5 NFL Teams That Should Revisit CeeDee Lamb Trade amid Cowboys WR's Holdout
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' lack of urgency in hammering out a new contract with CeeDee Lamb could lead to a shocking blockbuster move that no one saw coming this offseason.
When talking to reporters about Lamb's contract situation, Jones said, "I don't have any urgency to get it done."
In a response on X to Jones' comments, Lamb simply laughed it off, reposting "lol." He also scrubbed his X handle of any Cowboys affiliation.
We're still about four weeks away from the Cowboys' season opener with the Cleveland Browns. Lamb doesn't need to play in the preseason. So, perhaps Jones won't feel the urgency to get a deal done until late August or early September.
The Cowboys would be foolish to trade an All-Pro wide receiver who's in his prime while going into a year with a lot of pressure on quarterback Dak Prescott in his contract year.
Yet teams will do the due diligence to find out what it would cost to acquire Lamb if remotely possible. Keep in mind that Dallas will likely have to give its star receiver a massive pay raise that could top Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson's four-year, $140 million deal.
We have five trade packages that all involve Dallas getting a wide receiver and draft picks for Lamb.
Like the San Francisco 49ers in their reported trade demands in a potential Brandon Aiyuk deal (according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini), the Cowboys may want a receiver as part of the return for their lead wideout.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 5
Cowboys receive: 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, Michael Wilson
Cardinals receive: CeeDee Lamb
The Arizona Cardinals have enough cap space to load up the roster around quarterback Kyler Murray. They have $33.1 million in cap space with a projected league-leading $81.2 million next year.
In April, the Cardinals selected Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He has the potential to become a Hall of Famer like his father, Marvin Harrison Sr., and a career-long franchise wide receiver like Larry Fitzgerald.
Arizona can make an attempt to pair Harrison with one of the league's top receivers. If the club pulls off a deal with Dallas, it would have an established All-Pro and a possible future All-Pro at the position, an elite wide receiver duo.
Because of Lamb's ability to line up in the slot, the Cardinals can get creative with him, Harrison and ascending tight end Trey McBride on the field together. With that pass-catching trio, Arizona can afford to give up Michael Wilson, who showed some flashes in his rookie campaign.
Last season, Wilson hauled in 38 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games (12 starts).
Wilson doesn't have Lamb's star qualities, though he can be a solid perimeter option and use his 6'2", 213-pound frame to become a primary target in the red zone. Dallas can use the 2025 first-rounder to draft a blue-chip wide receiver if Jalen Tolbert's impressive offseason doesn't translate into a breakout year.
Detroit Lions
2 of 5
Cowboys receive: 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, Jameson Williams
Lions receive: CeeDee Lamb
The Detroit Lions have $42.8 million in cap space with a projected $25.1 million for 2025. They can afford to take a big swing right now.
This offseason, the Detroit Lions allowed wideout Josh Reynolds to walk in free agency, which will create more opportunities for 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams on the perimeter.
Williams has had an underwhelming career start, partially because of injuries and a gambling suspension. Even when available, he's made modest contributions, registering 25 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns in 18 contests. Though in spots, Williams has been an explosive playmaker.
Entering his third season with the Lions, he's probably the third or fourth option in the passing game behind wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Williams could break out in his third year with more targets likely headed his way, but Detroit can acquire a surefire star receiver who can complement St. Brown.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson can interchange St. Brown and Lamb in his formations. Both receivers can line up on the inside and outside. When you factor in LaPorta and Gibbs, Detroit's offense could be a matchup nightmare for opponents.
Williams may need a change of scenery, where he could be one of the primary pass-catching options, to reach his full potential.
Tolbert is an unproven starter, and Brandin Cooks is going into his age-31 term. In Dallas, Williams could emerge as the lead receiver if he can stay on the field.
Green Bay Packers
3 of 5
Cowboys receive: 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-rounder, Christian Watson
Packers receive: CeeDee Lamb
In 2023, Jordan Love showed that he's a franchise quarterback. The Green Bay Packers passing offense finished 12th in yards with the third-most touchdowns.
The Packers' aerial attack made leaps and bounds with a first-year starting quarterback while wideout Christian Watson battled through injuries that cost him eight games.
Of course, Green Bay's offense can be more explosive with Watson healthy, and he has shown star potential, but the unit doesn't need him to go up and down the field against opponents. We saw evidence of that last season.
The Packers have a young wide receiver unit that also includes Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, all of whom played notable roles in the team's 12th-ranked aerial attack last year. They also have a couple of solid pass-catching tight ends, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
In exchange for Watson, a 25-year-old high-upside wideout, the Packers would get a bonafide No. 1 receiver as the rest of their young pass-catching group continues to grow into its own. They have $22.4 million in cap space this year, and $16.4 million for 2025, though the front office can restructure contracts to free up space if necessary.
The Cowboys may not love the idea of trading Lamb to the team that throttled them in the 2023 NFC Wild Card Round, but if they struggle to reach a new contract agreement with him, Dallas may see this offer as the best proposal in a resolution.
Los Angeles Chargers
4 of 5
Cowboys receive: 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, Joshua Palmer
Chargers receive: CeeDee Lamb
The Los Angeles Chargers are built to run the ball with three recent first-round picks on the offensive line, a couple of tailbacks who have a downhill run style and Greg Roman calling the plays.
Roman has a strong track record of operating a run-heavy offense, but the Chargers need to do a lot more to help Justin Herbert develop under center.
Already in a walking boot because of a right foot injury, Herbert may need a star receiver to do the heavy lifting in the passing game.
The Chargers have $20.7 million in cap space this year and a projected $43 million next year. After parting ways with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the front office should use a significant portion of its resources to rebuild the receiver room.
Los Angeles has a bottom-tier wide receiver group. Joshua Palmer is arguably the most reliable of the unit in terms of availability and production. He caught 72 passes for 769 yards and three touchdowns in his best of three campaigns.
Obviously, Palmer is nowhere near Lamb on the wide receiver hierarchy, but he may have some upside in a bigger role.
Herbert and Lamb could become one of the league's best quarterback-receiver duos. Dallas would lose its go-to playmaker in the passing offense, but it would acquire an experienced 24-year-old wide receiver who can help them right away.
New England Patriots
5 of 5
Cowboys receive: 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, 2026 third-rounder, Javon Baker
Patriots receive: CeeDee Lamb
The New England Patriots showed interest in acquiring Brandon Aiyuk, but according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, they have backed out of trade negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers.
Based on receiving numbers and accolades, Lamb, a three-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro, is a more accomplished receiver than Aiyuk, who doesn't have a single Pro Bowl or first-team All-Pro campaign on his resume.
The Patriots should inquire about Lamb with the intent to go above and beyond to satisfy his contract demands. New England has $43.2 million in cap space and will have $78.3 million next year.
This offseason, New England has tried to add juice to its offense, drafting wide receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the second and fourth rounds, respectively, and signing wideout K.J. Osborn.
Polk has generated a lot of buzz at training camp, and Baker has shown flashes as well.
Baker seems motivated to show that a team should've picked him earlier in the draft. You can sense the Amon-Ra St. Brown vibes from him. With a chip on his shoulder, he could be a Day 3 draft steal.
Because the Patriots are offering a wide receiver with a blank resume, they would likely have to add a little more in their trade package in comparison to the other teams. New England could toss in a 2026 second-rounder to draw the Cowboys' interest.
In this trade scenario, Dallas would take a big risk, but perhaps the team strongly believes Tolbert blossoms into a key playmaker while Brandin Cooks and budding third-year tight end Jake Ferguson round out a solid pass-catching trio.
Player contract and team salary-cap details are provided by Over the Cap.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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