That “pious” thing you hear from Frisco, Texas is that CeeDee Lamb is deepening it at his first training camp for training with the Dallas Cowboys. The rookie first round pick enters the fold with no shortage of pump and circumstance, thanks to his abilities, such as the inequality of his final landing spot, and is expected to put rubber on the road pretty soon in a crime that does not require him to be the No. 1 focus of opposing defenses.
Or even the No. 2, for that matter.
It’s a perfect storm for Lamb, who has the ability to be a productive receiver without the pressure at the NFL level to do it in year one. But those who question whether his goals will be shut down can rest assured that they will not, and Lamb will have the opportunity to increase large numbers by 2020, despite the presence of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup; two receivers of 1000 yards in their own right. And if Lamb continues to do what he did in the team’s first practice – namely make an eye-opening joke on a Dak Prescott toss – the Cowboys will waste zero time to involve him in September.
The rookie is here to play great young football.
“He’s the same guy I’ve seen on TV for the past two or three years,” said Lamb safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “I mean, he’s very straightforward, very fast, man, and he’s just getting comfortable. I can not wait to see what he has in store for so many veteran wide receivers.”
Mike McCarthy, who noticed how “blessed” the Cowboys were to have landed Lamb, it must feel good about what he saw on day 1 from the 17th overall pick. Lamm had reported not only the reception of the jaws, but also no drops. He would make one mistake via a fumble to a catch, but no one expects him to become an All-Pro on August 14th.
And considering he had no problem with the latter in his impressive career at Oklahoma, it is safe to say that he will not be at the NFL level either.
Lamm comes in the league’s best offensive and yes, there’s only one ball to run on a unit that also includes Cooper, Gallup, Blake Jarwin, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, but like Elliott passionately remarked to Cooper’s expectation of three Recipients of 1000 yards in Dallas this season – everyone will eat. For Lamb, it will be a mix of goals and what he does with them, so look for a ton of his production to get to the catch. A well-known YAC beast that is deadly in space, the First-Team All-Big 12 talent made a name for itself by not only rolling in catches that most others could not, but also tackling them along the way to big wins that often end in a trip to the finish zone.
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And with defenses that can send no extra help to cover Lam because of the other mentioned weapons, he will often have to deal with nickel corners and linebackers – the latter is a massive mismatch when it comes to someone so smooth and fast to cover Lamb.
But wait, there’s more.
The Consensus All-American will also treat him to some return duty, as the Cowboys have already begun to prep him for his double duty. He is a more than capable point-returner at Oklahoma, he will be asked to do the same in Dallas, with shadows offered by a young Dez Bryant, making the choice of jersey no. 88 nochal apropos is. Not only will he be considered an impact player on offense, but also special teams, potentially helping new team coordinator John “Bones” Fassel to lift a previously abysmal Cowboys special teams unit from the Dark Ages.
Do not take your eyes off the former Sooner in what may be a season in which he is challenged for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Lamb has the chops, and the Cowboys hope this is the song that doesn’t end there.
Their plan is to continue, my friend.
