The Dallas Cowboys’ training camp has begun with the first practice.
The team’s press conference including owner and de facto general manager Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones, and head coach Mike McCarthy was followed by the practice, as it always does.
The Joneses went on the defensive, as was to be expected, after receiving criticism for yet another quiet offseason from Cowboys supporters and the media.
All that fans cared about was an update on CeeDee Lamb’s contract, despite Jerry and Stephen’s obvious misinterpretation of the pay ceiling.
Even if Dak Prescott’s status isn’t officially confirmed, he’s at least attending camp. But because he’s still on his rookie contract, Lamb is staging a contract holdout and might end up owing $40,000 for each session missed.
It’s admirable that the Cowboys have kept the specifics of Lamb’s negotiations confidential. But on Thursday, the executive vice president of the team made a swift modification to that.
Stephen Jones made dumbest CeeDee Lamb comment possible during Cowboys’ press conference
Jones foolishly disclosed to the nation that Lamb aspires to be the NFL’s highest-paid player who is not a quarterback.
One of the worst mistakes a front office executive can do is to allow the public and media to see behind closed doors during a high-profile contract negotiation. There has been an obvious breach of trust and privacy between a player and an organization.
Lamb might not give a damn that Jones spilled his beans. Lamb will soon rank among the richest players in the NFL who isn’t a quarterback. However, would anyone hold the All-Pro responsible if Jones’ error in judgment offended him? Not at all.
Given the way the Joneses conduct themselves, it’s not out of the question that Jones meant what he said. The Cowboys are infamous for their media negotiations, despite the fact that they typically lose these talks with elite players.
Meddling with Micheal Parsons’ contract began just after the 2023 season concluded. Jerry Jones is a weekly guest on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, where Parsons was defamed by the media.
In any event, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports that Cowboys supporters will be thrilled to learn that Lamb is exercising in Houston.
Slater claims that lamb is “bigger faster and more explosive than previous years,” and that it has lost five pounds. It’s likely that Lamb finds Jones’ remark to be entirely insignificant.
But there’s also a good chance that No. 88 is upset that Jones, for lack of a better word, let the world see his dirty laundry. Given that it is essentially unprecedented, you know.
