Getty Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb
Sometimes the low-hanging fruit is the most appealing.
Such would explain Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott pegging second-year wide receiver CeeDee Lamb as his “breakout” candidate for the 2021 NFL season.
“My expectations are super high,” Prescott said of Lamb during last week’s mandatory minicamp, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “I’m so excited for CeeDee. So excited for just his growth from our five games together to just getting back out there in OTAs and throwing it to him and watching him get off the line, run routes, go up and get contested balls time and time again. It’s exciting. It’s exciting what he’s going to offer and it’s exciting what he brings to this whole receiving corps and this offense. He’s a special playmaker that we’re privileged to have and he’ll be big time and definitely have a breakout season.”
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CeeDee Was Pacing for Incredible Numbers
The passer-catcher duo only got to play five games together before Prescott was lost to his season-ending ankle injury. Still, the connection was instant and the production tantalizing.
Lamb, the No. 17 overall pick of last year’s draft, racked up 29 receptions on 40 targets for 433 yards and two touchdowns with Dak under center. He averaged 14.93 yards per catch and 10.83 yards per target and was on pace to record a team-high 1,385 yards, besting veteran counterparts Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.
In reality, Lamb finished second in receiving yards (935) behind Cooper (1,114) and ahead of Gallup (843). He did lead the Cowboys in total TDs (6), adding one score on the ground. Lamb also hit paydirt on a 47-yard onside kick return during Dallas’ late-season victory over the 49ers.
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Ready to ‘Jump’?
Lamb provided a glimpse of what’s in store as a sophomore amid the Cowboys’ spring practices. During a June 3 session, the ex-Oklahoma star posterized cornerback Anthony Brown, pulling down a gravity-defying grab that invoked shades of Lamb’s insane touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.
Who’s ready for more of this…
In remarks made after the highlight catch, Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy confidently projected a “second-year jump” for Lamb, who did not disagree with that particular verbiage.
“I feel like the jump is definitely there,” he said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It’s all in the future to gauge it. I am excited about the future. I can’t wait for the season.”
Aiding in his likely leap is continued contribution for special teams coordinator John Fassel. Lamb moonlighted as the Cowboys’ primary punt returner in 2020 and — despite an increased risk of injury — is expected to remain on double duty headed into the upcoming campaign.
“We made it clear when I hired John Fassel that special teams were going to be a priority here,” McCarthy told reporters earlier this month, via The Athletic. “I don’t view players graduating from special teams. … You like to be able to see your players do more than one thing. It’s something that we talk about a lot in player acquisition. What are the two things he can do? Obviously, his offensive and defensive role, but what part of special teams can he contribute? And hey, you need more than one returner, too. We understand that. It’s a long season. It’s a longer season.
“I’ve gone through it before, Randall Cobb would probably be the last player that I went through it where he started out primarily as the returner and then as he grew and his numbers grew, you start looking at pitch count and things like that. I don’t see us there with CeeDee. But at the end of the day, we’ll have more than one returner.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL