The Dallas Cowboys don’t have the league’s deepest WR rotation anymore. After trading away Amari Cooper and letting Cedric Wilson go to Miami in free agency, the unit is taking on a new look in 2022. It is of course spearheaded by emerging superstar CeeDee Lamb, who has over 2,000 receiving yards in his first two seasons. He will be an integral part to their passing offense as it appears Dallas is looking to support him with specialized weapons, at least until Michael Gallup returns to the field following his January ACL tear.
The main component in their plan of course will be Lamb eating up the majority of targets, but that can only happen if he’s healthy. While it’s still July and the regular season is six weeks away, any ding is noteworthy considering the circumstances. So ears perk up as Lamb is not taking part in team drills on Saturday, due to tightness.
#Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb dealing with a little tightness. Not in team drills. Stretching out
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 30, 2022
Fortunately it looks to be just precautionary as Lamb did participate in walkthroughs later in practice.
CeeDee Lamb wasn’t on the field during the Cowboys final team portion of practice, but he is going through the walkthrough now. pic.twitter.com/AskB36UnQZ
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) July 30, 2022
The temporary scare outlines the precarious nature of the WR depth chart. With Gallup rehabbing, Dallas is dependent on third-round rookie Jalen Tolbert out of South Alabama to play a major role in the offense. Veteran free agent James Washington is a deep threat, while second-year guy T.J. Vasher appears to be a red-zone target magnet. The team signed USFL MVP Kavontae Turpin to add the speed and trick-play element to Kellen Moore’s offense. The options for QB Dak Prescott are there, including running back Tony Pollard who can split out wide.
But none of that matters if Lamb isn’t on the field for the majority of snaps. Saturday will end up being a blip on the radar, but the concern every Cowboys fan felt when the word first circulates that Lamb isn’t involved will likely be in the back of everyone’s minds all season thanks to the team’s offseason approach to the position.
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