By Derek Fleming
The level of success the Dallas Cowboys shall endure this season depends on one guy: CeeDee Lamb.
When the Cowboys decided to trade pro bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper this offseason to the Browns, it was the front office’s way of telling Lamb he’s the guy now.
Owner Jerry Jones told reporters that CeeDee Lamb is an upgrade over Cooper as the Cowboys’ No. 1 wide receiver.
Can the Cowboys survive without Cooper?
A bold thing for Jones to say, considering Cooper had three 1,000-yard seasons with the Cowboys in his four seasons in Dallas. Not to mention, he single-handedly saved the Cowboys in the 2018-19 season.
Before Cooper arrived in Dallas midway through the 2018-19 season, they were 3-4, and quarterback Dak Prescott topped 200 yards three times.
The Cowboys went on to finish the season 10-6, winning the division, before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Overall, with Cooper at his disposal, Prescott’s been a top ten quarterback. He’s 28-16, and is averaging almost 29 points per game, with a 102.9 passer rating.
Only six quarterbacks have a better rating than him in that stretch.
Without Cooper, Prescott’s not even starting quarterback worthy. He’s 3-6, and is averaging 20 points per game, with a lowly 86.1 passer rating.
Only Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke had a worse passer rating this past season.
Cooper was the key to the offense when he was here, and moving on from him leaves a lot of uncertainty.
Can Lamb replace Cooper?
There’s no denying Lamb has the talent to do it, and there’s a good chance he’ll finish this season as a top ten wide receiver, but it’s a lot easier said than done.
Last season, Lamb earned his first pro bowl nod, setting career highs with 79 catches, 1,102 yards, and six touchdowns.
However, that success came with Cooper commanding the top cornerback on the outside. Lamb will be tasked with facing each team’s best pass defender, something he isn’t used to.
Something Lamb also isn’t used to is lining up on the outside full-time.
During his rookie season, Lamb took most of his snaps from the slot position. Lamb, a top ten talent, can easily beat any nickel-cornerback a team has to offer.
The same could be said with last season. Lamb took about a third of his snaps from the slot position, but once Michael Gallup went down, he moved to the outside.
Something to note, in the only game Cooper missed last season, the Cowboys put up a season-low nine points, and Lamb posted a season-low 14 receiving yards.
Prescott isn’t a gunslinger. He’s not going to take shots when the shots aren’t wide open. Having Cooper created mismatches all across the offensive board. Prescott’s weapons got worse defenders and created more than enough space to fit a ball in because of it.
The question becomes, can Lamb become the No.1 wide receiver Jones is hyping him up to be, or will he struggle, and the Cowboys’ offense will flop.