The story taking center-stage in Dallas right now is the absence of Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb from training camp. As the superstar continues his holdout for a new contract, his backups are fighting for the spotlight.
Earlier this week, we got confirmation of Lamb’s absence, things got underway without him, and on Thursday we heard a whole lot from the organization on the subject.
The bottom line is this: Lamb wants a lot of money, Dallas should give it to him, but until they do, the focus should be on the rest of the Cowboys wide receivers.
After all, these are the guys that are going to be running the show in the Cowboys wide receiver room until they settle this thing, so we have to pay attention to who is performing, and who isn’t.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the receivers with the best chance to shine while one of the league’s best is away from the team.
Brandin Cooks Becomes WR1
Sometimes you have to talk about the obvious thing. In this case, that is Brandin Cooks being the most likely Cowboys wide out to step up during Lamb’s negotiation.
Cooks is heading into his 11th season, but he has never been considered a true WR1. When you take a longer look, however, you will see that it does not make much sense.
We’re talking about a guy who once had six 1,000 yard seasons in a seven-year span.
That is elite.
His size has always made him an under-appreciated guy, but this is his best chance yet to change the long-time narrative around him as a “great WR2.”
Just look at the wide receiver depth chart after Lamb and Cooks; it is incredibly weak. We’re talking about unproven young players and middle-of-the-road veterans. Thus, with Lamb out of the picture for the time being, the wide receiver group runs exclusively through Cooks.
Can he take advantage of that huge opportunity?
Will his long-term prominence in the Cowboys’ offense change based on how he handles that?
These are major questions for Cooks and there are even more than that.
He will need to answer the bell and be the leader in the Cowboys wide receiver room, or this offense could be dead-on-arrival until CeeDee Lamb returns.
Jalen Brooks Is The Dark-Horse Candidate
I have a question for the fanbase: why in the world are we not discussing 2023 6th-round pick Jalen Brooks more?
Yes, this former South Carolina Gamecock had just 6 receptions in 2023, but the flashes were undoubtedly there. His route-running, underrated speed, and big-play ability are all very promising traits in his development.
In addition to that, it seems like the Cowboys just flat out like this guy.
That really isn’t surprising when you look at Brooks’ big picture. He has ideal size at 6’2″, 205 lbs, is a hard worker, and his chemistry with Dak Prescott seems to be growing.
Things are looking good for this kid as training camp gets underway, and despite bigger names taking the spotlight, Jalen Brooks appears ready to move up in Lamb’s absence.
The Cowboys wide receiver room needs someone to provide explosive plays, and you can bet they are going to lean on him to do that, even after CeeDee returns.
Brooks will need to scrap for every inch during training camp, but he absolutely has a chance to become the WR3, and potentially the WR3/WR4 once all the Cowboys pass catchers are back to full strength.
Don’t forget about Brooks as things progress; he has a ton of potential.
Pressure Building For Jalen Tolbert
This could very well be it for 2022 3rd-round pick, Jalen Tolbert. The former South Alabama Cougar must contribute in a major way to the Cowboys offense or his days in Dallas could be numbered come 2025.
With Lamb holding out, that pressure has grown even more as the organization looks to see what they have beyond him.
Tolbert has never had a major injury that stunted his development, he is not a rookie, and he has now had three offseasons to develop his craft. It is time for Jalen to showcase his skills.
The Cowboys wide receiver depth chart, even without Lamb holding out, is a group that needs somebody like Tolbert to emerge.
He did improve in 2023, increasing from two catches for 12 yards in his rookie campaign to 22 catches for 268 yards last year. This has positioned him in the WR3 role, but with Lamb holding out, he is second on the depth chart to Cooks.
As a result, nobody outside of Cooks has a better chance to earn his keep during the holdout than Jalen Tolbert.
For as long as Lamb is away from the team and the Cowboys wide receiver room, Tolbert is going to have a ton of eyes on him.
It is his time to either show up and perform like a top-100 draft pick, or fade into the depth chart in favor of a guy like Brooks, or Ryan Flournoy, or KaVontae Turpin. Let’s see what he can do in Lamb’s absence.