The Cowboys finally paid CeeDee Lamb. Why did it take so long?

Training camp is drawing to a close and the NFL season is imminent, so of course it was time for the Dallas Cowboys to start doing business.

Word came down Monday that the Cowboys have finally agreed to a blockbuster deal with star receiver CeeDee Lamb. The four-year extension secures Lamb in Dallas through the 2028 season while paying him a reported $136 million, with roughly $100 million in guaranteed money.

That's exciting for Lamb. Just as fun for the Cowboys and their fans is that it ends a months-long holdout and gets one of the NFL's best playmakers back to work with enough time to prep for Week 1.

While that might come as a relief, it'd be even more exciting if it weren't so predictable.

Yes, the Cowboys waited until the last minute to end a contract dispute with a star player. It's a methodology so predictable we can call it a playbook at this point.

Don't believe me? Let history be the guide. It was just over one year ago that the Cowboys resolved Zack Martin's holdout, bringing their All-Pro guard back to camp after a three-week absence. 

They pushed the envelope a bit further back in 2019, when they waited until the week of the season opener to sign Ezekiel Elliott to his mega extension.

And while they did get Dez Bryant into training camp way back in 2015, they still pushed negotiations as far as they could. With the NFL's franchise tag deadline forcing an end to contract talks on July 15, the Cowboys inked their last star receiver just hours before league rules wouldn't allow them to negotiate anymore.

At this point, it's part of the Dallas Cowboys' DNA – deadlines make deals. And if there isn't a real deadline, then the practical deadline of time before the start of the regular season will make do.

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