When the Cowboys decided to trade away Amari Cooper this offseason, the debate raged as to whether or not Dallas was making the right decision. The discussion was two-fold, as there were some who felt the Cowboys were giving up a top-tier wideout, and others who think that while Cooper was good, he wasn’t going to be their true No. 1; the problem was merely the level of compensation they got in the fifth-round pick.
Front and center in that discussion is whether or not Dallas had a top receiver in waiting in 2020 first-round pick CeeDee Lamb. After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, was Lamb ready to take over the mantle as a top option, and just how good could he be compared to other pass catchers around the league if he was the primary focus of Dak Prescott’s targets? According to ESPN’s recent Top 10 rankings, Dallas was wise to bet on Lamb.
Lamb didn’t make the top 10, but he was listed among the honorable mentions. Meanwhile Cooper, now of the Cleveland Browns, didn’t receive a vote among the 22 receivers who were mentioned.
For Lamb, ESPN wrote the following:
Some evaluators think Lamb is on the cusp of the top 10 after 79 catches, 1,102 yards and six touchdowns in Year 2. With Amari Cooper now in Cleveland and Michael Gallup recovering from a torn ACL, Lamb will be the focal point for Dallas’ offense. “He’s so talented that the game comes very easily for him,” an AFC scout said. “He’ll be going through the motions and then suddenly he’s breaking off two guys for a touchdown.”
Fantasy football sites are expecting a target explosion for Lamb, forecasting him to be a top 7 receiver now that he’s the lead dog in Dallas. Could he potentially see Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp or Justin Jefferson-level targets, the top three receivers on ESPN’s list?
If so, Lamb’s year could be insane and it would help ease the loss of Cooper, whose $20 million salary wasn’t suitable for a No. 2 receiver, even if Dallas isn’t immediately spending the space gained by moving on from him.
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