Cooks Exits Practice; More 'Urgency' for Lamb?

Last week, Jerry Jones proclaimed the Dallas Cowboys did not feel urgency in regard to an extension with star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Whether true, false or confused, his comments only stirred more calamity into an already frustrating situation.

Though Brandin Cooks remains on the roster and Jalen Tolbert appears several steps forward from where he performed at last season, this offense will undoubtedly revolve around Lamb (when he's on the field). But without terms on an extension with his franchise, he remains in a holdout from training camp.

Thursday served as a glaring reminder of Lamb's importance to the Cowboys. Cooks exited practice and went to the locker room with what ended up being knee soreness. It might be easy to breathe a sigh of relief and wipe one's brow, though in truth it should be a wakeup call for certain folks.

Dallas does not have another experienced receiver like Cooks on the roster. With Lamb out of the picture, what does this room like if he's not back early in the season and his veteran teammate sustains a considerable and misses time?

It's a pessimistic hypothetical, yet a reasonable concern.

Training camp has not been friendly to some premier players in the NFL and in the wrong situation, the same could be true for the Cowboys. This week, Lions' running back Jahmyr Gibbs went down with a hamstring injury and Vikings receiver Jordan Addison suffered an ankle injury.

Related: 'How Good Is It?' Dak Reveals Contract Update

Both situations seem more hopeful than originally thought, but could have vastly impacted the outlook for each team. With two players whose potential extensions (or lack thereof) will have a magnitude extending league-wide, the last thing the Cowboys need is an injury to shape that picture first.

Perhaps a deal comes this weekend or into next week, but the preseason is winding down and Dallas' most important non-quarterback player still has not showed for any camp activities. That needs to change. Fast.

Whether its cap gymnastics or difficulty finding the right number, the Cowboys are running out of excuses and out of time.