The most significant change in the Cowboys’ offense from last year, without a doubt, is in the receiving corps. Following the Amari Cooper trade to Cleveland for salary reasons, the No. 1 receiver job now falls to CeeDee Lamb. Of course, this raises a question: Is Lamb ready for this role?
In this regard, Amari Cooper has something to say.
This Friday, the now receiver of the Browns was interviewed during the program Norm and D Invasion at DFW The Ticket. There, he was asked for his opinion on his former teammate Lamb taking on that role in the cowboy offense. However, Amari’s choice of words in his reply draws attention.
“Yes, CeeDee has been ready”Cooper said in the interview. “It is a question of opportunity. I think if (offensive coordinator) Kellen (Moore) decides to use him, he’ll be ready to step up.”
Ex-Cowboys WR Amari Cooper to @dfwticket on CeeDee Lamb’s readiness to be No. 1 WR: “CeeDee’s been ready. [laughs] CeeDee’s been ready. Again, it’s just about opportunity. I think if Kellen (Moore) decides to feature him, he’s definitely ready to step up. CeeDee is a playmaker.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) July 22, 2022
Something that has characterized Amari Cooper during his NFL career is that he is not the type of player who talks “trash” about others. However, this particular mention of his former offensive coordinator betrays his discontent with how he handled the cowboy attack last season.
Let us remember that, in the final stretch of the regular season, Cooper publicly expressed his discontent not having enough chances with the ball. In fact, that was a claim made by many fans during the time.
However, Kellen Moore persisted in playing more with other elements. One of them was tight end Dalton Schultz, who posted his best season as a pro on the eve of the end of his rookie deal. Meanwhile, there were players hurt by Moore’s decisions. Such is the case of Tony Pollard, who should have carried more weight on offense, considering that Ezekiel Elliott was not in ideal physical condition due to injury.
Cowboys WR Amari Cooper on asking for ball more: “It’s all just me wanting to help the team. I know how special of a team we have & I know how special of a moment this is. I’ve been in the league long enough to know how floating it is.
“Make sure we take full advantage of this.” pic.twitter.com/I5xhCeXOCE
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) December 30, 2021
Because of this, that “condition” Cooper mentions will be key to CeeDee Lamb’s performance as the Cowboys’ primary receiver. This puts the onus on Kellen Moore who, like head coach Mike McCarthy, was heavily questioned after Dallas’ late-season performance and bitter playoff elimination.
Cooper fully trusts Lamb’s ability
Returning to the Amari Cooper interview, the now-Cleveland receiver said a few more things about his former teammate on the Dallas offense.
“CeeDee is a playmaker”Cooper said of Lamb at DFW The Ticket. “I remember that game against the Vikings (week 8 of the 2021 season), when we were breaking the group. He was ready then. I was like ‘I want this route’. We’ve all seen what he does on the road. He has been ready. He’s going to make the plays when he’s called by his jersey number, and I can’t wait to see that happen.”
Amari Cooper was just on the air with @dfwticket. Asked if CeeDee Lamb is ready to step into the Cowboys’ WR1 spot, I thought his answer was very interesting. For multiple reasons. pic.twitter.com/3vR0ZADfnn
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) July 22, 2022
During this same interview, Cooper was asked about his performance during his final season with the Cowboys. In his words, the former Dallas wide receiver doesn’t feel like he underperformed despite his records (68 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns). However, what Amari feels the most is frustration with the way he finished the season for the team.
“Even though we had a very good season, the few losses we did have were to teams we would have played against in the playoffs.”Cooper said. “So I was frustrated (…), because I saw that we were losing against those teams and that we would have to face them again. And if we played like that against them, without taking advantage of our playmakers to win, we were going to lose. I could foresee that. And that’s what happened in the first round (of the playoffs), unfortunately.”
Now, in 2022, the Cowboys’ offense will have a different face. The cowboy team decided to release Cooper due to his high salary, trading him to the Browns in what many consider to be the worst move of the offseason. Likewise, Dallas opted to extend the contract of the still injured Michael Gallup and let Cedrick Wilson Jr. go as a free agent.
This leaves Gallup and CeeDee Lamb as the only receivers with proven experience on the Cowboys’ offense. Behind them, the competition for the other spots in the rotation would be between James Washington, rookie Jalen Tolbert, Noah Brown, Simi Fehoko and TJ Vasher, among others. However, there are those who think that Dallas should add a receiver with more experience like Julio Jones, Will Fuller or Diontae Johnson.
For now, the performance of CeeDee Lamb will remain to be seen assuming greater weight in offense. However, Amari Cooper’s jab at Kellen Moore puts the spotlight on the offensive coordinator. Like Mike McCarthy, Moore will have to deliver well this season. Otherwise, his continuity in Dallas would be in doubt… unless the leadership decides to be patient with him because he is “from the house.”
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Amari Cooper takes a “hint” at Kellen Moore and praises CeeDee