Brandin Cooks unbothered by CeeDee Lamb's absence from camp

Dallas Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks compares CeeDee Lamb's holdout to Aaron Donald's

Jun 4, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (3) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys are going through their second training camp practice of the year. The team is relatively healthy and optimistic about the 2024 campaign, as they should be - at least for the regular season, anyway.

One stain on the outfit is the absence of superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who's holding out in the hopes of getting a new contract.

Lamb is due just under $18 million for the fifth-year option portion of his rookie deal, but he's looking to reset the market at his position and make more than Justin Jefferson's megadeal with Minnesota, which averages $35 million per year.

Based on what team owner Jerry Jones had to say at his press conference today, it doesn't sound like a deal is imminent between Lamb and the front office. For now, the top of the wide receiver depth chart is occupied by long-time veteran Brandin Cooks, who doesn't sound too concerned about Lamb sitting out.

Here's what he told Jon Machota on the sidelines at today's practice.

Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks when asked about the importance of training camp for CeeDee Lamb: “He’s the best receiver in the league for a reason. I played with a guy in Aaron Donald, who if I’m not mistaken, didn’t come to camp three years in a row and won Defensive Player of the… pic.twitter.com/5jTlrbnGa0

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 25, 2024

Cooks is a highly underrated receiver in his own right, who has posted at least 550 yards every year he's been in the NFL, despite never having been the number one option on any team he's been on. That includes three years with the Saints, three more with the Texans, two years with the Rams, and one each with New England and Dallas.

As impressive as Cooks' consistency is, he's not someone you want being the WR2 on your team, to say nothing of being the No. 1 target. Cooks might be one of the NFL's best WR3 options, but that's probably about as high as he should go on the depth chart at this stage of his career.

Even after they get a new deal done for their franchise receiver, the Cowboys have to seriously consider signing another one to help complement Cooks and Lamb.

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