Welcome to the Friday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
There's no football on this weekend, but there will be plenty to watch and that's because the Olympics will be kicking off today with the Opening Ceremony from Paris.
That got us wondering how well NFL players would do in the Olympics, so we played a matching game where we picked an event and then we picked a player who would probably thrive at that event. For instance, Patrick Mahomes would dominate handball. If you want to see the rest of our matches, be sure to check out our story here.
Speaking of the Olympics, if they ever decide to hand out a gold medal for who can change diapers the fastest, I would dominate. My wife and I have a newborn baby who is six weeks old today and I have changed roughly 912 diapers over the past month and a half.
Anyway, that's enough talk about the Olympics and it's definitely enough talk about diapers, so let's get to the rundown, starting with how dysfunctional the Cowboys are.
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1. Cowboys might not be able to afford to keep all of their stars
There's no team in the NFL going through more contract drama right now than the Dallas Cowboys. Not only is there a situation with Dak Prescott, but CeeDee Lamb is holding out of training camp (because he wants a new deal) and Micah Parsons is also hoping to get a new contract.
Based on what the front office had to say on Thursday, it seems like they've come to terms with the fact that they might not be able to keep all three guys.
Here's what you need to know about what's going on in Dallas:
- All three players want massive contracts. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones revealed that Lamb and Parsons are both aiming to get the largest contract ever given to a non-quarterback. "We could sign one of them," Jones said, via ESPN.com. "And both of them -- rightfully so -- believe they should be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. And totally respect that. So very difficult situations that we're trying to work through with them." On top of that, Prescott is expected to get a contract that will be at the top of the QB market, which would make him one of the highest paid players in the NFL. It seems highly unlikely that the Cowboys will be able to pay all three players what they want.
- Prescott admitted that this could be his final year in Dallas. Due to the contract mess that the Cowboys are in, Prescott seems well aware that this could be his final year in Dallas. "I want to be here, but when you look up all the great quarterbacks I've watched played for other teams," Prescott said. "So, my point in saying that is that that's not something to fear. That may be a reality for me one day."
- Jerry Jones reaction to all of this. The Cowboys owner is never shy with words and here's how he thinks this is all going to play out: He thinks Dak will stay in Dallas after 2024 and he's not worried about Lamb holding out because that's "business as usual" in Dallas. Jones saying this is "business as usual" pretty much sums up all the dysfunction in Dallas.
When it comes to handing out extensions, there's no team that loves kicking the can down the road more than the Cowboys, but unfortunately for them, kicking the can down the road is how you ruin your salary cap in the NFL. With Lamb, the Cowboys are now going to have to pay him Justin Jefferson money if they want to keep him. They could have gotten him a little cheaper if they would have just done a deal sooner (And the same things goes for Dak). Parsons still has two years left on his contract and if the Cowboys are smart, they'll get a deal done with him sooner rather than later.
If you want our full breakdown on the Cowboys, you can check it out here.
2. Training camp takeaways from around the NFL
Going into today, every team in the NFL has had at least one training camp practice so we thought now would be a good time to put out some early takeaways based on what we've seen so far from camp.
Here are three takeaways from Jeff Kerr:
1. The 49ers have a dire situation on their hands with Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams. "Dealing with the Aiyuk situation is one thing, but Williams wanting more guaranteed money at his age (36) certainly throws another wrench in the 49ers' plans to keep Aiyuk. They also have to pay Brock Purdy after the season. There's a reason why 'Super Bowl hangover' talk exists."
2. Jim Harbaugh is already making his mark with the Chargers. "Harbaugh has installed his culture with the organization already, having the entire roster take a photo with him when the team's new practice facility was dedicated. That's a welcome change in Los Angeles. While deep playoff runs may take a season or two, the Chargers appear to be on their way toward becoming a viable AFC West contender to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs."
3. Dolphins need to hurry up and get a deal done with Tua. "Tagovailoa will be playing in the fifth season of his rookie deal, so he's a free agent at the end of the year. The Dolphins have no choice but to pay Tagovailoa since he's the quarterback who makes Mike McDaniel's offense go. Dolphins players have even pointed out that fact when Tagovailoa isn't on the field. Since the Dolphins don't have any other options at quarterback, getting Tagovailoa signed should be a high priority."
You can check out the rest of Kerr's early training camp takeaways here.
3. Early NFL bets: Looking at three teams you should bet on to make the playoffs
If there is one thing I've learned during my time at CBS Sports, it's that there is no one who loves gambling on the NFL more than R.J. White and the best part is that he's actually good at it. White is one of the gambling gurus over at SportsLine and earlier this week, he came up with a list of best value bets on teams he likes to make the playoffs.
SportsLine is a subscription site and the content is behind a paywall, but I'm in a good mood today, so I'm going to give you a free sample of what R.J. is offering. Here are his three best value bets to make the playoffs out of the AFC along with their odds of making the postseason.
White also listed his three best value bets out of the NFC along with his best bets on teams to MISS the playoffs. You can check out all of his predictions here. If you want to subscribe to SportsLine -- which I highly recommend -- you can do that here.
4. Bengals might have a contract problem brewing with Ja'Marr Chase
The Bengals have held a total of two practices so far in training camp and Ja'Marr Chase has sat out both of them. The star receiver wants a new contract and it appears that he's trying to get one by staging a "hold-in," which is where you show up to training camp, but don't actually practice.
Chase is scheduled to make a base salary of just $1.06 million this year, although he's also scheduled to get a $3.8 million roster bonus.
Here's what you need to know about the situation:
- Zac Taylor is downplaying the issue. The Bengals coach said on Thursday that Chase's absence from the first two practices is part of a "plan that Ja'Marr and I have." Giving your players a day off during training camp makes sense, but having your star receiver sit out the FIRST TWO practices of camp is definitely doesn't make much sense.
- Joe Burrow throws fuel on the contract fire. The Bengals QB was asked if Chase's issues were contract related and he definitely didn't deny that. "We've had our discussions that I'll keep private," Burrow said. "His business is his business. He's out here encouraging guys. I'm not entirely sure what his plan is. I know he's with us 100%. I know he'll be physically and mentally ready whenever he steps back out here."
- Chase refuses to talk about the situation. The Bengals are receiver was asked if he was skipping practice due to his contract and he gave a terse "no comment," which makes it seem like that this is definitely about his contract.
- Mike Brown not making this any easier. Earlier this week, the Bengals owner said that the team was going to "bend over backwards" to get a deal done, but he also said that a contract extension would unlikely be coming this season.
Chase likely wants a new contract that will pay him somewhere near the four-year, $140 million deal that Justin Jefferson got. The Bengals would actually be smart to do the deal know, just so they could get it in before CeeDee Lamb gets his new contract, which will only drive up the market price at receiver.
So should Bengals fans be concerned by all of thise? I don't think we're at DEFCON 1 yet, but we will be getting closer to that every time Chase sits out a practice. You can read more about the situation here.
In other Bengals news, the team will be bringing in UFL offensive player of the year, Hakeem Butler, for a workout this week. The St. Louis Battlehawks receiver caught 45 passes for a league-leading 652 yards and five touchdowns during the 2024 UFL season.
5. Kyle Shanahan reveals that 49ers tried to hire Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick won't be coaching in the NFL this year, but he could have had a job if he wanted one and that job would have been with one of the best teams in the league: The San Francisco 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan wanted Belichick so badly that he made an unsual offer to the coach and he revealed the details of the offer during a recent interview on Audacy's "The TK Show" podcast.
Here's a quick rundown of what Shanahan had to say about the situation:
- Shanahan was willing to let Belichick have any role he wanted with the team. The 49ers coach called Belichick because he was looking for a defensive coordinator, but he was willing to let him have any job he wanted. "I know he just loves ball in its simplest form, so I threw it all out to him, whatever he wanted to do," Shanahan said. That's right, he was willing to let Belichick to do "whatever he wanted to do." That's not an offer that gets handed out too often in the NFL.
- Belichick turned down the offer. Shanahan didn't say exactly when the phone call happened, but it came at some point when the 49ers defensive coordinator job was open, so it likely happened in mid-February. Despite the friendly offer, Belichick decided to pass on taking a job in San Francisco. "I was like 'Would you be interested?' And he was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down," Shanahan said.
- Belichick's plans for 2024. Although Belichick won't be coaching this year, he will be keeping busy. Belichick will be working in the media as an analyst on "Inside the NFL" and he'll also be a weekly guest on ESPN's Monday night "ManningCast." and ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show." Shanahan also noted that it seemed like Belichick wanted to spend some time helping his son, Steve, who recently took the defensive coordinator job at the University of Washington.
If you want to check out more from the Shanahan interview, be sure to click here.
6. Extra points: Lions kicker out for season
It's been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
- Michael Badgley suffers serious injury. The Lions kicker is going to miss the entire season after tearing his hamstring during practice on Thursday. The injury opens the door for UFL star Jake Bates to win the kicking job in Detroit. Bates made a name for himself by drilling three field goals of at least 60 yards during the UFL season this year. You can read more about Bates and Badgley here.
- Jabril Peppers gets extension from Patriots. The veteran safety has spent his past two seasons in New England and it looks like he'll be sticking around a little longer. According to ESPN, Peppers and the Patriots have agreed to terms on a three-year extension worth up to $30 million.
- Tyreek Hill had experimental treatment. The Dolphins receiver flew to Antigua earlier this month and he didn't go there for vacation. Instead, the 30-year-old flew to the Caribbean country to have a stem cell treatment done. You can read more about Hill's adventure here.
- Broncos add money to Courtland Sutton's deal. The Broncos receiver was hoping to get a new contract and although that didn't happen, the team did rework his deal so that he'll have the opportunity to make more money this year. According to ESPN, the Broncos have added $1.5 million in incentives to go along with his $13 million base salary. Sutton led the Broncos in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last season.
- Raiders mock Patrick Mahomes with 'Kermit the Frog' puppet. A Raiders fan brought a bizarre puppet to Raiders training camp on Thursday that mocked Mahomes and a few Raiders players decided to have fun with it, which seems like a bad idea. This is like stepping on Superman's cape. You can see the puppet here.
- Russell Wilson is dealing with a calf injury. The Steelers QB missed the first two days of practice on Thursday and Friday due to a calf injury. With Wilson out, Justin Fields came in and had a solid first day taking first team reps. CBSSports.com's Bryan DeArdo was at Steelers' camp and he broke down what he saw here.
- Is Will Levis the next Josh Allen? CBS Sports senior NFL writer Pete Prisco was in Nashville where he spent some time watching Will Levis. Prisco got to sit down with the Titans QB and you can check out his column from the interview here.
- Bears safety is leaving training camp to head to the Olympics. Jonathan Owens won't be at training camp over the next few days and that's because he's headed to Paris to watch his wife, who you might have heard of: Her name is Simone Biles. Owens got the OK from the team to miss camp to watch Biles go for the gold as a member of the U.S. gymnastics team.
