NFL Offseason Dominos Left to Fall Ahead of 2024 Training Camp

The 2024 NFL offseason has nearly reached its conclusion. Training camps will open later this month, and the Hall of Fame Game is slated for August 1. From there, the proverbial race will be on to prepare for Week 1, which will kick off on September 5.

Once camps and the preseason get underway—rookies begin reporting on July 13—teams will hold position battles, implement schemes and begin the unenviable task of trimming rosters to 53 players. For now, though, all is quiet in the NFL world.

Or is it?

While teams and players are taking their final pre-camp breaks of 2024, plenty is going on behind the scenes. From unresolved contract situations and potential trade activity to the lingering free-agent market, there's plenty to be addressed before the start of training camp.

Here, you'll find a look at the biggest dominoes left to fall during the final "dead" period of the 2024 offseason.

While the Dallas Cowboys may not actually be "America's Team," they've been arguably the most intriguing team to track in the 2024 offseason—and not because of the moves they have made.

The Cowboys—who were inexplicably quiet in free agency and did little to address their own contract situations— have become this offseason's train wreck. Dallas has three key players who are due extensions in Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. It refused, however, to move quickly on new deals for any of them.

"We'd like to see more leaves fall," franchise owner Jerry Jones said in April, per Patrik Walker of the team's official website.

By waiting, Dallas has backed itself into a corner. Prescott cannot be franchise-tagged in 2025, and he's watched quarterbacks like Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence set a new bar in the QB market. Lamb will be a free agent next offseason and has watched Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson take turns as the league's highest-paid receiver.

Parsons has two years left on his rookie deal, but it's not like the price of pass-rushers is going down. Getting all three players extended this offseason would have been ideal.

Prescott has plenty of leverage because he can pocket $55.5 million this season and then hit the market in 2025 if he doesn't like what Dallas has to offer. According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, Lamb is expected to hold out of training camp without a new deal.

Parsons is willing to stay patient and await his turn as one of the league's highest-paid players.

There's still time for Dallas to address one or more of these situations before camp, but with only $10.1 million in cap space, it'll be very interesting to see how and if the Cowboys can get any deals done.

Prescott's contract situation might be drawing the most attention—largely because of how the Cowboys have fumbled it. However, he's not the only signal-caller due an extension this offseason.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is entering the final year of his rookie deal and played well enough in 2023 to justify an extension. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love flashed elite upside in his first season as a full-time starter and is entering the final year of his contract.

Signing either quarterback to a deal that mirrors those of Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow—whose contracts lead the league with annual values of $55 million—would carry some risks.

Tagovailoa battled several injuries early in his career and, while perfect for Miami's timing-based offense, lacks the physical tools of a truly elite signal-caller. Love has those tools but has just one year of high-level production on his resume. The risk of regression is real, and the past early extension of players like Goff and Carson Wentz serve as cautionary tales.

At the same time, waiting on an extension would also be a gamble. If either quarterback plays at an All-Pro level in 2024, he could be eying a deal worth more than those of Lawrence and Burrow.

Love may already be threatening to top the market.

"Love could become the highest-paid player in NFL history by that metric, if only because of where the market is and what the Packers and his representation project him to become over the next few years," The Athletic's Matt Schneidman wrote.

Neither Tagovailoa nor Love has given a strong indication that a camp holdout is possible. However, the Packers and Dolphins still face a delicate contract dance in the coming weeks.

Jefferson reset the receiver market with a deal worth $35 million annually. Lamb could look to top that number, as could Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase.

Chase became extension-eligible this offseason and can make a strong case for being the league's highest-paid receiver whenever he gets to the bargaining table.

Case and Lamb only represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to offseason receiver intrigue. Receivers like Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk, Courtland Sutton and Amari Cooper are also seeking new contracts and could be potential holdouts and/or trade candidates.

Higgins remains the only franchise-tagged player yet to receive a new long-term deal. The Bengals have until July 15 to work out an extension with him. However, ESPN's Ben Baby reported in May that Higgins and Cincinnati hadn't discussed an extension in over a year.

Auyik has been the subject of trade speculation since before the draft, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on June 27 that Aiyuk had a "good" meeting with the San Francisco 49ers' brass and that both sides are still working toward an extension.

Sutton briefly held out of organized team activities (OTAs) and hasn't ruled out a training-camp holdout.

"Well see," Sutton said, per The Athletic's Nick Kosmider.

Cooper skipped mandatory minicamp with the Cleveland Browns and is entering the final year of his deal.

There's certainly no guarantee that any of the aforementioned receivers will be on the move before the start of camp, but trade speculation is likely to continue. The potential for holdouts is also an interesting factor, and there's a very real chance that an extension or two run through the transaction wire in the coming days.

Lamb and Chase represent the top tier receiver market, while wideouts like Aiyuk, Higgins and Cooper represent the next grouping—a tier that has also gotten expensive in the wake of Calvin Ridley's four-year, $92 million deal.

Expect receivers to be in the headlines frequently, even as they enjoy their remaining time off.

While quarterbacks and receivers represent the two most interesting position-specific markets right now, notable players at other positions are also in line for new deals—and they could carry significant repercussions.

Pass-rusher Haason Reddick, for example, was traded to the New York Jets this offseason and wasn't given a new contract upon his arrival. He skipped mandatory minicamp, and his absence was listed as "unexcused."

It's entirely possible that Reddick won't report to training camp either.

Similarly, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has skipped portions of the offseason while seeking a new contract.

"He didn't show up for the last day of minicamp, maybe he doesn't show up for the first day of training camp," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter (h/t Nick Kosko of On3).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl tackle Tristan Wirfs is entering the final year of his contract and has certainly played well enough at right and left tackle to justify a top-of-the-market extension.

A camp holdout for Wirfs doesn't feel likely, but he did skip voluntary workouts and avoided team drills during minicamp, according to The Athletic's Dan Pompei.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is also angling for an extension entering his contract year. The 35-year-old did report to minicamp but would still like a new contract before the season gets underway—Pittsburgh typically does not negotiate during the season.

"Heyward wants more security — he has said he wants to play for three more years, thus the impasse," The Athletic's Mark Kaboly wrote.

These are only some of the notable contract situations that bear watching ahead of camp. The list of noteworthy 2025 free agents also includes Taylor Decker, Garett Bolles, Budda Baker, Matthew Judon, Carlton Davis, Charvarius Ward, Byron Murphy and Josh Sweat.

Any one of them receiving an extension ahead of camp would not come as a surprise.

While the free-agent player pool isn't usually loaded with Pro Bowlers at this point in the offseason, several quality defensive backs remain available. Patrick Peterson is among them and recently pondered why.

"We know it's a passing league, right? Why do you see so many high-caliber guys who've played at a high level — defensive backs — still free agents right now?" Peterson said on his All Things Covered podcast (h/t Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk).

Indeed, the list of available defensive backs is impressive. Peterson, Xavien Howard, Stephon Gilmore, Justin Simmons and Jamal Adams all have multiple Pro Bowls on their resumes and remain unsigned in July.

Defensive backs Micah Hyde, Eddie Jackson, Adoree' Jackson, Quandre Diggs, Eli Apple and Tracy Walker III also remain available.

Why these players remain available is a bit of an unknown, though it may simply boil down to money. With the price points of other premium positions—like quarterback, edge-rusher, receiver, offensive tackle and defensive tackle—continuing to rise, teams may simply not want to invest in older defensive backs.

Peterson, Howard, Simmons and Adams were all released in cap-saving moves this offseason.

Still, these are players who can contribute at a high level in 2024,and they may all be open to relatively team-friendly contracts at this point in the offseason if the right opportunity presents itself.

"I'm still focused on playing, but it has to be the right opportunity," Gilmore told NFL insider Josina Anderson in May. "I feel like it's the age thing with some of these teams. If I was 28, I would already have been signed by now."

At some point, the defensive-back market will start moving again. One signing could trigger a flurry of activity, as it will likely set the bar for late defensive-back additions.

for teams in need of secondary aid, this is one of the biggest dominoes to follow in the coming days.

While defensive backs make up the deepest free-agent player pool as camp approaches, several quality free agents at other positions remain available—some of them at premium positions.

Teams in need of tackle help, for example, have a couple of intriguing options in Donovan Smith and David Bakhtiari. Smith has won Super Bowls with both the Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs and played on a team-friendly $3 million contract last season.

Bakhtiari, a four-time Pro Bowler, has battled injuries in recent seasons but is looking to revitalize his career.

"I am your cornerstone guy. Someone that's not only going to play in September but in December and into February and obviously hopefully for another couple of years," he said on The Adam Schefter Podcast.

Tackles D.J. Humphries and Charles Leno Jr. are also available.

The pass-rusher market also includes some interesting names, including Yannick Ngakoue, Carl Lawson, Markus Golden and Emmanuel Ogbah. While none of them can be considered high-level sack artists, each has proven himself as a quality complementary edge-defender in the past.

Hunter Renfrow and Michael Thomas represent former Pro Bowlers who could be worth a flier to a receiver-needy team.

Center Mason Cole, lineman Connor Williams, quarterback Ryan Tannehill, defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, linebacker Shaquille Leonard, running back Dalvin Cook and Linebacker Kwon Alexander are also among the list of available former starters.

Teams won't truly know where their biggest needs reside until well into training camp, but they should have an early idea after OTAs and minicamps. Some of them will inevitably add more depth just before the start of camp.

And with nearly three-fourths of the league's teams holding more than $10 million in cap space. that final flurry of free-agent activity could be substantial. Expect several notable free agents to come off the board in the coming weeks.

*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.