Tag: CeeDee Lamb

Offseason holdout possible for Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb amid extension wait

From @ToddBrock24f7: With the Cowboys’ voluntary sessions set to kick off next week, Lamb may be sitting out until he gets his record-setting extension.

The Cowboys’ offseason program begins in one week, although all activities will be voluntary only. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could be taking advantage of that important qualifier.

As Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News speculates, a holdout from the fifth-year superstar is a very real possibility as he waits for a contract extension.

Lamb is due $17.99 million in 2024 under the fifth-year option picked up by the club in April of 2023. But coming off a campaign in which he set the Cowboys’ all-time single-season receptions and receiving yards records, led the league in catches, earned his third Pro Bowl bid, and was named a first-team All-Pro, Lamb’s salary represents an absolute bargain.

Lamb’s next contract is expected to reset the market at the wide receiver position, catapulting him above Tyreek Hill and the $30 million per year he makes in Miami.

Without that kind of money promised to him in writing, it’s hard to imagine Lamb showing up for meetings and strength and conditioning workouts. Live reps against a defense won’t start until May 24 (those are voluntary as well), and mandatory minicamp won’t kick off until June 4.

Gehlken also points out that Lamb traditionally gets together during the offseason with quarterback Dak Prescott and other Cowboys receivers for their own independent throwing sessions. Beyond that, Lamb could “hold in” once mandatory minicamp begins, attending sessions at the facility but sitting out of practices and other drills that might result in injury.

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The Cowboys have said that getting Lamb signed to an extension is a priority, but the front office has several other pressing contracts to work out, too; namely, for Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons.

Waiting- on any of them- only adds to the uncertainty that seems guaranteed to swirl around the Cowboys for the next 10 months.

The next move could be Lamb’s. And electing not to move at all may be the way he plays it come Monday.

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Which Sooners could have been on the cover of EA Sports NCAA football during its absence?

With EA Sports NCAA Football returning, which Oklahoma Sooners could have graced the cover during their hiatus since 2015.

EA Sports did what many thought was impossible by announcing it would bring back its college football video game series. After a hiatus that will have spanned at least 10 years come July, the newest version of the beloved game series will return sometime in the summer of 2024.

The last one to drop before the series ended came out in July 2013. NCAA 14 is one of the most iconic sports video games of all time because of the attachment many have to it. Its resale value has never been higher.

The reason for the original cancellation of the series? Name, image and likeness — a hot-button topic that eventually led to NIL being accepted into collegiate sports.

EA Sports couldn’t figure out how to compensate players because it wasn’t legal in that era of collegiate athletics. That hurdle has been cleared and the game looks headed for a summer release date.

Who gets the distinction of being the game’s cover athlete in its resurrection? It’s always a fun and exciting debate when new sports games come out. Former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson graced NCAA 14’s cover. Since the last game, college football has had iconic athletes that would’ve been perfect fits to be cover athletes.

Our friends at College Wire went through and named which players they thought would have been great fits as cover athletes for the years we didn’t have a game. We decided to do the same, but only with Oklahoma players for those years. Take a look below.

Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb praises Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson

Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb recently praised New York Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson as a sleeper: “His routes (are) crazy.”

New York Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson had an impressive rookie season come to an end in 2022 when he tore his ACL in Week 10.

Robinson came back with a strong sophomore campaign in 2023, racking up over 500 yards, and was heavily featured in the Giants’ offense as the season wore on.

Given Robinson’s body of work, it seems the Giants have a nice piece to build around moving forward.

In fact, Robinson recently received some praise from division rival CeeDee Lamb, who was a guest on Micah Parson’s podcast. Lamb was naming his top five receivers when he mentioned the Giants receiver as a sleeper.

“You know who’s really a sleeper though? Wan’Dale Robinson from New York. He’s so fast but he’s so nice. His routes is crazy,” Lamb said.

With Lamb certainly being in the upper echelon of NFL wide receivers, it’s quite the compliment for Robinson.

The praise comes following Robinson’s first season back from a torn ACL, with a revolving door at quarterback and an injury-riddled season for key players on the offense including Andrew Thomas and Saquon Barkley.

Despite the need for an outside No. 1 receiver, the Giants certainly have a nice foundational piece in Robinson.

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Cowboys News: Zimmer reveals his plan, Giants deny access to DL coach

Dallas Cowboys roundup of Mike Zimmer press conference, Super Bowl analytics, and coaching changes. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The idea of Mike Zimmer as the new defensive coordinator of the Cowboys is starting to sink in and has been solidified by his words at his introductory press conference. One thing that will undoubtedly accompany him to Dallas is a zero-tolerance policy. Gone are the days of the man with the backward hat and the future holds a more fundamentally sound approach. The rules of football have not changed but the defense will look different from what everyone has been accustomed to.

One custom that has long been celebrated is the Super Bowl. Behind all of the glitz and glamour the game brings, the two teams may have left behind a blueprint that can reveal the secret to their success. On social media, Cowboys fans puffed their chests out when the team denied Washington permission to speak with Cowboys assistant Al Harris. While they did lose someone else, the favor was returned by another NFC East rival. Lastly, the Dallas Cowboys lost a family member recently as former lineman Tony Hutson has passed away. All that and much more in this edition of Cowboys news and notes.

Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson finishes 4th in AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting

Baltimore Ravens All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson finished fourth in the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting

Lamar Jackson may win the AP NFL MVP award, but Christian McCaffrey was voted the best offensive player.

The 49ers star logged 39 first-place votes, 32 more than Tyreek Hill, as he ran away with the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.

In what could be described as a shock, Jackson finished fourth, logging three first-place votes and 32 overall.

McCaffrey is also a finalist for AP NFL Most Valuable Player, the top award in the land, thanks to a 2023 season in which he led the NFL in touches, scrimmage yards, and scrimmage touchdowns, and posted a career-high 1,459 rushing yards.

Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, threw for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 821 yards and five scores. He helped the Baltimore Ravens (14-4) finish with the best record in the league and led them to a playoff win over Houston.

Jackson received 45 of 50 votes for AP first-team All-Pro.

CeeDee Lamb’s 92-yard TD vs Lions named Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year

From @ToddBrock24f7: The longest TD of the 2023 season won the first award of the night at NFL Honors in Las Vegas on Thursday night.

CeeDee Lamb was up for a major award at NFL Honors in Las Vegas Thursday night, but the Cowboys wide receiver struck early, claiming the first honor of the night.

Lamb won the Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year award for his 92-yard touchdown reception versus Detroit in Week 17.

The moment came on a 3rd-and-13, with the Dallas offense backed up on their own 8-yard-line. Prescott was nearly caught in the end zone, but scrambled away, covering 16.1 yards to find a clear spot from which to toss up what looked to be a desperate long ball.

But a streaking Lamb hauled in the throw at midfield, with the closest Lions defender already lying on the turf behind him. The wideout hit 18.4 miles an hour during his run to the end zone and traveled a total of 107.2 yards on what turned out to be the longest play from scrimmage of the NFL season.

The score was the Cowboys’ first of the evening in a game they went on to win by a a 20-19 final. Lamb ended the night with 13 catches for 227 receiving yards, both career highs in a record-setting season.

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Lamb was not present to pick up his award in person, so teammate Micah Parsons accepted it on his behalf from presenter Damar Hamlin. The wide receiver was also a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year.

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Every NFL team’s receiving leader from the 2023 regular season

Each team’s leader in receiving yards from 2023

Look, we know the Carolina Panthers had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—particularly on offense. But fair is fair, and we already gave you passing and rushing leaders.

So, let’s finish it out and run through each team’s leader in receiving yards from the 2023 regular season.

Cowboys CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson on former OC Kellen Moore joining Eagles

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys playmakers wish their former OC well in his return to the NFC East, “when he’s not playing us or when we need them to lose.”

It took long enough for the news to become official, but former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was finally named to the same role with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. After one season with the Chargers, Moore will return to the NFC East and face the Cowboys at least twice a year beginning with the 2024 season..

Several of Moore’s former playmakers in Dallas are looking forward to seeing him again, even if he’ll now be wearing enemy colors.

“It really just shows how crazy this league can be,” Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson said, per Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I mean, it’s so many different moving pieces. One guy might be on your team next year, one might be on the opponent the other. I think it’s really cool. I’m proud of him.”

Wideout CeeDee Lamb said he’s “looking forward to playing against” Moore. At the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, he gave several Eagles players a preview of what they can expect.

“Should be very fun,” Lamb told them. “You’re going to have a lot of options, obviously. Your receivers are going to love it because, obviously, it’s more passes.”

Moore’s Cowboys offenses put up big numbers more often than not. In three of his four seasons as Dallas OC, the team finished in the top 10 in both total points and total yards. The one year they didn’t was 2020, the season in which Dak Prescott played in just five games… but was on a record-setting pace before his ankle injury.)

Even Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni- without directly acknowledging their Dallas rivals by name- subtly gave a tip of the hat to the Cowboys’ production during Moore’s time there.

“During Kellen’s tenure as an NFL coach,” Sirianni said in a statement following the announcement of Moore’s hire, “he has helped to develop some of the best quarterbacks in the league and directed some of its best offenses.”

For all the fireworks under Moore, however, Lamb and Ferguson actually went on to enjoy career-high numbers in the first season after his departure, once head coach Mike McCarthy took over play-calling.

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But given the Eagles’ stacked roster, Ferguson expects Moore to spread the ball around plenty in Philly.

“I think there’s a lot of plays to be made,” Ferguson explained from his first Pro Bowl. “I think he puts the guys in the right spot where they need to be and puts it in their hands. I think that’s something that’s important when calling plays and creating that offensive scheme.”

As much as Lamb and Ferguson both say they admire the 34-year-old offensive mind and wish him well at his new post, Moore’s place on the wrong side of the two clubs’ storied rivalry will prohibit the Cowboys stars from actively cheering for him most weeks.

“Excited to see what he can do- not when he’s playing us,” Ferguson admitted. “Or when we need them to lose.”

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Best photos of Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, CeeDee Lamb in the NFL Pro Bowl

A look at some of the best photos of Sooners at the NFL Pro Bowl, including game MVP Baker Mayfield.

It was an eventful week in Orlando as the NFL hosted its annual All-Star week during the Pro Bowl. Over the years, the event has evolved from a full-fledged game to its modern iteration, featuring a series of skills competitions that culminated in a flag football game.

The Oklahoma Sooners were well-represented even though Creed Humphrey and Trent Williams didn’t make the trip as they prepare for Super Bowl LVIII. Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Lane Johnson, CeeDee Lamb, and Marvin Mims were participants this week, and Mayfield made the most of it.

Mayfield, who had a resurgent season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won the accuracy competition and was named the game’s MVP after leading Eli Manning’s NFC squad to a comeback win over Peyton Manning’s AFC.

Along the way, Mayfield through a touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb and the two nearly connected for another highlight-worthy play late in the game, but Lamb was unable to get both feet down in bounds.

It was a memorable week for the Sooners that serves as a precursor to Sunday’s Super Bowl, which features six Oklahoma Sooners, the most of any college football program in the country.

Photos from Sooners at the Pro Bowl!

Baker Mayfield wins offensive MVP at the 2024 Pro Bowl

Baker Mayfield’s great season was capped off with being named offensive MVP of the 2024 Pro Bowl.

It’s been an incredible season for [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag]. He set career highs in a number of passing statistics, including yards and touchdowns.

He earned his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance. If you haven’t followed the [autotag]Pro Bowl[/autotag] recently, they do things a little differently now. During the week, they have skills competitions before culminating with a flag football game.

Mayfield won the precision competition, which tested the quarterback’s accuracy. He edged out Houston Texans‘ C.J. Stroud.

Then, he capped off the week by leading the NFC to a come-from-behind win against the AFC. Mayfield played nearly the whole second half and led two touchdown drives, finding former Sooner [autotag]CeeDee Lamb[/autotag] on one of those scores.

Because of his performance in the second half, Mayfield was named offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl. NFC’s head coach Eli Manning felt like he should save Mayfield for the second half and that he would come up clutch when called upon. Mayfield said there were a lot of keys to getting the win. “A lot of guys made plays today,” Mayfield said. “It was honestly just so much fun. I got to watch the whole first half, stay loose a little bit, stay involved, stay locked in but just take advantage of the opportunities. I’m just happy to be here.”

Mayfield now heads into the offseason as a free agent. It seems like all signs point to him returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Especially after they hired an offensive coordinator who is familiar with Mayfield, coaching him in Los Angeles during his short stint with the Rams.

One thing is for certain: Mayfield silenced a lot of doubters this season, many of whom didn’t think he was a starting NFL quarterback. Now, he should be getting quite the payday.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.