Emmitt Smith sounds off on Cowboys' negotiations with CeeDee Lamb: 'Unacceptable'

Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith is not pleased with the way his former team is handling a couple of its biggest stars this offseason. The former All-Pro running back sounded off on the Blogging with the Boys podcast this week, criticizing his Cowboys for stringing CeeDee Lamb‘s contract negotiations along while Dak Prescott throws to his backup receivers at camp this summer.

“Without (Lamb) on the football field, they’re putting all the pressure on Dak Prescott now and that is unacceptable because everybody of his caliber should have quality people to throw the ball to,” Smith said. “Not no Plan B, Plan C, Plan D guy. He should be in a position, as your franchise quarterback, to be successful.

“Right now, you’re putting him behind the eight ball and that is not right. That’s how I see it.”

Discussing Smith’s comments on Tuesday morning, GetUp host Mike Greenberg pointed out another potential downside of the length of the Cowboys’ negotiations. Using Darrelle Revis as an example, Greenberg noted that Lamb is more likely to suffer a soft-tissue injury this season after holding out from all the team’s activities this summer.

Jerry Jones on CeeDee Lamb: ‘You’re missed’

Jerry Jones had to clarify his comments this week about CeeDee Lamb after he initially said he didn’t feel a “sense of urgency” to get a contract extension done with the star receiver.

Jones, speaking Sunday ahead of the Cowboys’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams, admitted he “got in trouble a little the other day” for saying a Lamb extension wasn’t urgent. Jones emphasized that Lamb, who is staging a training camp holdout, is missed.

“I think I got in trouble a little the other day when I said look, we’re not urgent about CeeDee,” Jones said, via Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “Well, no one appreciates CeeDee on the field any more than I do. But let me say this: He wouldn’t be taking a snap out here today if he had been here. You’ve gotta use your head when you expose key players. Now, that gives the other younger players a chance to do it. We know exactly what CeeDee can do. He worked out with Dak [Prescott] and so, we wouldn’t have him out here. That’s really not anything to do with his contract.

“Dak won’t be out here this afternoon and so the bottom line is no, there’s not that urgency. I understand completely the angst that’s happening when you are anxious about and someone says anything about whether you’re missed or not. Well, CeeDee: You’re missed. But you’re not missed out here competing and it doesn’t put any pressure any place on us.”

On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this report.