Getty Amari Cooper expressed confidence in CeeDee Lamb.
The Dallas Cowboys trading Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns continues to be the team’s most scrutinized move from the offseason. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doubled down on the front office’s decision to move on from Cooper telling the Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill that Lamb will be an “upgrade” from the former Dallas wideout.
“Owner Jerry Jones, however, doesn’t believe the team will take a step back at the top of the group,” Hill wrote on May 26. “Jones told the Star-Telegram that CeeDee Lamb will be an upgrade over Cooper as a true No. 1 receiver in the Cowboys offense.
“Jones said he was trying to slight Cooper, whom the team traded in March in part because his production didn’t match his $20 million practice tag. But Jones acknowledged Cooper had his issues and that Lamb has the makings of more a complete No. 1 receiver in ‘production, in the huddle and off the field.’”
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The Cowboys Only Landed a Fifth-Round Pick for Cooper
The Cowboys’ handling of Cooper’s future continues to be an odd development from the offseason. Dallas clearly felt the team needed to move on from Cooper’s $60 million that the receiver was slated to make over the next three years. Rumors began to swirl that the Cowboys were planning to release Cooper outright without netting anything in return.
Ultimately, the Cowboys made a deal with the Browns for Cooper but only managed to receive a fifth-round pick for the receiver. Weeks later, the Packers landed two first-round picks for Davante Adams and the Chiefs acquired a whopping five selections for Tyreek Hill, including first and second rounders. Cooper may not be on the same level as these star receivers, but the playmaker’s $20 million salary appears much more reasonable in recent months given the rising cost of wideouts this offseason.
McCarthy: Lamb Is ‘Ready to Be the No. 1 Guy’
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Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was candid when asked if Lamb was ready to be the team’s new top receiver in Big D. The Cowboys coach admitted “he has to” referring to Lamb’s ability to step up as the No. 1 wideout before cracking a smile during a May 25 press conference.
“He has to [embrace being the No. 1 receiver], of course, yeah, I mean, he looks great,” McCarthy remarked. “But yeah, this is a great opportunity for him personally, and I think just the way we’ve established the offense, particularly the passing game. The ability for those guys to play different positions, to create matchups and make it harder on the defense to double you and those types of things.
“My point is him playing in the slot a lot last year and now playing the flanker position, so yes. And we understand with his rise in year three that he’s gonna get a lot more attention from the defense, but he’s doing all the little things that are needed to get him ready to be the No. 1 guy.”
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Cowboys Throw Shade at Amari Cooper, Send Message to CeeDee Lamb