NFL Training Camp 2024: Key Updates and Player Holdouts
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00:00It feels like football. As of today, all 32 NFL organizations
00:10will have shown up for training camp. The final four showing
00:14up on this Wednesday, July 24th. The Atlanta Falcons, the
00:19Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the
00:23Dallas Cowboys. But when the Cowboys show up to camp in
00:27Oxnard, it will be notable for who is also not there. That's
00:32CeeDee Lamb, officially holding out from the start of training
00:35camp for Dallas. Unable, at least at this stage, to sign a
00:40contract extension before the fifth and final year of his
00:44rookie deal. CeeDee Lamb, without that big new contract
00:48that fellow first-round pick Justin Jefferson from the 2020
00:52NFL Draft received, is not going to be at training camp at
00:56least at the start. How concerned should Cowboys fans
01:00and backers be, DRS, that Lamb is not there? I don't think
01:05they should really be concerned about that because I do think
01:07he's going to show up. But more of the concern of, again, the
01:10offseason strategy that was laid out by Jerry Jones. I'm not
01:14getting any younger. We are all in and proceeds to do nothing
01:17but bungle the salary cap and not pay your best players.
01:21You can see the players say whatever they want. Now, CeeDee
01:24Lamb is taking a completely different approach like Dak
01:26Prescott. Like Dak's like, you know what? I played down this
01:28route. The longer we wait, the more money I'm going to make.
01:30I'm fine with that. I'm a quarterback. I'm probably not
01:32going to have a career-ending injury. But for guys looking to
01:35strike gold like CeeDee Lamb, where so many wide receivers
01:37are doing that, I just can't understand what the Dallas
01:39Cowboys philosophy is. Because when you see Dak say, I'm fine
01:43with it. You know, even if any player says that, deep down,
01:46like, look, I just want what I'm worth. Like, give me the
01:48financial security and let me go into the season just focused
01:52on football itself. I don't want to get calls from my agent
01:54midweek saying, hey, here's the latest offer coming back. What
01:57do you think about this? I want to focus on game plan. I want
01:59to be with the boys out there. Like, I want to play football
02:01and don't have to worry about my financial constraints at this
02:04point. And this is what they're doing. Like, CeeDee Lamb, not
02:06sure, like, is anybody in their right mind believe, like, right
02:08now, like, what's CeeDee Lamb asking for? He wants to be paid
02:11like Justin Jefferson. Oh, you can't pay him and let him sit
02:13out. Like, no. Again, just the way the NFL financials work,
02:17it's the next man in line who's a really good football player
02:20is going to get that big paycheck. And I have no idea
02:23what they're doing in Dallas because theoretically, Ben,
02:25three guys that I said, let's just say nobody gets paid this
02:28year. They're all going to reset the market. You won't have
02:30enough money left over to pay the rest of your football team.
02:33But if you're paying these guys as you go and limiting the
02:35damage and saving yourself money, and also, how many times
02:38do we see this? Hey, Dak's worth $60 million against the cap
02:41here. Well, if you just restructured him and gave him a
02:43new contract, he'd be down to $10 million against the cap.
02:46CeeDee Lamb is going to count what? $18 million against the
02:48cap. If you gave him $100 million in guarantees, he
02:51probably would count half of his cap number of what it is
02:54now. I have no idea what Jerry Jones is doing. CeeDee Lamb
02:57should be paid top dollar and be in camp and ready to go for
03:00this football season. Absolutely so. Donnie is spot on
03:05how it has reached this stage and what could be on the other
03:08side of it all for the Cowboys is atrocious. CeeDee Lamb has
03:13every right to try to bargain for as many millions of dollars
03:17as Justin Jefferson. CeeDee Lamb is one of the five or ten
03:21best wide receivers in all of the National Football League.
03:25CeeDee Lamb, like Jay Jett, was a first-round selection back
03:28in 2020, so he will be playing under the fifth and final year
03:33of his contract. There are four wide receivers currently that
03:36are set to make $30 million on an annual average basis
03:40starting this year. Justin Jefferson, the most of them all,
03:44the most ever in the history of the NFL for a non-quarterback
03:47at $35 million. A.J. Brown, a little bit more than $32 million.
03:52Amon Ross St. Brown, more than $30 million. And Tyree Kill
03:55at $30 million as well. CeeDee Lamb is somewhere in the middle
04:00of that group, at least being paid as one of the five highest
04:04paid wide receivers in the National Football League,
04:07but it has not happened at this moment. You'll see the numbers
04:12for CeeDee Lamb and what he has done in his first four years
04:15in the National Football League. They're outstanding and justified
04:19in terms of demanding that new contract. But Donnie, here's why
04:23I'm concerned if I'm a Cowboys fan. We are trying to win,
04:28finally, to get past the division around, to even compete
04:32in an NFC title game. We do not need any off-the-field distractions
04:36in what should only be a hopeful and optimistic time,
04:40because not only are you going to have to pay CeeDee Lamb,
04:43you have to pay Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons on the horizon
04:46at the end of this year. And you might be playing this season
04:51with your quarterback, Dak, your top wide receiver, CeeDee,
04:54and your head coach, Mike McCarthy, in the final year
04:58of their contract, where they might not be coming back
05:01at the end of 2024. Uncertain times for the Cowboys.
05:05Exactly. And when you're on the field, you know you want
05:08to give it your all. There's never really a time that NFL players
05:11technically are going to shut it down on the field themselves.
05:13But they can shut everything else down. And the reason I bring that up
05:16is if you're playing... Dak knows he's going to get probably
05:19$55-plus million the minute he signs a new contract
05:22with the Cowboys or without the Cowboys. CeeDee Lamb knows
05:25if this season goes and, hey, I got a little hamstring injury
05:28in Week 3, if I shut this down, I'm going to be paid more money
05:31than any wide receiver in football next year. You take a look
05:34at Micah Parsons, who's actually playing the quarterback role,
05:36and you're like, you know what? I'm not even going to be hostile this year
05:38because I know next year, you're going to pay me probably
05:40what the Dallas Cowboys are worth because that's what edge rushers
05:43go for at this point here. I just don't understand how it got
05:46to this point. It's terrible strategy. And also, when you see
05:49the rest of the league, and it's not as if you're operating
05:52like the Cincinnati Bengals, what, second smallest market
05:55or revenue team in the NFL. It's the Dallas Cowboys.
05:57They're worth more money than any franchise, not in the NFL,
06:00not in the United States, but in the world.
06:03What are we doing? And also, Jerry Jones isn't 31 years old,
06:06going like, I got 60 more years on this planet to win a Super Bowl.
06:10I don't know what he's waiting for at this point.
06:13The Cowboys have moved back in the market for whatever reasons,
06:17but a bad offseason at 8-1, tied for the 4th best price
06:21in the NFC. At an earlier point this offseason,
06:24they were plus 600, only behind the Niners and the Lions.
06:28They were the favorites to win the NFC East.
06:31The Eagles now in front of Dallas in both of those categories.
06:361,749 receiving yards for CeeDee Lamb in the 2023 NFL campaign.
06:42Second most in all of the NFL, only behind Tyree Kill
06:47and 12 receiving touchdowns as well.
06:50Pay the guy. It's as simple as that, but until that happens
06:54for Jerry Jones, CeeDee Lamb will not be in training camp
06:59in wine country in California, in Oxnard, California.
07:04We'll talk some more training camp as it is the final day
07:08of report day around the National Football League
07:11and what the Patriots are doing to start the post-Belichick era
07:15in Foxborough. Who's going to be the starting quarterback?
07:19We'll break it down for you up next.
07:22Training camp around the National Football League
07:24officially underway. It is the post-Belichick era
07:28in Foxborough. Gerard Mayo takes over as a rookie head coach
07:32for the Patriots. Will a rookie quarterback in Drake May,
07:35the third overall pick by New England in the 2024 NFL draft,
07:39be the starter from week one? That does not seem to be the case
07:43for the Patriots, at least here at this point,
07:46entering training camp. Gerard Mayo saying this yesterday
07:49to media, quote, coming out of spring, I think it's clear
07:53Jacoby is the most pro-ready guy we have. Jacoby Brissette,
07:57who spent one season in New England and the many stops
08:00that he has made around the National Football League prior,
08:03back in New England and is the starting quarterback
08:07as of this moment for the past. DRS, when week number one
08:11comes for New England, who do you think is under center
08:13to begin? Jacoby Brissette or Drake May?
08:17Usually I'd say to myself, where did you draft that quarterback at?
08:20Oh, you drafted him top five. I don't care what your team looks like
08:23or what your schedule looks like. You better have him out there.
08:26But then I take a deep breath and say, and I love to say this,
08:30and I'm sure everybody outside of New England loves it as well.
08:32Boy, isn't it nice that New England is one of the trash can teams
08:35of the NFL. Four wins last year, team total light this year.
08:39And we're talking about coming into this year with Jacoby Brissette
08:42as my starting quarterback and absolutely no weapons.
08:45This team is going to stink out loud. So when we talk about unders,
08:49game play, yes, unders, because they won't be able to score many points.
08:52Team totals, probably looking at unders at this point.
08:54It is an incredibly low number. But the fact that for 25 plus years,
08:59it felt like New England was on the top of the pantheon here in the NFL,
09:02the top of the mountain, always fighting for championships.
09:05Now the absolute bottom of the basement barrel, horrendous football team.
09:10I think we can all enjoy this now.
09:12Four and a half, the win total for New England.
09:15New England, sure, the over has a little bit of the juice,
09:18but it is the lowest win total in all of the national football league.
09:22The Patriots have the longest price in virtually everything.
09:25They have the longest price to win the AFC.
09:28Somehow just the second longest number to win Super Bowl 59 behind
09:33or in front, I guess you could say, of Carolina.
09:36But the Panthers' win total is five and a half.
09:38They play in the weaker conference, and the over is juiced for the Panthers.
09:42New England is going to struggle.
09:44Again, like you, Donnie, I would say the era of a first-round quarterback pick,
09:48sitting on the bench, learning the ropes of the NFL behind a veteran,
09:52is long gone, especially if you're drafted in the top 15, the top 10,
09:56the top five, the top three.
09:58But for Drake Mays' case, let him sit.
10:02Don't put him out there to take the lumps on the fly
10:05and to have the fingers of blame pointed at him.
10:09The Patriots, not only the worst win total in the NFL,
10:12the second-hardest schedule, according to our guy Warren Sharpe
10:15and his team at Sharpe Football and Olympics.
10:19DRS, I've got a feeling that back in the mid-'90s,
10:22during your football playing days,
10:24there was a time that that head was buzzed and the hair was bleached blonde
10:29to be an Eminem guy, to be a Slim Shady guy,
10:32like Joe Burrow reporting to camp yesterday for Cincinnati.
10:38Yes, and by the way, there was a time there also,
10:40the short hair out there, the earrings in the ear.
10:42You had to take out the hoop earrings, Ben,
10:44before you went out to football practices.
10:46That was the key.
10:47You couldn't lose any of the type of jewelry out on the field.
10:49But I understand Joe Burrow with that look.
10:51I don't know if I like it or don't like it at this point,
10:53but the one thing I do know is, hey, Joe Burrow,
10:56showing up to training camp, why don't you support your wide receivers?
10:58I'm one of the wide receivers.
11:00I get a pension each and every year for being a quality wide receiver.
11:04So I'm in the wide receiver union at this point,
11:07and I think we need to overthrow Joe Burrow.
11:09He's not looking out.
11:10He's not looking out for wide receivers.
11:12So I don't know if I can get down with the haircut or even his look at this
11:14point until he changes face.
11:16Did not meet with the media yesterday on report day for the Bengals.
11:20Maybe today after their opening practice, we shall see.
11:23Guy's got time to buzz his hair and bleach it blonde,
11:26but can't stand up for Jomar Chase and Tee Higgins.
11:29That's a Donnie bit.
11:30It is not mine.
11:31We only have a minute here until we get to our second hour.
11:34We'll have more time talking NFL stuff in our number two,
11:38but per the McNair's, the owners of the Houston Texans,
11:41there's a chance the NRG stadium roof won't be fixed until a month
11:46into the season.
11:47His name is Bob McNair, right?
11:49The guy on the left wearing the hat and the mustache.
11:51Yeah.
11:52Never has a man benefited from money so much to earn the love of a spouse.
11:58As you will see in that photo right there.
12:02And let me just get to it again.
12:04I don't understand if apparently in the state of Texas,
12:07like I don't think Texas doesn't have high school football, correct?
12:09Right, Ben?
12:10Did he say it's too hot out?
12:13Yeah, exactly.
12:14They don't play probably any baseball at all.
12:15I would assume too.
12:16And so at this point, the fact that it's a big deal that the stadium,
12:20which again, why is it even retractable?
12:22Can somebody help me out with that?
12:24If it's so hot down there,
12:25why did you waste hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money on a
12:29retractable roof?
12:30Open the stadium.
12:31It's what you play in.
12:32You play in elements here.
12:33Oh, no, it's 90 degrees.
12:35We can't play.
12:36What are we doing in Houston?
12:37We can fan base out.
12:42Welcome back to everybody here on this Wednesday on the early line,
12:47but really that was centered on the idea that the National Football League
12:52is back.
12:53Welcome back to everybody headed to training camp today.
12:56By the end of this afternoon,
12:58all 32 NFL clubs will have reported for training camp.
13:03Plenty to dive into here as we get you set for a new National Football League
13:07off season with the off season coming to a close.
13:11DRS, we talked about the big storylines entering camp,
13:15wide receiver position first and foremost.
13:18CeeDee Lamb unable to agree to a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys,
13:22at least as of this moment,
13:24holding out from training camp with the Cowboys will not report as the
13:29Cowboys are one of the four final teams to show up to training camp today.
13:33Brandon,
13:34I, you know,
13:35despite not getting a new deal and offering in an official trade request
13:40to San Francisco last week should be there for the 49ers.
13:44Yeah.
13:45And also keep in mind,
13:46most of these players that were to want to assume they,
13:49they probably aren't on the precipice of getting paid.
13:52They're going to show up to camp.
13:53Why?
13:54It's $50,000 a day that you give up.
13:56Oh,
13:57these guys make millions.
13:58Well,
13:59rack up a hundred thousand dollars in fines.
14:00After two days,
14:01you're probably going to show up to camp.
14:03Now,
14:04if you are on the precipice of maybe getting a close deal that you just want
14:06to kick the team in the pants,
14:07like we're seeing maybe CeeDee Lamb doing,
14:09then you're probably going to get paid and you're okay to get those 50.
14:12And then again,
14:13the team does what,
14:14then we'll waive those fines here.
14:15We'll pay them for it.
14:16It's not that big deal.
14:17Let's get back into camp.
14:18So Brandon,
14:19I went again,
14:20it doesn't make sense to me.
14:21Let me just use this as like the Carolina Panthers.
14:23They traded Brian Burns in the all season.
14:25Why?
14:26Because they were going to pay Brian Burns.
14:27Cause if they paid Brian Burns,
14:28they go,
14:29I'm going to pay you a hundred million dollars.
14:31Let's just say guaranteed money.
14:32We're going to stink anyway.
14:33Like that's not a good return on your investment.
14:35But if you are a team,
14:36that's looking to make a deep playoff push or believe you can win a Super
14:39Bowl.
14:40Why are you messing with these players?
14:41Like if the Cowboys think they can win without CeeDee Lamb,
14:43you're,
14:44you're crazy about that.
14:45Same thing with Brandon.
14:46He's a wonderful wide receiver and fits perfectly in that offense.
14:49Why are you not taking care of them?
14:51And also it's what the player perception,
14:53what they perceive is to like,
14:54look at the 49ers this off season.
14:56They go,
14:57okay.
14:58Christian McCaffrey.
14:59Here's all the money you want here.
15:00Deebo year ago,
15:01Brandon,
15:02I,
15:03yeah,
15:04I don't really know if you're worth all that much at this point that
15:05gets those guys.
15:06They see what actually goes on here.
15:07That's what gets them upset.
15:08If nobody was getting paid,
15:09like,
15:10Hey,
15:11I just don't like this franchise.
15:12And it's just the way they do business.
15:13But when you see your buddy's getting paid and you're not getting paid,
15:15to the stratosphere,
15:16it's like,
15:17what do I have to do in order to get paid?
15:18Maybe just be a malcontent and that never works out.
15:21Yeah.
15:22It's a really good point,
15:23Donnie.
15:24And you have that expectation in both Dallas and San Francisco.
15:27The 49ers,
15:28a co-favorite to win super bowl 59 with a team that has beat them in the
15:32big game in February,
15:33the chiefs two of the last five years,
15:36Dallas is always judged by Lombardi trophies,
15:40or at least finally reaching the NFC title game,
15:43not willing to invest in their best playmaker by a country mile.
15:47Very,
15:48very strange financial stuff in both Dallas and San Francisco,
15:53maybe not so much for the 49ers.
15:55Although Brandon Iuke is probably deserving of a new deal as well.
15:59Also a first round pick from the 2020 NFL draft class,
16:03like CD lamb,
16:04like Justin Jefferson,
16:05but San Francisco did draft at the end of this opening round 31st,
16:09overall second,
16:10the last pick in 2024,
16:11Ricky Pearsall out of Florida.
16:14He's going to open up camp on the injured list with a hamstring injury.
16:19Not exactly what you're hoping for,
16:21for the 49ers more positive contract news.
16:24Amari Cooper,
16:25one of the more underrated wide receivers in the NFL in Cleveland gets a
16:29raise.
16:30He reports the training camp and Matthew Stafford gets a slightly
16:33restructured deal with the Rams.
16:35Some more guaranteed money.
16:37He was there on the first day of training camp for LA as well.
16:40And also look,
16:42the whole Marmory Cooper situation.
16:44It also fits in the same thing with Matthew Stafford.
16:46They didn't get new deals,
16:47but they're unhappy.
16:48And the team comes,
16:49Hey,
16:50look,
16:51we don't know if we're going to extend your,
16:52have the room this year to do that,
16:53but here's what I can do for you.
16:54Why don't I throw you more guarantees up front?
16:55We'll throw you a couple incentives that you can easily reach.
16:57You're going to make more money this year.
16:58Why don't you come into camp?
16:59We'll worry about this in the off season.
17:01And most players like,
17:02you know what,
17:03if I'm not going to get a new deal,
17:04this is the next best option.
17:05The same thing with Matthew Stafford.
17:07We can't commit to you for another four years on top of it and pay like
17:09the highest paid quarterback.
17:11Love you here.
17:12You know what?
17:13We can revisit this in the off season.
17:14I don't want you to be angry as my quarterback here.
17:16What's it going to take?
17:17Meet me halfway.
17:18And that's what they did.
17:19That's smart franchises.
17:20Nobody wants to play a hard ball with your quarterback on the day
17:23before training camp,
17:24which is why it's so ludicrous for the Dallas Cowboys.
17:26And also,
17:27if you're looking from a Cincinnati perspective and say,
17:29Hey,
17:30look,
17:31they played hard ball with T and maybe he wasn't in their future
17:32plans.
17:33Well,
17:34they could probably lean back and still think that they're going to be
17:36fine.
17:37If T doesn't show up,
17:38because why Jamar chase probably will end up showing up.
17:39But if you're the,
17:40you're taking a look at the Dallas Cowboys,
17:41right.
17:42As compared to the San Francisco 49ers.
17:43If CDLM never shows up Dallas is cooked and CDLM knows that.
17:47That's why he's staying away from camp.
17:49And Jerry Jones is a football guy.
17:51He's going to be at those practices in Oxnard.
17:53The ball is going to be hitting the ground.
17:54Nobody's going to get wide open.
17:55And the fans are like,
17:56Hey,
17:57Jerry,
17:58why don't you just pay CD?
17:59So we can actually watch some good football and it will happen sooner
18:01than later.
18:02But again,
18:03back to Stafford,
18:04meet them halfway.
18:05They'll show up and they'll be happy.
18:06Revisit it.
18:07Next off season.
18:09Hassan Reddick,
18:10as we shared with you yesterday,
18:11looking for a new contract after being traded from Philly to the Jets.
18:15This off season has yet to sign.
18:17That new deal is holding out from training camp.
18:20Other news around the national football league,
18:22Christian Dara,
18:23saw the left tackle in Minnesota.
18:24Big deal for the big man for year.
18:26$113 million.
18:28Canary is Tony.
18:29We're doing this again.
18:31Gets reps at running back for Kansas city,
18:34Michael Gallup,
18:35retiring from the national football league after six seasons.
18:38But what I want to focus on DRS is Dan Quinn's comments.
18:42The new head coach of the Washington commanders on his rookie quarterback,
18:46Jaden Daniels.
18:47I don't know if it's such football guy coach speak that that's all it is,
18:51or it's a weird prophecy.
18:53Here's what Dan Campbell had to share with those local reporters outside of
18:57DC yesterday in terms of his rookie QB.
19:00Quote.
19:01So as we're going,
19:02when he's ready,
19:04we'll know.
19:05And when he's ready,
19:06he'll also know.
19:08And quote,
19:09what?
19:11I don't know,
19:12man.
19:13Sometimes in your defensive coordinator,
19:14you might get excited because you're a head coach and you get to hang out
19:17with the offensive coordinator and sort of get in that meeting room.
19:19Hey,
19:20look,
19:21just worry about the defense.
19:22That quarterback is going to be just fine.
19:23Leave them alone.
19:24Let the OC handle them.
19:25Just stay out of the way.
19:26We don't need these cryptic comments from a defensive head coach.
19:29We don't need them.
19:30That OC,
19:31by the way,
19:32Cliff Kingsbury.
19:33Now in Washington,
19:34Rhett Lewis was with us in our last segment.
19:37He's in Indy.
19:38He mentioned speaking to Rutgers,
19:39Greg Shiano,
19:40his head coach for the Scarlet Knights yesterday.
19:42Also an all time football guy.
19:44Quote,
19:45saying the two greatest thieves in life,
19:47the past and the future.
19:49We're so bad football guys in front of microphones.
19:53Come on,
19:54man.
19:55You couldn't want anything else here.
19:57Toward the end of July.