Dallas Cowboys: 3 takeaways from the third episode of Hard Knocks

With this week’s episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks in the books-or, on your screens to be more precise- we are now officially more than halfway through this season featuring the Dallas Cowboys.

So far Hard Knocks has been pretty entertaining and the show has given us no shortage of great Cowboys moments. We’ve seen the truly odd, like in the first episode when cameras caught Jerry Jones dumping salt onto his McGriddle (a series of words I never believed I’d type). Other moments, like the second episode’s focus on edge rusher Azur Kamara, have been far more inspirational.

The third episode delivered a ton of great content, even if it admittedly feels like this season of Hard Knocks as a whole is lacking a central focus. Now, just as I’ve done during the show’s first and second installments, here are three takeaways from this episode of Hard Knocks:

1. Amari Cooper is still the Dallas Cowboys’ WR1…and a great mentor

Second-year receiver CeeDee Lamb has been getting so much preseason hype that it’s easy to forget the Dallas Cowboys still have a four-time Pro Bowler sitting right at the top of their depth chart.

That isn’t to say that Lamb’s hype hasn’t been earned or warranted, it absolutely has been. However, fans simply shouldn’t forget about Amari Cooper quite yet. At the very least, CeeDee Lamb certainly hasn’t.

The video above was released prior to this week’s episode and it tells viewers a lot about both receivers. In the clip, Lamb pulls Cooper aside to ask him about his approach to releases. Cooper is more than happy to talk with Lamb and drop some veteran knowledge on him.

As a fan, you have to love seeing that after a terrific rookie season, CeeDee Lamb is still this open to improving his game. Sure it seems like a relatively little thing, but not every receiver does this and it speaks volumes about his dedication and desire to get better.

Likewise, Cooper taking him aside and walking him through his release is fantastic and showcases some great leadership on his part. If these two are learning from each other and working together to improve on any gaps in their game, then the sky is the limit for Dallas’ wide receiver room.

Between his reserved presence and the abundance of talent this team has at receiver, it’s easy to sleep on Cooper. There will likely come a day when CeeDee Lamb becomes the undisputed WR1 on the Dallas Cowboys, it might even be relatively soon. For now, though? Amari Cooper can still proudly wear that crown.