The Dallas Cowboys are going to look a little different at the wide receiver position in 2022 than they did in 2021. Gone are Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson Jr. Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns as a cap casualty and Wilson signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins.
That leaves CeeDee Lamb as the unquestioned No. 1 receiver in this offense even with Michael Gallup re-signing as a free agent. Having Lamb as the No. 1 is exactly what it sounds like Jerry Jones wanted.
Jones recently threw a little shade at Cooper when talking to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram. The Cowboys’ owner believes Lamb is an upgrade over Cooper as the team’s No. 1 target.
Jones is very high on the first-round pick out of Oklahoma, saying Lamb has all of the tools to be a complete No. 1 receiver. He cited production, in the huddle and off the field, as some of the reasons that he believes Lamb is an upgrade.
Anyone who watched the Cowboys from afar last season likely already thought that Lamb had surpassed Cooper as the team’s No. 1 option. Lamb had more targets, receptions and yardage than Cooper in 2021, supplanting him as Dak Prescott’s go-to receiver.
Not having Cooper in the lineup will add some pressure to Lamb, however, He will be the player that opponents gear their game plans toward, especially in the early going of the season. With Gallup recovering from a torn ACL, teams will load up coverage to slow down Lamb, daring other players such as James Washington and third-round pick Jalen Torbert to beat them.
While Jones may be excited about what Lamb can offer as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, his job will certainly get tougher without the veteran Amari Cooper playing opposite of him. Cooper, a former first-round pick himself, was productive for the Cowboys but will now be the No. 1 target for Deshaun Watson with the Browns.
