The Cowboys might take a step back this season. The song is called "1:24." The Dallas Cowboys gave Lamb the number 88. They need to be right. Lamb, the Cowboys' first-round pick in 2020, becomes the clear-cut No. 1 receiver with the trade of Cooper. The Cowboys have a cap room of $16 million. In Dallas history, No. 88 is sacred. Maybe not as sacred as No. 12 for Roger Staubach or No. 8 for Troy Aikman. With Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin both having worn No. 88, there is pressure on whoever wears it to play up to the standard. Lamb has handled it well in his first two years. The pressure will increase this season. He has to be the go-to guy for the quarterback the way Pearson was for Staubach. When you have great awareness and are skillful, it is easy to get on the same page. In his first two seasons, Lamb has over two thousand yards and 11 touchdown catches. He was an injury replacement for the Pro Bowl in 2021. The Cowboys didn't think they would be able to draft Lamb in 2020. He would be gone before they picked at 17 and they couldn't pass on a player that was on their draft board. Lamb has had some great moments in his first two seasons. In the overtime win at New England, he caught nine passes for 149 yards and two scores, including a 35-yard touchdown pass. Lamb said after the win that he would touch the ball from now on. The preview guide has the top 100 ranking.
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He has been given the ball as a tailback by the Cowboys.
There have been times where Lamb has not been a factor.
They lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card game. He caught a pass.
It can't be the fault of the game plan or the attention from San Francisco. He needs to lower his team-leading seven drops.
Before Cooper arrived in a trade from the Raiders, he struggled to reach 200 yards a game in passing. He had Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Cole Beasley, and a rookies Michael Gallup.
Cooper changed the dynamic, but it has changed a lot since then. Lamb needs to prove he can be a top passer without Cooper. Since they signed him to a huge contract last year, the Cowboys think that is the case with him.
From the beginning in 2022, there will be a better crew around him than there was in the beginning of this year.
Gallup will likely start the season on the physically unable to perform list because of surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, even though he is close to remaining on a multiyear contract.
The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on tight end, keeping their security blanket in the fold for at least one more season.
The Cowboys are likely to lose receiver Cedrick Wilson in free agency next week but could add help in the veteran market or early in the upcoming draft.
Lamb needs to take the next step in his development.
It needs to be worthy of the No. 88.
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