CeeDee Lamb reveals how he found out about WR1 and Amari Cooper exit

Longtime sportswriter and NFL analyst Mike Silver has a new show on Colin Cowherd’s network of podcasts, and one of his first guests was none other than the Dallas Cowboys’ new WR1 CeeDee Lamb. The 30-minute interview (below) goes through a lot of pressing questions being asked of Lamb right now: What are his expectations? What happened in the Wild Card game? Who does he look up to in the game? Is he ready to be a WR1?

The ironic thing is that this massive role change came as a surprise to the young receiver. The Oklahoma product found out the main member of the Cowboys WR Trio was heading to Cleveland while working out.

"“I was actually in a gym and I saw it on TV. I was working out in Ft. Lauderdale in my offseason program and I was like ‘Wow, that’s crazy.’ and my phone started blowing up minutes after.”"

That’s one way to find out about a massive promotion.

Lamb also told Silver that he greatly appreciated being able to learn from Cooper. That’s why the Cowboys’ young receiver reached out to his former teammate as soon as he heard about the trade:

"“Just wanted to thank him for everything he had done for me in the first two years. Those are real important to me and my direction and trying to find a place in this league where there’s a lot of great receivers. A lot of guys who do a lot of things well in this position. Just giving him his roses for taking me under his wing.”"

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb explains how he found out about the Amari Cooper trade and talks WR1 expectations

With the former star receiver out, his teammate Michael Gallup out for at least a few games at the start of the year, and two newcomers vying for a spot in the starting trio, there is a lot of pressure on the 23-year-old’s shoulders.

In just his third NFL season, he will see a massive increase in targets and snaps due to injuries alone. He even told Silver that he expects teams to start to double team him in coverage next season. That, to him, would be a compliment that shows how much of a threat he is downfield. Instead of shying away from the pressure, Lamb seems ready to take on a new level of play.

"“That’s a lot to take in. It kind of happened so fast, but I feel like that’s a situation I’m ready to take on. Honestly, it kind of, in a sense, raised the standard. Obviously, I hold myself to a high standard already, but obviously, at this moment, there’s nothing else you can really do but take it on. That’s the energy I have.”"

Coming off a Pro Bowl-level year two, Lamb has obviously shown he can be a top NFL receiver. His teammates believe in his abilities too, but we won’t know anything for sure until we see him on the field. Will the pressure of replacing his former teammate be too much? Or, will the young Cowboys WR prove he’s worthy of a top spot?