If push comes to shove, the Dallas Cowboys could benefit from CeeDee Lamb’s holdout by trading him.
While there’s been no indication that the Cowboys plan on trading Lamb — in fact, Dallas has submitted a new offer to Lamb, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater — a trade could become a possible option if the two sides can’t agree to a new deal. In a proposed trade scenario from FanDuel, Dallas would unload Lamb to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for two first-round draft picks (2025 and 2026) and Justin Fields.
Why Cowboys Would Potentially Want Justin Fields
The proposed trade is obviously a blockbuster scenario. The two first-round picks is huge draft capital, but the idea of acquiring Fields — who has taken first-team reps with the Steelers’ offense in training camp with Russell Wilson dinged up — as a potential replacement for Dak Prescott is what really makes this proposed trade noteworthy.
Although the 25-year-old Fields is far from a polished product as a passer, his talent is undeniable. Fields holds the NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game (178) and also ran for 1,143 yards during the 2022 season, the second-most in NFL history.
Furthermore, he did show slight improvement as a passer during his third season starting for the Chicago Bears compared to the 2022 season. Fields threw 16 touchdowns with just nine interceptions — a career low and a dip from the 11 interceptions he threw during the 2022 season while throwing the ball 52 more times — with a career-high 61.4% completion rate, 86.3 passer rating and a 5-8 record.
The most important reason for acquiring Fields is having an insurance policy due to Prescott’s current contract situation. The veteran quarterback is entering the final year of his own deal and is looking for a long-term contract extension. However, both sides have yet to come to an agreement early on in training camp.
Dak Prescott Leaves Door Open on Leaving Cowboys
Prescott has already left the door open on potentially leaving the Cowboys if the two sides can’t come to an agreement.
“I’m gonna say it,” Prescott told reporters on Thursday, July 25. “I want to be here, but when you look up—all the great QBs I watched played for other teams. That’s not something to fear. It may be a reality for me one day. It may not be my decision.”
While the Cowboys currently feature former first-round pick Trey Lance on its roster, his experience is extremely limited — he has started just four games in his career — and he didn’t take a single snap last season. By comparison, Fields has started 38 games in his career and had been a full-time starter over the past three seasons prior to his acquisition by the Steelers.
As mentioned before, the Cowboys have submitted an offer to Lamb early on in training camp, via NFL Network’s Jane Slater:
“Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones tells me they sent CeeDee Lamb a new offer yesterday,” writes Slater. “He tells me good convos right now with Lamb and his agent as they continue to try and come to an agreement on an extension.”
The idea of the Steelers unloading two first-round picks and a potential future starter of their own in Fields for Lamb is probably unlikely. However, if the Cowboys and Lamb are unable to come to an agreement, scouring the market for draft capital and a potential replacement for Prescott is something that they should consider.
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