For the most part, the Dallas Cowboys have not had to deal with any injuries to star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, other than a couple of bumps along the road. Lamb missed two games last season, but it was the first time he'd missed any games since he got to the NFL.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys are now going to have to deal with another injury to Lamb, who is expected to miss at least the next three, possibly four games with an ankle injury. At this point, Lamb won't go on IR because the Cowboys are going to hold out hope he'll be on the short side of that timeline, but this injury makes one particular move in the offseason seem like a stroke of genius on Jerry Jones's part.
The Cowboys traded for disgruntled Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, who has already made some big plays for the Dallas offense, and now they're going to need him to be their WR1 during a crucial stretch.
Cowboys' George Pickens trade looking like a stroke of genius for Jerry Jones
Pickens has had identical stat lines in the last two games for the Cowboys, catching five passes on nine targets for 68 yards and a touchdown in each game. He made an outstanding one-handed catch in the loss against the Chicago Bears, but even more is going to be expected of him now with Lamb missing some time.
The Cowboys traded for Pickens knowing that he could be an ideal WR2 to pair with Lamb when both were healthy and on the field, but also because in the NFL, you are only as good as your depth. The Cowboys know their receiver depth has not been great the past couple of seasons, and having someone like Pickens makes an injury to someone like Lamb bearable.
Certainly not preferable, but bearable.
Pickens is capable of taking on a bigger target share with his contested catch abilities and strong hands. And now, the Cowboys are going to be asking a lot more of him going forward. We'll obviously see increased roles for other guys like Jalen Tolbert, but don't be surprised if Pickens is getting a minimum of 12 or so targets per week with Lamb on the mend.
If the Cowboys hadn't made the trade for Pickens, any extended absence for Lamb would have left them in a brutal position. Now, they have a chance to weather the storm and actually sustain some offensive success while he heals up to return around midseason.