Blogging The Boys
Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have Jess Haynie, Sean Martin, Brian Martin, and RJ Ochoa.
Mike: It’s a good deal that George Pickens is back in training, but it’s not time to pretend he’s suddenly going full throttle. The important part is he’s in the building, he’s engaged, and the holdout noise has quieted. That matters for Dak Prescott, for the timing of the offense, and for a receiver room that needs clarity opposite CeeDee Lamb. At this stage, though, expectations should be calm. Pickens being present gives Dallas a much better chance to build chemistry now instead of playing catch-up in camp.
Jess: It’s probably not as big a deal internally as the media portrays, but it’s still great to see good news and some reduced drama. A lot can happen between now and camp, so the fire could be stoked if he makes a different decision at that point. But hopefully, this positive step is a sign that he’s accepted playing on the tag and will be shenanigan-free going forward.
Sean: It’s a medium-sized deal, I suppose. For a team going into year two with a head coach that’s all about culture, and a big part of the offensive continuity they’re relying on to be great, having Pickens around as much as possible is a plus in both areas.
Brian: I’m not the least bit concerned about the goings on of George Pickens. He needs to be at his best both on and off the field to earn the long-term contract he’s seeking from either the Cowboys or another team around the league. Every little thing he does and says will be heavily scrutinized and he and his reps know it. Because of all that, he should be fully involved in practice and meetings.
Mike: What’s impressed me most about the defense during early OTAs isn’t one player flashing, it’s the balance of the whole operation. The offense is already talking like this group is harder to solve. Dak Prescott pointed to the communication, saying when the offense motions or makes calls, the defense is “as loud as we are,” which is exactly what you want to hear after last year’s breakdowns. CeeDee Lamb went even further, calling the defense “annoying” and “very tricky” to prepare against. That’s a good step up from last year’s unit.
Jess: Easy answer: Christian Parker. It’s not like there’s much to see or know yet from the players, so have to go with what we saw of Parker’s teaching and influence on both sides of the ball. His antagonizing of the offense will only draw out more motivation and...
