Cowboys news: Ceedee Lamb tired of getting close and tired of the “teases”

CeeDee Lamb ‘Tired of Getting Close!’ - And Of Cowboys Dak Prescott Criticism - Cowboys Country, Mike Fisher

Aren’t we all.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys have endured many criticisms since their season-ending loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. But no Cowboys player has taken more heat than quarterback Dak Prescott.

CeeDee Lamb is tired of the criticism. But he’s also tired of the Cowboys falling a bit short.

“I’m trying to make it to the Big Game. I’m tired of getting close,” said Lamb, who emerged this year as a premium-level NFL receiver. “I’ve only been in the playoffs two years. This is the farthest I’ve gotten and I’m tired of the teases.”

Open Market: Eyeing Free Agent Safeties for Dallas - DallasCowboys.com, Patrik Walker

What the Cowboys could be looking at in terms of safeties.

FRISCO, TX — There’s a lot of discussion surrounding who’ll land the Dallas Cowboys’ franchise tag in 2023, and rightfully so, with the nod likely going to running back Tony Pollard over tight end Dalton Schultz, though those aren’t the only two who belong in that conversation — safety Donovan Wilson having earned a seat in that dialogue as well.

The problem in potentially tagging Wilson would be cost and, as such, it’s much more prudent to try and get him on a new deal without a tag and before legal tampering gets underway on March 13. It’s all still very much a business, though, and that means there’s no guarantee Wilson is in Dallas when the 2023 season gets underway.

If he isn’t, the Cowboys would need to act fast in locating a possible veteran replacement, but I’ll spare you the clickbait and omit names like Jessie Bates, III and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, seeing as they’re likely going to set the market at the position.

More realistically, given the current state of affairs at the position in Dallas, they’d need to peek behind Bates and Gardner-Johnson to see who’s there.

Progress Report: Second-Year Leap for Odighizuwa - DallasCowboys.com, Layten Praytor

Sophomore slump? Never heard of her.

Once again, the Cowboys find themselves with over 20 players who have expiring contracts. But still, there’s a large percentage of players on the roster already in place. Over the next few weeks, the staff writers will evaluate those players under contract, reviewing their past performances with an outlook to the future. Today, we’ll continue the series with defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.

What Worked: Odighizuwa made a quick and strong first impression during his rookie campaign in 2021 and followed that up with a better sophomore season under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Across the board the 24-year-old saw all of his stats modestly increase, including solos and combined tackles along with his tackles for loss and sacks all while starting all 17 games and two postseason starts. Alongside midseason acquisition Johnathan Hankins and Carlos Watkins, Odighizuwa helped solidify the Cowboys’ interior defensive front.

Needs Some Work: For as dominant as the Cowboys’ defense was for a vast majority of the season, the one thing that seemed to hold them back was their struggles in stopping the run game. While that doesn’t all fall on the UCLA product in Odighizuwa of course, he will be a crucial piece moving forward for Quinn to help rectify the run-stopping issues that plagued the Cowboys in 2022. The good news? Odighizuwa has seen steady improvement in each area of his game after two years, giving hope that he will continue to address his game.

Cowboys ‘Meet Extensively’ with QB Hendon Hooker; Dak Prescott Backup in NFL Draft? - Cowboys Country, Zach Dimmitt

Back to drafting quarterbacks for the front office.

It wouldn’t hurt for the Cowboys to dip their toes in the rookie quarterback waters in order to prepare for the future at the position. And according to reports from The Draft Network, the Cowboys have done just that, as they’re reportedly one of five known teams to have “met extensively” with former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hooker.

Other clubs like the Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants have all reportedly shown similar interest.

Should the Cowboys choose to purse Hooker in the draft, they’d be suggesting a possible intent to make him the signal-caller of the future after a year or two of learning on the sidelines while only having to potentially burn a second-round pick on him. Of course, he’s still healing from an ACL tear that seems likely to keep him out of any team activity in the summer given that the injury happened in November.

5 Z-receiver targets for Cowboys in 2023 draft - CowboysWire, Tim Lettiero

Even Jerry has to see a need for another dependable receiver, right?

The Z wide receiver can be found in all offenses and is a versatile threat with one key trait, speed. These receivers typically line up outside on the same side as the tight end or Y and face less press coverage. This often leads to more opportunities to win downfield. Size is not a huge factor here as athleticism and the ability to get open are the most preferred traits.

Ja’Marr Chase, Stefan Diggs and Chris Godwin are some of the best in the league at this role. Veteran T.Y. Hilton played this role for Dallas in 2022 and while CeeDee Lamb often plays here as well, Lamb is best out of the slot. Hilton will likely not be on the roster in 2023 as he was a second-half rental, so here are five draft targets to partner with Lamb for the long term.

1: Jordan Addison, 6-foot, 175 pounds, USC

Addison started his career as a top recruit and the No. 1 weapon for current Steeler and former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett. He then moved to USC with HC Lincoln Riley to become QB Caleb Williams top target and continued to excel.

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