Dallas Cowboys make two new hires ahead of OTAs

The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly made two new hires this week ahead of OTAs. According to Seth Walder, the Cowboys have hired Shane Hauck and Piper Hampsch as Strategic Football Fellows.

Prior to joining the team in Dallas, Hauck was a finalist at the 2024 Big Data Bowl. He’s a data scientist with a degree from Carnegie Mellon. Hampsch, who earned her graduate degree and undergraduate degree from Duke, is also an analytics guru. She has interned with the Brewers and Blackhawks prior to taking the fellowship with the Cowboys.

With new hires on board and a locker room full of new faces, the Cowboys are now ready to enter OTAs on Monday. The team is expected to be without star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb as OTAs begin after he skipped the offseason workout program earlier this spring.

Cowboys expected to be without CeeDee Lamb for OTAs

The former first-round draft pick is in line to become one of, if not the highest-paid wide receiver in the league as his rookie deal comes to a wrap. He’s currently set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option for $17.991 million.

The Cowboys have done little to incentivize Lamb’s participation this offseason, though they would like for him to be there. Last season, he posted 1,749 receiving yards (second in the league) and 12 touchdowns (third in the league) on 135 receptions (first in the league). His connections with Dak Prescott came in fourth in NFL history between a QB-WR duo.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer took questions about Lamb’s absence, which isn’t an official holdout yet, on Tuesday. He said it “doesn’t matter,” at least not right now.

“It doesn’t matter right now. CeeDee’s a pro,” Schottenheimer said Tuesday. “He’s going to know what to do. I know [quarterback] Dak [Prescott] and the guys have some communication with him. We know he’s taking care of business, and when he gets back here, we’ll certainly be able to find ways to get him the ball.”  

After he missed the annual home run derby, Lamb’s teammates advocated for him in his absence. Second-year Cowboys receiver Brandin Cooks was particularly vocal about what he hopes the team accomplishes with the former first-round pick.

“The guy is a freak,” Cooks said of Lamb. “He deserves everything that is coming his way, and I hope he gets every single dollar that he can and [be] the highest-paid receiver in the league because he’s the greatest receiver in the league. No doubt.”