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Cowboys Expect To Extend Dak Prescott; CeeDee Lamb Seeking Top Non-QB Deal?

July 26th, 2024 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 26: Walking back his comments about Lamb a bit Friday, Stephen Jones said (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill) the fifth-year wide receiver is not “dug in” on becoming the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback. Not too much wiggle room exists here, as it would stand to reason Lamb will want to collect more than Brown ($32MM AAV, $84MM guaranteed) did earlier this year. This matter figures to come down to how Lamb’s contract compares to Jefferson’s, with a sizable guarantee gap existing between the Eagles and Vikings receiver extensions.

JULY 25: Beginning their training camp, the Cowboys have not completed any extensions with their top players just yet. A report earlier this week indicated not much progress has emerged with CeeDee Lamb, who is holding out. Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons are in attendance in Oxnard, Calif., but they join Lamb in one of the more interesting contract quandaries in many years.

Parsons said earlier this summer he expected to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback when he signs an extension, though the Cowboys have some time with the 2021 draftee due to the fifth-year option. Lamb is heading into his fifth-year option season, and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones shed some light on the team’s negotiations with the All-Pro wide receiver. Lamb joins Parsons in angling to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, per the second-generation NFL exec.

[RELATED: The Cowboys’ Contract Dilemma]

While Jones stopped short of naming names (via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins), it is not difficult to learn which players the Dallas bigwig was referencing. Lamb said in January he wanted to be the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. The landscape has changed since those comments, with three more wideouts — Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson — crossing the $30MM-per-year barrier. The guarantees in Jefferson’s record-smashing $35MM-per-year deal ($110MM in total, $88.7MM full) far eclipsed previous records, and they have certainly complicated Cowboys-Lamb talks.

Dallas did not enter serious negotiations with Lamb last year, as the Vikings also waited until Year 5 — the norm for first-round wideouts until this offseason, when DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle received early extensions — with Jefferson. The Minnesota contract moves the bar for the Cowboys, who have never guaranteed more than $40MM (Amari Cooper) for a receiver. In Dallas’ defense, only 10 wideouts are tied to deals that contained $40MM at signing.

Jones called having three players who could set the market at their positions “not easy,” and Lamb could still be franchise-tagged in 2025. Though, the fifth-year wideout is attempting to force the issue by holding out; Zack Martin did so and succeeded last year. A tag is off the table for Prescott, who holds tremendous leverage with no-tag and no-trade clauses. Prescott’s monster cap number ($55.13MM) this year and void years-driven $40.13MM dead money figure for 2025 give him rare ammo to use against a team also dealing with Lamb and Parsons.

Although the ninth-year QB could maneuver his way to free agency fairly easily, Jerry Jones does not believe 2024 will be Prescott’s Dallas finale. A $60MM-per-year price tag has been rumored for Dak, who may soon have more to work with should the Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa deals cross the goal lines in Green Bay and Miami soon.

“Just to be very specific. I do not think this will be his last year with the Cowboys, at all,” Jones said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota (subscription required). “I want to say if it hasn’t been clear — of how much we appreciate what Dak Prescott has meant to this team in a positive way. The players do play better when he’s out there. He does make his teammates play at a higher level there’s no question about it. So I’m right there in line with his best fan.”

Differing reports have come out regarding whether Prescott or Lamb is the team’s immediate priority. It would stand to reason Prescott would be due to his unique situation, as Lamb can still be tagged. The Cowboys are believed to be set to make their longtime starter a strong offer, one that would drop his record-setting (along with Deshaun Watson and other QBs this year) cap number and give the Cowboys some security.

Prescott prefers to stay in Dallas as well, though the 2023 second-team All-Pro stopped short of guaranteeing his career will unfold entirely with the franchise. As legendary figures like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and countless other greats have shown, of course, QBs regularly do not go wire-to-wire with the teams that drafted them. Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo did, though.

“I’m gonna say it. I want to be here, but when you look [it] up, all the other great quarterbacks that I watched played for other teams [than their first team],” Prescott said, via Yahoo’s Charles Robinson. “… That’s not something to fear.”

Prescott, 30, has not been afraid to maximize his leverage; it took three offseasons for him to sign his current four-year, $160MM contract. Hinting at a future departure is not out of character, and the Cowboys will need to make a whopping offer to ensure they keep their former fourth-round find off next year’s market, where a host of suitors would await.

Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Addresses HC Mike McCarthy’s Status

July 26th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys’ Thursday media availability allowed team officials to provide updates on the contract statuses of players like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. Head coach Mike McCarthy also faces an uncertain future beyond 2024, however.

McCarthy was retained following Dallas’ wild-card loss to the Packers, but it soon became clear he would not receive an extension. 2024 is thus the final year of his contract, and to little surprise owner Jerry Jones was asked about the decision to set McCarthy up for a lame-duck campaign. When giving a reason why no new deal was offered, Jones simply replied “Green Bay” (h/t Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News).

The Cowboys’ latest postseason exit came about via an underwhelming home loss to McCarthy’s former team. It was not sufficient for the 60-year-old to be let go, but Jones’ remark confirms a rebound will be needed to ensure he remains in place for 2025 and beyond. Dallas has gone 12-5 in each of the past three seasons, all of which have come during McCarthy’s tenure. The former Super Bowl winner will be counted on to deliver a playoff breakthrough in 2024, but Jones praised him when addressing his situation.

“Mike has shown me that I want to have him and he’s qualified and he’s excellent and the players are excellent and he’s shown me that he could be our coach for years to come, Jones said (via Watkins). “He sits next to me in the draft. I really call on him a lot. If you can’t get along with Mike McCarthy, you can’t get along.”

McCarthy admitted earlier this week that his contract status is “a challenge,” and the Cowboys have plenty of work still to do on the contract front over the coming weeks. The team will nevertheless be expected (at least, internally) to replicate the regular season success of the past three years and in doing so set up a potential postseason run. Coming up short will no doubt lead to increased speculation regarding McCarthy’s job status and the potential of Jones allowing his contract to expire similar to Jason Garrett in 2019.

Bill Belichick has been connected to joining the Cowboys or Eagles next offseason if one or both NFC East teams move on from their coaches. Jones repeated his praise of the six-time Super Bowl winner during the press conference, but for the time being attention will be paid to McCarthy’s performance during what could be his final campaign in Dallas.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/24

July 25th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Placed on active/PUP list: FB Robert Burns

Carolina Panthers

  • Waived/injured: DT Popo Aumavae

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Cut via injury settlement: WR Jared Wayne

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: WR Griffin Hebert
  • Waived from active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: WR Ty Scott
  • Waived: CB Andrew Whitaker
  • Activated from active/NFI list: LB Easton Gibbs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: TE Sal Cannella

Tennessee Titans

Via this transaction, the Jets are temporarily moving Reddick off their 90-man roster. Unlike placements on the active/PUP or active/NFI lists that are commonplace in July, Reddick is technically out of the mix for the Jets until his holdout ends. The trade acquisition has not shown up at any point since being traded to the Jets in March.

Diggs suffered a torn ACL during a late-September practice. He is not expected to be sidelined past Week 1, but the Cowboys will not have him at practice for a bit.

Levin has been a Titans backup for most of the past six seasons, playing regularly on special teams and starting four games during his career. An interior O-lineman, Levin played the past two seasons on one-year Tennessee deals. This marks yet another chance for Ray, a Broncos first-rounder back in 2015. This agreement comes after Ray worked out for the Titans in May. Ray, 31, spent time with the Bills during the 2023 offseason but has not played in a regular-season NFL game since 2018.

49ers Extended Offer To Bill Belichick; Cowboys, Eagles Still On Longtime HC’s Radar

July 24th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

At a few points during the Kyle Shanahan era, the 49ers showed interest in Tom Brady. One of those memorably included John Lynch asking about the then-Patriots quarterback and Bill Belichick quickly dismissing anything of the sort. With Brady now retired, the 49ers did turn their attention to his longtime head coach.

Famously going just 1-for-8 in terms of interviews with HC-needy teams this offseason, Belichick is set to sit out the year. He has booked multiple TV gigs — with the Manningcast and Inside the NFL — but remains interested in returning to the NFL in 2025. This will, however, be Belichick’s first season out of the NFL since 1974. Shanahan attempted to see if he could change that.

The 49ers extended an invitation for Belichick to join their staff in some capacity, giving the 24-year Patriots HC the option of choosing a role. It is unclear if this overture took place before the 49ers decided on Nick Sorensen as their DC, but Belichick undoubtedly could have held a key role with San Francisco’s defense had he sought one.

“I threw it all out to him, like whatever he’d want to do. I was like, would you be interested?” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami (subscription required). “He was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down. He loves football so much that you never know what he would want.”

Belichick did memorably send Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers at the 2017 trade deadline, after having aimed to avoid trading Brady’s then-backup. The 49ers quickly accepted, sending a second-round pick to the Pats for a player who became their starting quarterback through the 2022 season. This mutually respectful relationship may again feature the two coaching against one another, but that will not come in 2024.

Only the Falcons interviewed Belichick for their HC job, though the Commanders spoke with the eight-time Super Bowl winner (two as a DC). The 49ers also had Steve Spagnuolo on their radar for the DC position, but the Chiefs quickly extended their standout defensive play-caller. Belichick, 72, has not held a non-HC or coordinator role in the NFL since 1996, when he served as the Pats’ DBs coach under Bill Parcells. He will still try for another chance at a top job in 2025, and the 49ers will almost definitely not be on his radar.

The NFC East continues to come up here, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said during an appearance on Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard (of the New York Daily News) Belichick would likely want the Eagles‘ job “in the worst way.” NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran also pointed to this being a fit, saying the Eagles would be the more likely destination compared to a Cowboys or Giants landing.

Philly and Dallas looked into Belichick this offseason but stuck with their existing HCs. Nick Sirianni may not have been all that close to the hot seat, but the Super Bowl HC hired new offensive and defensive coordinators. After a second-half collapse, Sirianni should not be considered especially safe going into his fourth season in charge. Mike McCarthy is famously on a lame-duck contract, which he admitted Wednesday (via the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore) is “a challenge.”

The Giants also have not featured much patience post-Tom Coughlin, though their HCs in that span have given them little reason to stay the course. Two years after a Coach of the Year season, Brian Daboll has moved toward a hot seat. Belichick reuniting with the Giants would be a fascinating storyline, as he collected his first two rings as Parcells’ DC from 1985-90. But Big Blue may be transitioning at quarterback next year. The Cowboys and Eagles are closer to contention, and Fowler noted earlier this offseason the appeal these two teams — along with the Giants — would have for Belichick.

The 29-year HC veteran is a Howie Roseman fan as well, per Curran. Belichick was ready to cede some personnel control had he landed the Falcons gig. A partnership with the Eagles or Cowboys, where established front office hierarchies are in place, would not feature nearly the level of control Belichick held in New England.

With no NFL HC being hired past age 66, Belichick may only have one more offseason as a realistic candidate. His running ties to NFC East clubs stand to make the 2025 cycle one of the most memorable in modern NFL history.

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Not Reporting To Training Camp

July 23rd, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Ben Levine

After learning earlier today that the Cowboys had yet to engage in “substantial” extension talks with CeeDee Lamb, the inactive negotiations have led to a holdout. “A person with knowledge” of Lamb’s thinking told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News that the player will not be reporting to training camp tomorrow. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has since confirmed the news. ESPN’s Todd Archer was first to report that the organization was “bracing” for a Lamb no-show when practices start on Thursday.

[RELATED: Cowboys Yet To Conduct ‘Substantial’ Negotiations With WR CeeDee Lamb]

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies that the two sides have indeed worked on a new deal, although it’s uncertain if that runs contrary to the aforementioned report of minimal “substantial” talks. The wideout will continue to face daily fines of $50K until he attends camp.

While Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all earned offseason extensions that will pay at least $30MM per year, Lamb is still attached to his $17.99MM fifth-year option. The Oklahoma alum did initially state an interest in becoming the NFL’s highest-paid wideout. It’s uncertain if he’s now pushing for Jefferson’s record-breaking $35MM AAV, but at the very least, he can point to the Vikings WR’s $110MM in guaranteed money.

Both sides always intended to see how the market played out, and recent reports indicated that the Cowboys were prioritizing a Lamb extension over deals for Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. Perhaps that report was a signal of things to come and the Cowboys read the tea leafs regarding Lamb’s impending holdout. Of course, this news also doesn’t come as a huge shock. Lamb had been a candidate to engage in a holdout for quite some time, considering he skipped voluntary OTAs as well as mandatory minicamp.

Now, the Cowboys will be engaged in a holdout for the second-straight training camp. Last year, Zack Martin held out as he pursued a new contract. The Cowboys ended up being the side to blink, as the organization turned the final two years of Martin’s contract into a fully guaranteed agreement. Lamb will obviously be seeking both guarantees and term on his next pact, and with Dallas having not guaranteed a receiver more than $40MM at signing (while also holding the line on contracts spanning at least five years), it’s uncertain which side will relent. For what it’s worth, Ezekiel Elliott won his staring contest with the Cowboys back in 2019, with the running back earning a new contract that made him the highest-paid player at his position.

Lamb has been the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ passing attack since the team moved on from Amari Cooper in 2022. The 25-year-old is coming off a first-team All-Pro season (the first by a Dallas wideout since Dez Bryant), setting franchise records in receptions (135) and yards (1,749) along the way.

WR Michael Gallup Retires

July 23rd, 2024 at 7:28pm CST by Ben Levine

After joining the Raiders earlier this offseason, Michael Gallup is apparently calling it a career. The team announced that they’ve placed the wide receiver on the reserve/retired list.

The 2018 third-round pick quickly established himself as a foundational piece in Dallas, finishing his sophomore campaign with 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns. Despite the team’s addition of first-round WR CeeDee Lamb in 2020, Gallup still managed to top 800 receiving yards on a depth chart that also featured Amari Cooper.

The trouble started in 2021. Gallup missed the first chunk of the season thanks to a calf injury. He was limited to a then-career-low 12.7 yards per reception that season on 35 catches before suffering a torn ACL in the regular season finale. The organization clearly wasn’t deterred by the injuries, as the front office handed Gallup a five-year, $62.5MM extension before trading Cooper days later.

To Gallup’s credit, he returned for 14 games in 2022, but he clearly wasn’t the same player. While Dak Prescott‘s absence partly played into Gallup’s drop in production, the wide receiver was still limited to only 30 yards per game. He managed to get into all 17 games this past season but his counting stats continued to drop, with the 28-year-old compiling only 34 catches for 418 yards and two scores.

The Cowboys gave Gallup permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason, but the team ultimately decided to cut him before a $4MM salary guarantee was due. The wideout quickly caught on with the Raiders, inking a one-year deal that could be worth up to $3MM. There was some hope that the veteran could soak up the snaps left by Hunter Renfrow, who was cut in March. Indeed, Ed Werder reports that news of Gallup’s retirement came as a surprise to the Raiders. The organization will now have an open competition for the WR3 spot behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.

DE Randy Gregory Absent From Buccaneers’ Training Camp

July 23rd, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

Uncertainty continues to loom over the status of Randy Gregory. The veteran defensive end was not in attendance for the start of Buccaneers training camp, and the team placed him on the reserve/did not report list Tuesday.

Gregory was absent from mandatory minicamp last month, a move which resulted in fines being accumulated. His absence came in the wake of the discrimination lawsuit he filed against the NFL and the Broncos over usage of a prescription medication which involved THC. Considering the latest development in his situation, Gregory’ absence does not come as a surprise.

Head coach Todd Bowles said last week he had not spoken with the 31-year-old in any capacity. Meanwhile, Greg Auman of Fox Sports notes there has been no update provided by Gregory’s camp with respect to why he has not attended camp. Needless to say, his future in Tampa Bay is very much in question at this point.

Gregory did not pan out in Denver, logging just 10 games during his time with the Broncos across the 2022 and ’23 seasons. He finished out the year in San Francisco, making 12 appearances and recording 2.5 sacks. The former Cowboys second-rounder signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers worth up to $5MM. His earnings for the year have already been affected by the fines (totaling more than $100K) he accumulated by missing minicamp, however.

Tampa Bay guaranteed $1.37MM of Gregory’s base salary, but the team would save just over $1.6MM in cap space with a release. It will be interesting to see if an update takes place in this case over the coming days or if the Buccaneers elect to cut bait if Gregory remains away from the team.

Cowboys Yet To Conduct ‘Substantial’ Negotiations With WR CeeDee Lamb

July 23rd, 2024 at 12:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys are preparing to head to Oxnard, California today for the start of training camp. Whether or not CeeDee Lamb attends will no doubt depend on the state of negotiations regarding an extension.

The All-Pro wideout is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2024, valued at $17.99MM. A long-term deal will cost much more, but Dallas has yet to work out an agreement with Lamb, quarterback (and fellow pending free agent) Dak Prescott or extension-eligible edge rusher Micah Parsons. The most recent update on the matter noted that Lamb is now team’s top financial priority, but nothing appears to be imminent.

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports the Cowboys have yet to have “substantial” extension talks with Lamb to date. That comes as a notable surprise considering the importance of the 25-year-old in the Cowboys’ short- and long-term financial planning. If working out a deal with Lamb is indeed viewed as more pressing (or at least more feasible) that doing the same with Prescott, Dallas will have plenty of work to do on the negotiating front over the coming weeks.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones expressed a desire to wait for the quarterback and receiver markets to take shape before moving forward with new deals for Prescott and/or Lamb. The latter has seen three WR deals surpass $30MM per season recently, including Justin Jefferson‘s historic $35-per-year accord. His asking price will no doubt affected by the continued upward trajectory of the position’s market, though the Cowboys are not believed to be interested in moving the bar higher on a Lamb extension.

The Oklahoma product did not take part in voluntary OTAs or mandatory minicamp. A training camp holdout is a distinct possibility, and the chances of Lamb skipping out on the start of camp would likely increase if team and player are not close to hammering out an agreement. Players who hold out from camp are subject to daily fines, but those attached to rookie contracts (like in Lamb’s case) can have those fines waived by their respective teams.

Lamb’s decision on skipping the start of camp (or attending but not taking part in drills) will be worth watching in the immediate future. With Prescott and Parsons in need of extensions as well, Dallas’ efforts in pursuing a Lamb resolution will be a central storyline for the team over the coming days and weeks.

Cowboys Prioritizing Extension For WR CeeDee Lamb?

July 20th, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

A report from one month ago indicated the Cowboys’ top priority with respect to their three pending monster extensions would be quarterback Dak Prescott. That came as no surprise, considering the market at that position compared to those of edge rushers and receivers.

Micah Parsons is on the books for two more years, so his contract status is less pressing than that of Prescott or CeeDee Lamb. The latter has been linked to a training camp holdout in the absence of an agreement, but progress on that front is on the team’s radar. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports Lamb – not Prescott – is Dallas’ No. 1 financial priority at the moment.

Prescott is set to attend the beginning of training camp next week regardless of where things stand with respect to his extension. Lamb’s decision on that front has not been made, though, Watkins adds. The Oklahoma alum has been expected to engage in a holdout for quite some time, considering he skipped voluntary OTAs as well as mandatory minicamp during the spring. Missing practices this summer would result in daily fines, though by virtue of being attached to his fifth-year option Lamb could see those fines waived by the team.

Such a move would come after an extension agreement were to be worked out, and talks on big-ticket deal have long been known to be high on Dallas’ to-do list. Lamb is scheduled to earn $17.99MM in 2024, but a long-term accord will come in at a much higher price tag. The top of the receiver market witnessed plenty of movement this spring, with Justin Jefferson attaining an average annual value of $35MM on his Vikings extension (becoming the league’s top earner for non-QBs in the process). Cowboys owner Jerry Jones previously stated an intention of waiting on similar deals to fall into place before authorizing Lamb and/or Prescott pacts.

Earlier this week, Stephen Jones confirmed talks with Prescott’s camp are ongoing while maintaining the team’s stance on hoping to retain Lamb and Parsons as well. Keeping all three in the fold beyond 2024 will be difficult given the cap implications a new deal for each will have in the short- and long-term future. Lamb’s importance to the team’s offense cannot be understated, though, of course.

The 25-year-old broke franchise records in receptions (135) and yards (1,749) last season, leading the NFL in both categories. Veteran Brandin Cooks resides as Dallas’ No. 2 wideout, and the team has a number of relatively unproven options beyond him on the depth chart. Lamb’s willingness to attend training camp will remain a key story to follow in the coming days, but his stance in that regard will obviously change if a deal is struck shortly.

Stephen Jones On Cowboys’ Extension Efforts

July 19th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Adam La Rose

With training camps beginning to open around the NFL, numerous extension agreements are likely to be finalized in the near future. For the Cowboys, negotiations on several fronts are ongoing.

COO Stephen Jones made an appearance on The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast to discuss where things currently stand with respect to contract talks for quarterback Dak Prescott, wideout CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons. Prescott and Lamb are entering the final year of their respective deals, and keeping both in the fold while leaving enough cap resources to extend Parsons will prove to be a challenge. It is one the Cowboys are optimistic can be met, though.

“Well those things take time,” Jones said. “And we’re talking about deals here. You know when you’re talking about CeeDee and Dak and you know somebody like a Micah coming up. I mean you’re talking about two players that aren’t quarterbacks that feel like they ought to be a little bit like [Justin] Jefferson, the top-paid non-quarterbacks in the league.

“And, of course, we’ve got a big one in Dak. And we got [Trevon] Diggs right there. And then you got Zack Martin and [DeMarcus Lawrence]. And so we got a lot of guys making you know quite a bit of money. And you know that’s no excuses. We think we can get this done, know we can get it done. But it just takes time.”

Prescott’s deal is positioned to check in at the highest AAV figure, but both Lamb and Parsons have been connected to an asking price which would allow them to top their respective markets. Dallas is not looking to go to those lengths, though in any event much will depend on the particulars of Prescott’s extension. When addressing the latter point, Jones confirmed he and owner Jerry Jones have been in communication with Prescott himself as well as agent Todd France.

A Prescott accord will likely be finalized before one for Lamb – something which could lead to a training camp holdout if the franchise record-setting wideout does not have a deal in hand in the near future. Week 1 represents a more firm deadline, of course, but the start of camp will be an interesting checkpoint to watch for as Dallas continues to negotiate multiple big-ticket extensions. If the Prescott talks gain traction during the coming days, at least one item off the team’s checklist could be taken care of.

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