CeeDee Lamb wears No. 88, made famous by Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson, but it's another Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer that the second-year wide receiver is channeling this offseason: Terrell Owens.
Lamb is wearing a bracelet emblazoned with T.O.'s old catchphrase: "Get your popcorn ready."
The burgeoning young wideout displayed why all eyes should be fixated on him during Thursday's OTAs, making a head-turning catch over corner Anthony Brown on a deep shot near the sideline.
"I mean, as a typical receiver, I feel like if the ball is in the air 50/50, the receiver is feeling like it's 100/0 always," Lamb said, . "I'm looking to be more aggressive. Any time I see the ball in the air, I believe it is mine."
Lamb set a Cowboys rookie record with 74 receptions last season, and his 935 yards were second in club history. He also added five scores.
Lamb burst out of the gate with two 100-plus-yard games in the first five weeks of the season as a rookie. Not coincidently, both of those games came with Dak Prescott in the lineup. Without the star QB, Lamb wasn't as prolific, generating just two games of 70-plus yards the rest of the way, including a Week 7 goose egg.
The wideout believes a Year 2 leap is on the way as he becomes more consistent.
"I feel like the jump is definitely there," Lamb said. "It's all in the future to gauge it. I am excited about the future. I can't wait for the season."
Lamb noted that having a full offseason program ahead of his second season will be a big boon. It's a sentiment shared by coach Mike McCarthy.
"I think CeeDee is an excellent example of what you are looking for in your second-year player," McCarthy said. "The second-year player benefits the most in the full offseason program. They make the second-year jump. He is very comfortable, very natural. CeeDee is definitely making that move you like to see in your second-year players."
If Lamb makes a leap from his solid rookie campaign into the class of elite stars, popcorn will certainly be in order.
