Grading a Packers-Cowboys trade with shocking end to CeeDee Lamb saga

The Dallas Cowboys have spent their summer slow-playing several crucial contract negotiations. Arguably the team's top two offensive weapons — quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb — are on expiring contracts. Both are due for massive, multi-year extensions, but neither has received a suitable offer (or much timeline clarity) from the Cowboys.

Jerry Jones said point blank that there is no pressure on the Cowboys. He specifically addressed the Lamb situation with reporters, denying a sense of urgency from Dallas. That went over like a lead balloon in Lamb's camp, as the All-Pro wideout took to X/Twitter to voice his disproval.

Prescott's take on those comments was equally telling. Meanwhile, Micah Parsons went the opposite direction, applying pressure to Lamb in a moment of heightened sensitivity. There are several moving parts at work, both in terms of front office mechanics and on the interpersonal level. The Cowboys undoubtedly want to keep Lamb, but the relationship has been willfully strained. Dallas has shown no interest in a quick, amicable solution. Instead, Jones is letting it drag out in hopes of gaining some sort of small leverage point to better sway negotiations in the Cowboys' favor. Essentially, Jones is betting that Lamb will blink first.

The longer this saga unspools, however, the more opportunity Lamb has to force his way to a new team. We have seen Brandon Aiyuk request a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. A trade demand does not always lead to a trade — Dallas can always come to its senses and put forth Lamb's well-deserved megacontract — but if Lamb gets to the point of sniffing around opposing front offices, it will leave the Cowboys fandom in a deeply uneasy state of mind.

One potential landing spot, as outlined by Bleacher Report's Alex Kay, is the Green Bay Packers.

Here are the full details of his proposed trade, which pairs Lamb with upstart Pro Bowl gunslinger Jordan Love.

Cowboys-Packers trade for CeeDee Lamb could appease all parties

There are obvious hurdles on both sides here. The Cowboys are giving up a 25-year-old superstar who was essential to one of the league's best offenses a season ago. The Packers, meanwhile, would need to extend Lamb swiftly and without further conflict — right after extending Jordan Love to the highest annual contract in NFL history. That would be a lot of new money on the books in a short period of time, severely restricting Green Bay's financial maneuverability moving forward.

Still, it's hard to resist from the Packers' standpoint. There is undeniable talent in the Green Bay WR room, but there is not an undisputed No. 1 option. Not every coach thinks the same way as your local fantasy football 'owner' — just ask Matt LaFleur — but there is value in a bell cow receiver, the sort of major talent whom your quarterback can rely on in critical situations.

Lamb is positively crackling with live-wire athleticism and blessed with the softest hands in the sport. He reeled in 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, averaging 13.0 yards per catch. Green Bay didn't have a single receiver break the 1,000 yard mark last season. Or even come particularly close, for that matter.

Christian Watson is a solid wideout, but he's trending down in the Packers' hierarchy. Lamb immediately elevates the offense's floor and ceiling, giving Jordan Love a go-to threat at every level.

As for Dallas, it's hard to deny the scope of this return. There is a ton of value rooted in a first and second-round pick, even for a team with Dallas' spotty track record in the scouting department. Watson does not replace CeeDee Lamb, but he does provide Dak Prescott with another stable set of hands as the Cowboys await Lamb's true replacement (in all odds, a 2025 first-round pick).

The Cowboys are inherent losers in any trade that involves sending out a 25-year-old receiver with Lamb's resumé, but it's hard to find better value than this, even for the league's most coveted assets. That means that Green Bay is giving up a lot, especially when considering the financial ramifications of Lamb's next contract. But, in the end, it's Jordan Love throwing to CeeDee Lamb for the next five years, and the Packers just beat Dallas in the NFC playoffs. Talk about taking the next step.

Cowboys grade: C
Packers grade: A-