The Dallas Cowboys faced a rocky start to their OTAs as star players Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb were no-shows, sparking concerns over their ongoing contract negotiations.
Since being drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Parsons has quickly become one of the league's elite pass-rushers. He's been a top contender for Defensive Player of the Year each season and notched a personal best of 14 sacks in 2023.
Despite his absence from OTAs, the Cowboys have secured Parsons for the near future by picking up his fifth-year option for 2025. However, Parsons, who has racked up an impressive 40.5 sacks over three seasons, is pushing for a more substantial long-term contract.
It's anticipated that the 24 year old will secure this deal before the season kicks off.
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Parsons is expected to rejoin the team full-time next week. The Cowboys' new defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, expressed his excitement about working with Parsons, acknowledging the challenge of keeping him effective against teams that are constantly adapting to counter his skills.
"We were sitting up there again this morning talking about other things we can do with him," Zimmer shared on Tuesday. "He's such a dynamic player that, I said this the other day: 'Offenses are always going to know where he's at.' They're going to turn protections to him, have the back help chip no matter what it is.
"In a lot of the games he played last year that I watched, the offenses had a good scheme where they get two tight ends on him and all those things. So, we're going to obviously move him around, do different things with him, but we're going to use him some ways where we're getting the protection turned the way we want it turned and able to win on the other side. Sometimes, we're going to try to overload a protection where he gets a one-on-one."
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Lamb is also absent for a similar but more pressing reason. The 25 year old, like Parsons, is expected to reset the market for his position; Lamb is set to make $17.99 million in 2024 on the fifth-year option - the final year of his deal - and is eligible for the franchise tag next tear, but he wants to be paid the top-market price now.
Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill leads the way with an annual salary of $30 million. Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase and Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson - widely considered the premier receiver in the NFL - are both waiting for new deals along with Lamb, which complicates the situation as all three are looking to reset the market.
The Cowboys are also entering OTAs with Dak Prescott's contract situation hanging over the franchise. It could be an expensive offseason for Jerry Jones.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.