If there's one silver lining to CeeDee Lamb's contract holdout, it's that it has opened up more practice reps at Dallas Cowboys training camp for young wide receivers. Players like Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and camp darling Tyron Billy-Johnson have made the most of their opportunities in Oxnard thus far.
The Cowboys are hopeful that Tolbert and Brooks will fill the third and fourth spots on the depth chart. However, even with Lamb the wide receiver room is very much a run-of-the-mill group. It ranks in the middle of the pack and it is only that high because Lamb is a bonafide superstar.
For that reason, Cowboys fans have been clamoring for the front office to sign or trade for an upgrade. That is easier said than done, especially for a regime that loves to cry poverty, but the free-agent market isn't bereft of talent. There are also some compelling names on roster bubbles that would serve as an upgrade to what the team has behind Lamb and Brandin Cooks.
Despite that, the Cowboys still insist on thrift shopping. Over the weekend, they signed UFL wideouts Deontay Burnett and Kelvin Harmon, per an official release.
Cowboys sign two UFL receivers amid CeeDee Lamb's contract holdout
This is the most underwhelming response possible to Lamb's holdout. That isn't to say the Cowboys should have went out and traded for a star (Brandon Aiyuk ain't happening, folks). However, most teams in a Super-Bowl-or-bust year would take one look at this WR room and look to upgrade.
Among the top remaining free agents is former Offensive Player of the Year Michael Thomas. Though Thomas is on the wrong side of 30 and has played just 20 games in the last four seasons due to injury, he proved last season that he is still a productive possession receiver.
Hunter Renfrow is another intriguing name. Renfrow fell out of favor with the Raiders under now-former head coach Josh McDaniels, but he's two years removed from catching 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine TDs. One of the most intelligent route-runners in the NFL, Renfrow is a nightmare to defend in man coverage and he knows how to find the pockets of space against zones.
It remains to be seen what WRs will become available for trade, but former draft crush Treylon Burks seems like a guarantee to get dealt by the Titans. Broncos touchdown machine Courtland Sutton and former Panthers second-round pick Terrace Marshall are other notable names that could get moved between now and the 2024 trade deadline.
There's still time for the Cowboys to make a big move at wide receiver. Unfortunately, fans will be lucky if this front office adds a running back and defensive tackle before the end of camp, let alone a wide receiver.
