FRISCO, Texas – If such a thing existed, CeeDee Lamb's training camp highlight reel would be several minutes long at this point.
They don't count on a stat sheet, and they definitely don't affect the win column. But the second-year receiver has cemented his status as a playmaker with repeated, show-stopping efforts in practice. If the Cowboys have taken the field a dozen times during this preseason, it's not a stretch to think Lamb has made a play in all of them.
With a 17-game season on the horizon, it's no surprise then that Lamb has high expectations for what he can accomplish in Year 2 – though he's not ready to share that information publicly.
"I'm going to just keep that to myself. Because when you put it out there, they think you're being cocky or something," he said. "So I'm going to keep that to myself. But it's pretty high, yeah."
Fittingly, it was secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. – whose players have been tasked with stopping Lamb – who described it perfectly just last week.
"He can catch the ball on every plane," Whitt said. "So, when I say that, it can cross his eyes, it can come low, it can come high, there's not a place that the quarterback can place the ball that he cannot catch it."
Lamb did it against during the Cowboys Night practice on Monday, when he separated from Anthony Brown on a falling, twisting back shoulder ball for a "game-winning" touchdown during two-minute drill.
At this point, the highlight moments don't seem to register for Lamb, who was more focused on the consistency of the full practice.
"It's just kind of being consistent and making the most of every opportunity I get," he said. "Today was probably one of the worst days of camp for me, as far as catching the ball-wise. But I'm always looking forward to working and being better."
If Lamb has struggled catching the ball, it hasn't been noticeable through these three weeks of camp. Instead, with Amari Cooper sidelined by an ankle injury, Lamb has displayed the ability to play on the outside and excel doing so, while also maintaining the versatility to move inside, where he spent most of his time during an impressive rookie season.
In the eyes of many, Lamb has already made the leap from an exciting rookie to an established veteran – a guy who doesn't need much preseason playing time to be ready for Week 1. Maybe that's the case, but Lamb isn't going to approach it that way. The coaching staff isn't going to reveal its plans for Saturday so quickly, but Lamb will be ready if he's called.
"I still want every rep," he said. "My competitiveness and everything and love for the game is still there. I'm young, I feel like any experience is great experience."
