The case for CeeDee Lamb as the Dallas Cowboys' No. 1 contract priority

The Dallas Cowboys are well aware that they have business to conduct, and sooner than later. Their three most impactful players -- quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb, and edge-rusher Micah Parsons -- are all wanting new contracts, and the team isn't in a great place to sign them all to the lucrative extensions they deserve.

"Well those things take time," Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said of of the situation on the Scoop City podcast , via The Athletic . "And we're talking about deals here. You know when you're talking about CeeDee and Dak and you know somebody like a Micah coming up. I mean you're talking about two players that aren't quarterbacks that feel like they ought to be a little bit like (the Vikings' Justin) Jefferson , the top-paid non-quarterbacks in the league.

"And then of course you have Dak. Obviously, his resume speaks for itself. You know, he was second in MVP voting last year. You know, he's just had an extraordinary career here in Dallas. And, you know, those things just take time when you're talking about the amount of money involved. And of course, we're trying to a little bit play Houdini in how to keep all these guys around Dak and keep these players we were fortunate enough to draft."

Per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News , the team's priority could be Lamb over Prescott at this point. And Lamb isn't expected to show up for training camp without a new deal.

But should the Cowboys prioritize a receiver -- no matter how good he is -- over their franchise quarterback?

A good case could be made. The team doesn't have a ton of depth at receiver behind Lamb, which is one reason he led the NFL last season in targets (197), receptions (194), and finished second in receiving yards behind Tyreek Hill (1,859), and second in receiving touchdowns (12) behind Hill and Mike Evans.

From the FTN Football Almanac :

Lamb not only led the NFL in receptions but finished first or second in the league in lots of high-leverage categories. Only Tyreek Hill (40) caught more passes of 16 or more air yards than Lamb (28) last year. No receiver caught more third- or fourth-down passes (38) than Lamb, who tied Hill with 31 first-down conversions on those receptions. Lamb led the NFL in total YAC with 695. He tied Amon-Ra St. Brown and Travis Kelce with 35 catches from Week 17 through the playoffs; both St. Brown and Kelce played two more games than Lamb in that span.

So, yeah. We all know that CeeDee Lamb is really good. But again, should he be the Cowboys' No.1 priority in a contractual sense, projecting that the team won't be able to get Lamb, Prescott, and Parsons locked up long-term?

When you have that alpha receiver who can do it all, it does make the transition easier to a new quarterback, if that's what the plan is. And Lamb has every attribute you want at the position. He can successfully run every route from outside or the slot. He's especially dangerous when running slants and digs against man or zone coverage, and he has an amazing sense of voids in coverage. And he does have the burner speed to beat defenders to the deep levels of the play.

If the Cowboys are indeed prioritizing CeeDee Lamb, he's earned that respect, as his potential and production are top-notch.