CeeDee Lamb: Bigger & Badder as 'The Guy' for Dallas Cowboys?

Lamb is "doing all of the little things that are needed to get him ready to be the No. 1 guy.” - McCarthy

FRISCO - CeeDee Lamb is preparing to carry a heavier load in the Dallas Cowboys offense in 2021 ... so it stands to reason that he himself is heavier as well.

Oh, and taller, too.

"I’ve been ready," Lamb said of becoming the team's No. 1 wide receiver, which was part of the thinking in Dallas' salary-dump trade of Amari Cooper to Cleveland. "That’s just me and my competitiveness. That’s in my nature. I’m always ready for my name to be called."

Lamb, now 23, entered the NFL in 2020 out of Oklahoma at 6-2 and 189. He said this week here inside The Star that he's grown a half-inch taller; that's just his good fortune. But he added that he also put on an additional 10 pounds of muscle, and that takes work.

And indeed, the Cowboys' official roster now lists Lamb as weighing 200 pounds.

"Bigger and badder'' will help Lamb as he enters his third NFL season now as QB Dak Prescott's top target. Lamb tells CowboysSI.com that the "No. 1 spot'' will not mean he's limited to just being the "X'' or just being in the slot; he'll still continue to move all over for coach Mike McCarthy's offense.

"He’s the guy," said Prescott, and indeed, Lamb did stand out during the Wednesday OTA session inside Ford Center. (See "Top 20 Takes.'') "Just being young, hopefully he’s my receiver until I’m done playing."

The bond between Prescott and Lamb may take another step forward as the two have moved to locker stalls that are side-by-side, as Cooper's once was with Dak's. Bonding and communication and "brotherhood'' - a powerful word inside this locker room - can all pay off in a way that increases the numbers of Lamb, who last year helped the Cowboys with 79 receptions for 1,102 yards.

Lamb, McCarthy said, "looks great. This is a great opportunity for him personally.  ... We understand his rise in Year 3 that he’s going to get a lot more attention from the defense. But he’s doing all of the little things that are needed to get him ready to be the No. 1 guy.”

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