Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb agree to massive extension; College Football Playoff predictions

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💰 Good morning to everyone, but especially to…

CEEDEE LAMB AND THE DALLAS COWBOYS, FINALLY

It's about time. The Cowboys signed CeeDee Lamb to a Four-year, $136 million extensionAlmost two weeks before the start of the regular season, the star wide receiver's months-long break finally ended.

• The 25-year-old Lamb is paid $34 million per year, second only to wide receivers Justin Jefferson ($35 million per year). That's lamb The fifth wide receiver tops $30 million per year; All five signed those contracts this offseason.
• Lamb's deal includes $100 million guaranteed and a $38 million signing bonus, the largest ever for a wide receiver.
• Lamb absolutely deserved it, as he posted an NFL-high and Cowboys-record 135 catches for 1,749 yards (also a franchise record) and 12 touchdowns. He was a first-team All Pro and finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting.
• Micah Parsonsfor which an extension is also due, congratulated Lamb.

It was an anxious offseason for both Lamb and Jerry Jones (WHO made more headlines Monday), but the most important thing is that in front of you crucial year, Dak PrescottThe top goal for the superstar is clear. Now Garrett Podell writes: Jones can focus on Prescott.

• Podell: “Prescott has both a no-trade clause and a no-franchise tag clause, meaning he has the power to enter unrestricted free agency unencumbered in March 2025. However, this deal can only happen if the Jones boys change their agreement.” Perspective on the quarterback contract market.

We know there is a lot at stake this football season. That's why we're here to help: CBSSports.com has Complete breakdowns, grades and rankings from all sportsbooks And Take a look at the best deals for new signups.

👍 Honorable Mentions

🏈 And not such a good morning for…

HUNDREDS OF NFL PLAYERS

Cut Day is the worst day on the NFL calendar, and hundreds of players are about to experience it firsthand. NFL teams must reduce their roster to 53 by 4:00 p.m. ET, and then do so Many teams have startedThere's still a long, long way to go and a long, long wait for players in the squad bubbles.

For many of the players left out of the squad, this will be the closest they will ever get to value. Many dreams will end today. It's a powerful reminder that while the nfl is fun, it's also a business, and business can be cruel.

Many of the names on the chopping block today are unknown. But there will also be other notable departures, namely could include a former Super Bowl herowrites Cody Benjamin.

• Benjamin: “Kadarius Toney – Due to his injury concerns and his supporting role as a receiver and returner, Toney struggled to “make the team,” according to the coach. Andy Reidwhich suggests he is well behind other wideouts like Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown And Xavier Worthy on the pecking order. The Chiefs I have never hesitated to pursue a reclamation project, but the former Giants The prospect struggled to stay on the field.

We track every single cut here.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 2024 College Football Playoff predictions, Heisman picks and more

FOUR. MORE. DAYS. We're almost to Week 1, college football fans, and our experts are here College Football Playoff Predictions And individual awards.

Let's start with the favorite: Georgia received four of the eight votes to secure the top spot in the new 12-team playoffs, and the Bulldogs also received five votes to win it all. Both were the most of any team. Chip Patterson explained his choice.

• Patterson: “While Georgia doesn't have the same skill set it had during the back-to-back title run, the Bulldogs have improved at quarterback Carson Beck. That and the fact that I missed the playoffs last year have me nodding to the Dawgs to get back to the top of the mountain.

While Beck is good, he is one of our experts' favorite Heisman Trophy picks another SEC quarterback. Shehan explains…

• Jeyarajah: “Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama – Looking back at the list of Heisman Trophy winners in the College Football Playoff era, two trends emerge. The winner is usually a stats geek and is usually on a team contending for the College Football Playoff. Simply put, there is no player statistically crazier than Milroe on a team ranked in the preseason top 10. The junior was somewhat inconsistent in his first season as a starter, but still managed 3,000 total yards and 35 touchdowns. Kalen DeBoer is a quarterback wizard and should really unlock Milroe's enormous potential…”

You can see all the picks – including projected playoff participants, overrated and underrated rosters and more – here.

🏈 What we learned from the NFL preseason

There aren't usually many starters in Week 3 of the preseason, but the Panthers reversed this trend by putting Bryce Young for the first time in the game. It turned out to be a best-case scenario. The second-year quarterback led a touchdown drive and was one of Jeff Kerrs Preseason Week 3 Winners and “the good” for Carolina in Garrett’s “Good, bad and ugly for every team.”

• Podell: “Young showed the composure to persevere and make throws. New Carolina head coach Dave Canales revived both Geno Smith's career with the Seahawks, And Baker Mayfield's career with the privateer. Let’s see if he can pull the rabbit out of the hat again in 2024.”

Cody has 10 things we learned from the preseason.

The entire preseason also gave us a glimpse of a truly exciting draft class, led by six quarterbacks selected in the top 12. Caleb Williams directs Josh Edwards' Preseason All-Rookie Teamand all five first-round quarterbacks who are healthy – sorry, JJ McCarthy — received good grades from Chris Trapasso First-round rookie preseason grades.

🏀 When will there be a female head coach in DI men's college basketball?

Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish's excellent Candid Coaches series continued on Monday with a thought-provoking question: “Will a woman be the head coach of a Division I men’s basketball team by 2030?”

I won't share the results, but here's a quote that stood out:

• Coach who said “no”: “While I don’t believe there will be a woman head men’s basketball coach by 2030, I do believe the opportunity is greater than ever. With the increasing visibility of women's basketball, I believe that an elite women's coach like a… Dawn Staley could get a men's head coach job if she actively pursued it. However, as compensation for women's jobs continues to rise, especially at the highest levels, I don't know if there is enough incentive for someone of Dawn Staley's caliber to take such a risk.

📺 What we're watching on Tuesday

🎾 We're watching the US Open. Here's how.
⚾ Astros at Phillies6:40 p.m. on TBS
🏀 Aces at Wings8 p.m. on NBA TV