National Football League

Amari Cooper: CeeDee Lamb has 'been ready' to be Cowboys' WR1

Published Jul. 22, 2022 4:52 p.m. ET

By David Helman
FOX Sports Dallas Cowboys Writer

DALLAS — CeeDee Lamb has at least one big believer in his corner heading into a crucial season: former teammate Amari Cooper.

Maybe that shouldn't come as a surprise, given how close the two were during their two years together with the Cowboys. But when Cooper was asked Friday if Lamb is ready to be a No. 1 receiver, he didn't mince words.

"He's been ready," Cooper told 96.7FM The Ticket. "He's going to make the plays when his jersey number is called, and I can't wait to see it happen."

It's a nice sentiment between former teammates, though Cooper's show of support wasn't the most interesting part of the interview. Speaking specifically about Lamb's room for growth, Cooper noted that it has just as much to do with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and the Cowboys' playcalling.

"Again, it's just about opportunity," Cooper said. "I think if Kellen decides to feature him, he's definitely ready to step up."

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It's hard not to detect some shade in Moore's direction there, and it doesn't take that much digging to understand why Cooper might feel jaded. Cooper was targeted an average of 6.9 times per game last season, which was easily the lowest number of his three-and-a-half seasons as a Cowboy. Across 15 appearances in 2021, he was only targeted 10-plus times on four occasions.

Having since been traded to the Cleveland Browns, Cooper said he's hoping to be more involved on offense this year.

"You can never tell until the games come around, but just more intentional about getting me the rock," he said. "That's always the biggest difference when you talk about wide receivers."

This isn't the first time Cooper's discussed this. He's been outspoken to reporters about wanting the ball more as far back as Christmas. Friday, he reiterated that he felt frustration with how the offense functioned, particularly in the Cowboys' losses to playoff-caliber competition.

"I was kind of frustrated in that regard, because I saw the trend of me getting the ball in the red area and stuff like that," Cooper said. "I was like, ‘Man, all these playoff teams that we're losing to, we're going to have to play them again. And if we play them how we played them, or we're not taking advantage of the playmakers that we have so that we can win, we're going to lose.'"

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Of course, there are two sides to every story. Two of those games against playoff teams — the back-to-back losses to Kansas City and Las Vegas — did not feature Cooper because he contracted COVID-19, a situation that clearly aggravated the front office, as he was not vaccinated.

But with training camp set to open next week, it's water under the bridge for Cooper, who said he enjoyed his time in Texas and has no hard feelings toward the organization.

"It's not anything bad regarding the Cowboys," he said. "Like I said before, we all understand that it's a business, and I did enjoy my time with the Cowboys, and now I'm going to enjoy my time as a Cleveland Brown."

Even still, his words might be something to keep in mind as the season progresses.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports, providing insight and analysis on the NFL’s most visible franchise. Prior to joining FOX, David spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website, DallasCowboys.com. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State.