What I Would Do with the Major Players With Contract Decisions Ahead

The Cowboys have a very nice problem on the horizon. Because of some good and perhaps even lucky drafting the last few years, there are several key players with rookie deals ending who will soon be due large second contract paydays. The biggest as of now are Cedee Lamb, Travon Diggs, and later Micah Parsons. To a lesser degree, there’s also Tyler Biadaz.

The question is, should we- can we- keep everyone at market value?

Of those 4, clearly Micah Parsons is the most valuable and no brainer when it comes to retaining. He undoubtedly has the most impact and importance to this team. He’s a potential HOF talent if he can stay healthy so as far as I can see, he’s an absolute must to resign. Diggs and Lamb are important, but not in the same category as Parsons. IMO, Biadaz is a good starter but replaceable.

So here’s how I rank these guys with contract decisions looming:

1. Micah Parsons- no question will be resigned. In fact, I predict he will become the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. This is a no-brainer and it’s just a matter of when and for how much. Parsons should be a Cowboy for life.
2. Cedee Lamb- after Parsons, Lamb is probably the next most likely to be resigned. PFF has him as the 8th best WR in the NFL. The Cowboys have struggled the last few years retaining WR talent and it has cost the team dearly on the field. I think Lamb will get resigned at WR market value which won’t be cheap. He will garner somewhere around $25-30 million a year. That’s market value. And they WILL pay it IMO.
3. Travon Diggs- PFF has Diggs ranked 8th in its Cornerback rankings going into 2023. As the passing game has become more central to NFL offenses, the market for corners has risen accordingly. Is Diggs going to be worth $21 mil a year? In fact, he may garner closer to $25 million per season. If I was going to hedge on a guy coming up for a payday, I might consider trading Diggs. I love his ball hawking skills but you can’t keep everyone.
4. Tyler Biadaz- this will be an easier decision in my book. TB has been a decent starter for this team and has improved every year. But with the paydays garnered by Parsons, Lamb and perhaps Diggs, keeping a C at market value would be prohibitive IMO. We can acquire a decent, perhaps even better C in the draft.

So IMO, Parsons and Lamb are locks to be resigned. Diggs is probable but I would consider a trade while his value is this high. If Bland continues to develop, losing Diggs for a trade that acquires additional draft assets may be a good move. Tyler Biadaz would not warrant a second contract IMO.

What do you think? Would you consider trading Diggs?