Please stop

This is one position group in the last 2-3 years…this is 25% of the nfl and we are talking both 1 position group ! 1

 

[StarBoyz83]

I'm just curious to see how fast lamb gets a new contract when he holds out of training camp.

 

[Bagman]

So everybody knows that if ceedee signs early , he loses money.

So why the heck would his agent advise him to sign early? Do you people think at all?

Thank you, thank you, thank you.!!
I wish people could understand that. It takes BOTH SIDES TO AGREE. I guess it's just easier to bash Jerry Jones.

 

[KingCorcoran]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.!!
I wish people could understand that. It takes BOTH SIDES TO AGREE. I guess it's just easier to bash Jerry Jones.

While CeeDee goes over the middle Jerry sips Johnnie Walker Blue. CeeDee is a top NFL receiver. His bad fortune is to play for the Dallas Cowboys whose senile owner doesn’t want to pay him like one. Yes, it’s much easier to bash the inebriated guy who doesn’t do anything for the team’s ultimate success.

 

[CWR]

The exact same thing. Why don’t you look around the league

AJ Brown traded
D. Adam’s. Traded
T. Hill. Traded
Jefferson late deal
Chase not signed
Lamb not signed
Aiyuk not signed
Metcalf late deal
Please stop

This is one position group in the last 2-3 years…this is 25% of the nfl and we are talking both 1 position group ! 1

Give me a break. A ton of players get contracts every year. They've already admitted to not negotiating with Dak. We've already watched them completely foul it up with 2 years of tags only to sign him to top end money on a shorter deal anyway.

I don't believe for a second they made a legitimate offer to CD. We'd hear numbers if that happen. Do you actually believe their PR machine wouldn't be working overtime to demonstrate how gracious they have been?

Are we not watching the same FO operate year end and year out?

 

[Coogiguy03]

This doesn't nearly as much as it did in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s but I am not sure why. Maybe players realize they are making a ton of money already or maybe teams are more progressive in avoiding these issues. For example, the word Amari Cooper has one year left on his deal ( yes the same one he played for the Cowboys ) at $20M but he wants a new raise before the season starts. From what I have heard/read, the Browns are saying they agree and will take care of him before the season starts.

Gotcha so all I'm saying is all of this saying we'd save money isn't really that serious in terms of said player having some good seasons and another player(s) reset market and CEEDEE actually had a better season than them. Zack Martin just asked for more money last year

 

[JoeKing]

This time last year, Tyree Hill was the highest-paid WR at $30M in August 2023. Around the same time, Stephen Jones could have made CeeDee the highest at $31M and saved $4-5M from what he is now asking ($35M ). This is a classic example of how Stephen's delaying tactic cost the Cowboys more money.

You're forgetting to account for the money saved by not paying CeeDee $31 million the past year. So recalculate your figuring and get back to us.

 

[Cowfan75Lives]

Jerry and Stephen ARE dumb, but when is the last player that we paid top dollar to who actually played to the worth of their contract? Would YOU pay a guy who is really good, but says he just wants the money? And does it even matter if we are only going to build through the draft, anyway?

 

[Bobhaze]

This time last year, Tyree Hill was the highest-paid WR at $30M in August 2023. Around the same time, Stephen Jones could have made CeeDee the highest at $31M and saved $4-5M from what he is now asking ($35M ). This is a classic example of how Stephen's delaying tactic cost the Cowboys more money.

Delaying signing a star player you already know you want to sign is just stupid. The market price is SET. There will be no negotiated discount or any other financial advantage gained.

After watching Cedee Lamb now for 4 years, the Cowboys should know exactly what they have in him.
Here’s a simple, quick quiz Stephen should have already answered:

1. Do you want Cedee Lamb to stay a Dallas Cowboy? If yes, you should have already signed him. If you don’t, trade him now.
2. Do you want Micah Parsons to remain a Dallas Cowboy? If yes, Sign him early before the market goes up! He won’t get cheaper. If no, trade him at the top of his value.

Hard truth: Waiting to sign your star players COSTS MORE EVERY SINGLE TIME.

 

[Bobhaze]

He has an engineering degree.

He wouldnt have a job in any other FO in football.

The night daddy’s check cleared the bank to buy the team in Feb, 1989, Stephen Jones became “qualified” as a front office executive. If you are related to Jerry, no experience, prior success or qualifications are necessary. And your job is for life.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Unfortunately the Cowboys have an established history recently of doing business this way.

Beyond stupid.

Yep, the longer you wait to resign a player the higher the price goes..................everybody in the entire league understands this except the Cowboys.

 

[Beast_from_East]

I'm just curious to see how fast lamb gets a new contract when he holds out of training camp.

If I am Lamb, I report to training camp to keep from getting fined, but I pull up and grab my hamstring first day of practice.

"I got a sharp pain in my hamstring coach, I might need to keep it iced for a week or two

 

[TwentyOne]

This time last year, Tyree Hill was the highest-paid WR at $30M in August 2023. Around the same time, Stephen Jones could have made CeeDee the highest at $31M and saved $4-5M from what he is now asking ($35M ). This is a classic example of how Stephen's delaying tactic cost the Cowboys more money.

It will cost them more money. But that is negletable because players salaries are paid thru tv incomes.

If you care about the salarie cap hit its also irrelevant. The cap climbs around 8% every year. So do players salaries. So its not imporzsnt when to sign a player.

The only reason to sign him later than now is that his current current contract is so much lower than the one he will get.

So i dont understand your statement. Please explain.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Delaying signing a star player you already know you want to sign is just stupid. The market price is SET. There will be no negotiated discount or any other financial advantage gained.

After watching Cedee Lamb now for 4 years, the Cowboys should know exactly what they have in him.
Here’s a simple, quick quiz Stephen should have already answered:

1. Do you want Cedee Lamb to stay a Dallas Cowboy? If yes, you should have already signed him. If you don’t, trade him now.
2. Do you want Micah Parsons to remain a Dallas Cowboy? If yes, Sign him early before the market goes up! He won’t get cheaper. If no, trade him at the top of his value.

Hard truth: Waiting to sign your star players COSTS MORE EVERY SINGLE TIME.

This is exactly the way I see Bob.....100%
If your player earns elite status on a rookie contract, it seems that the faster you can get him signed the better coz his value will escalate until he's a free agent.

 

[CowboyoWales]

The idiot did the same with Dak. Delayed over 2M per year and paid later. Could have signed him for 28M or so instead played hardball paid franchise tag money and then 40M a year.

He is not good at managing the cap

So Dak/France would of signed early, especially after a mediocre 2019......not happening.....especially as France was moving away from CAA and possibly had a personal incentive to get the signing done when he was at Athlete's First.

Again i'm not supporting the Jones', but in these cases it's not all on them.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

You're forgetting to account for the money saved by not paying CeeDee $31 million the past year. So recalculate your figuring and get back to us.

you lost me Joe,

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/_/id/47611/ceedee-la

• He will make $17M this season via 5th-year option
• My point was we could have made him the highest-paid WR this time last season at $31
• One year later he is STILL asking to be the highest paid but that number is now $35M+
• By my math.....if we had signed him last season at $31M per season, we saved the $17M 5th option AND an additional $4M.

If I am calculating this wrong, I'm all ears but you can't convince me Stephen saw the WR market making a $4M bump from last year to this year. I mean did he think the numbers ( highest paid $30M ) would stay the same coz they as sure as hell weren't going down? Jerry makes some silly statement about how they are waiting for more leaves to fall........WHY??????

• Are you waiting for another player/agent to set the market?
• Do you think the market somehow reverses and saves you money?

As stated earlier, I'm certainly no expert but it appears Stephen overplayed his hand on this one.

 

[CowboyoWales]

This is exactly the way I see Bob.....100%
If your player earns elite status on a rookie contract, it seems that the faster you can get him signed the better coz his value will escalate until he's a free agent.

As @JBS mentioned (and you liked) the decision's not made in isolation. CeeDee as with ALL top players/agents could predict the raise in CAP and would wait. The other factor is that we do restructure the CAP, but we're ALWAYS overpaying for last year(s) overpayment.

For CeeDee in particular, he and agent saw how dysfunctional our Offense was without elite WR's......it's not hard to hold on, KNOWING YOU'RE NEEDED.....he wasnt taking a cheap early deal, especially when players know JERRY LIKES (AND PAYS) HIS OWN.

(CAP's for effect).

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Again i'm not supporting the Jones', but in these cases it's not all on them.

I agree with this......you are right, it is not always their fault but they have a long history/pattern of doing business a certain way.