The big concern, now that Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has signed his new, $136 million contract with $100 million guaranteed, is the rather large problem of Lamb having missed out on all of training camp and the preseason in a holdout. Players tend to say they’re in game shape and ready to start the year in those situations. But then the season starts, and it can take a while to get into rhythm.
That’s only natural. Lamb repeatedly posted videos throughout his holdout showing that he is in shape and working out intensely, but there is no substitute for going through the grind of camp with teammates.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, for one, is not worried about Lamb not being on point for Sunday afternoon’s game against the Browns.
“Yeah, he’ll be just fine,” Prescott said, via the Dallas Morning News. “We’ve had two weeks now getting him back in, obviously he was in shape. But on the field, defenders on your back, trying to catch in a tight window. He’s ready. He’s an elite player — just turn on the film from last year and you’ll see that. He’s gotten better. Right now it’s about going out there and showing it for both of us.”
CeeDee Lamb Led NFL in Receptions in 2023
The film from 2023 is, indeed, impressive. Lamb led the league and set a Cowboys franchise record with 125 catches, going for 1,749 yards in the process. He was a workhorse for the Cowboys last year, ranking No. 4 in the NFL in receiving grades from Pro Football Focus, and also ranking fourth among receivers with 1,078 snaps played.
The Cowboys need him not only to be in shape, but to be in top form from the get-go. On Thursday, he had what was his first full-contact, padded practice since last year.
“We’ve been working plenty,” Lamb said. “Plenty different routes, different situations, seeing different coverages, different stances. The list could go on and on. But yeah, me and Dak, we’ve always been on the same page since I got here since we’ve been playing together.”
But then, Cowboys fans should not panic if Lamb has a slow start. That has been the norm for him in his career. At Pro Football Reference, Lamb’s splits are broken down by four-game stints. In Games 1-4 of a season, Lamb averages 5.4 catches and 73.1 yards per game, the lowest quadrant of the season in both categories for Lamb in his career.
In Games 5-8, he averages 5.8 catches and 85.4 yards. In Games 9-12, it’s 6.3 catches and 73.3 yards. And in the final games of the year, the numbers are 6.3 receptions and 79.5 yards.
Cowboys Struggled on the Road in 2023
Prescott and Lamb will get a challenge in Week 1 from the Browns, who allowed 2,800 yards passing last season, making them the toughest defense to attack through the air in the NFL. They’re also going on the road, where the Cowboys were just 4-5 last season.
Lamb is aware of the task.
“[The Browns are] nice, man,” Lamb said, via the team’s website. “They’re nice all around the board — edge rushers, linebackers, they’ve got fast DBs. I’m very familiar with a couple of them. I know I’m on a personal level, so it’s going to be fun out there.
“I’m ready to compete.”
