Team news: Dallas Cowboys | Page 4

The Cowboys agreed to terms with quarterback Dak Prescott on a four-year extension worth $240 million.

Prescott becomes the first player to receive a contract averaging $60 million per year and shatters the previous record of $55 million that was shared by Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence. After an offseason full of speculation about Prescott’s future, the Cowboys get the deal done after all. They now have Prescott at $60 million per year and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb at $34 million per year. The next step is Micah Parsons. But for now, the quarterback saga is over in Dallas.

The Cowboys activated WR CeeDee Lamb from the exempt list Saturday, making him eligible to play Sunday against the Browns.

This was a formality for the Cowboys now that Lamb has his new contract as the second-highest-paid receiver in terms of average annual value, behind only Justin Jefferson. Jefferson is arguably the No. 1 fantasy option at wide receiver following his incredible 2023 season. Even against a strong defense such as Cleveland's, Lamb is matchup-proof.

Rico Dowdle was Dallas’ most explosive back and showcased an ability in the passing game to be a complete back.

Related players: Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook

The positive news about Dowdle continues to pour in leading up to Week 1. The story said, the expectation for Dowdle at first was to be in the mix with Elliott for some carries. The author said Dowdle made the most of his opportunities in camp and looks to at least have the ability to be a full-time RB. Elliott should still be in the mix though, but Dowdle could end up giving owners more value than they thought. We'll likely need a week or two to fully see how the Cowboys plan to split up the workload.

Rico Dowdle should be the favorite to lead the Cowboys in rushing attempts and rushing yards this season.

Related players: Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Deuce Vaughn

The expectation going into camp was that Dowdle would be in position to have a larger role with Tony Pollard leaving in free agency. But the story said the fifth-year back looked to make the most of his opportunities. It went on to say he was Dallas’ most explosive back and showcased an ability in the passing game to be a complete back. Elliott will likely still be a factor but it's good news for those who took a chance on Dowdle or had secured him from last season.

Four-time Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook is signing with the Cowboys.

Cook was waiting for the right opportunity and always felt it was Dallas. A marquee addition in Big D.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, Deuce Vaughn

Vaughn was a surprising "keep" on roster cut days, but this all but eradicates him from the touch share.

Cook figures to rotate in enough to make none of the top three options serviceable in fantasy, including Cook himself. In his 2023 stint with the Jets, he averaged 3.2 yards per carry and 2.21 yards after contact, a harbinger of what he brings to the table in Dallas.

The Cowboys cut RBs Royce Freeman and Malik Davis.

Related players: Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

For about a week this summer, Freeman seemed to be the darling of the Cowboys backfield, but that quickly changed and those who follow the team pointed to Dowdle as the back who stood out the most at times in camp. Both Freeman and Davis could resign on the practice squad, however. While we don't know how the workload will be split, it looks like the Cowboys are going with Elliott and Dowdle. We do rank Elliott 34th and Dowdle 51st on our RB list.

A bit of a shocker: Panthers are releasing WR Terrace Marshall.

Related players: Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo

Some who follow the team thought Marshall was having a good camp and potentially turning things around for himself. But, the Panthers paid a lot of attention to the WR position the last couple of years. They traded for Johnson this spring after signing Thielen the previous year. Also this spring, they drafted Legette at the end of the first round, after selecting Mingo the previous season, that left Marshall buried down the depth chart.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that running back Dalvin Cook is heading to Dallas on Monday night to meet with the team.

Related players: Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn.

As the story said, Cook was coming off shoulder surgery last year, so the Cowboys may be hoping he can rediscover his form and bolster their running back group. The Cowboys were expected to make moves at RBs long before now, but instead opted to bring back Elliott and Dowdle. For the most part, those who follow the team lean toward a split between the two as far as workload goes, which isn't all that exciting from a fantasy perspective. This news could cause a lot of owners to pickup Cook off the wire, but it remains to be seen if the Cowboys sign him, and if they do, what's left in his tank. Keep in mind, Cook hasn't drawn a lot of interest up to this point.

CeeDee Lamb will be back for the start of the season.

According to multiple reports, Lamb and the Cowboys have agreed to a four-year contract extension to end the receiver’s holdout.

The story went on to say initial reports indicate Lamb’s deal is worth $136 million, which includes $100 million guaranteed with a $38 million signing bonus. That means Lamb will get an average annual value of $34 million, which is just below the $35 million Justin Jefferson received earlier in the offseason, the story added. Lamb is often the top receiver off the boards in drafts this year, and as we point out, things are mostly unchanged in the Dallas offense. We project Lamb for a monster season with a line of 119-1,563-10.9.

Dak Prescott didn’t play in Sunday’s preseason game against the Rams, and he isn’t expected to play in the next two either. He hasn’t taken a snap in a preseason game since 2019.

Prescott, though, will return to practice Tuesday when the Cowboys get back on the field.

“One thousand percent,” Prescott said, via Todd Archer of ESPN.

Prescott sat out Friday’s practice for precautionary reasons after a joint practice with the Rams on Thursday left him with ankle soreness. Prescott was also seen last month with a boot on his foot, the story said.