Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys are trading for George Pickens.
One of the biggest questions heading into the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys is who will be CeeDee Lamb's running mate at wide receiver. The front office has openly discussed the need for more explosive play at the position and aimed to address that in the first round of the NFL draft. After their dreams of Tetairoa McMillan ended with the Carolina Panthers selecting him at 8th overall, the Cowboys had to pivot.
Jerry Jones has made his move. Bobby Belt, Cowboys insider for 105.3 The Fan, says Dallas is trading for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Ian Rapoport says the Cowboys will be giving up a “third round pick and a late round pick swap.” ESPN’s Todd Archer added those details.
Pickens is as talented as they come, making highlight reel, acrobatic plays seen on ESPN's Top Ten countdown. Throughout his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Pickens has 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns. His breakout season came in 2023, when he had over 1,100 yards and a league-leading 18.1 yards per reception.
However, with all the good in Pickens’ game, the Steelers had higher hopes for their young receiver to develop into their franchise star. He was entering the final year of his rookie deal, so instead of waiting to see what could be, Pittsburgh decided the best option would be to trade him now without making a financial commitment.
Enter the Cowboys. The Pickens connection to Dallas should not come as a huge surprise, considering they were reportedly one of the teams willing to trade for him before the draft. The deal ultimately fell through, but things in this league can change with the wind.
Pickens comes to Dallas with his fair share of off-the-field concerns, but if Brian Schottenheimer’s primary focus is to build a strong brotherhood and culture, then a change of scenery may do Pickens some real good. Not to mention, he will be lining up alongside one of the best receivers in the NFL, helping take some pressure off his shoulders to be the No. 1 option in Dallas’ offense.
The front office covets their draft picks more than anything so giving up a third round pick makes you wonder if that means Pickens is a lock for the team’s long-term future, or if the two sides agreed to work towards an extension after the trade. By the way, David Mulugheta represents Pickens. That is the same agent who represents Micah Parsons, the one who Jerry Jones claimed to not know the name of.
Still, it is a low-risk, high-reward type of move Jerry Jones has shown capable of making in recent history for a player on a one-year, prove-it deal (e.g., Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore). Even though Schottenheimer and the front office have praised their wide receivers behind Lamb, they could not go into 2025, hoping to see what would become of Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo.
The Cowboys have silenced...
