Sportsnaut
An interesting new report suggests teams in the NFC East and around the league are very worried about how good the Dallas Cowboys can be in 2025 now that they have big-play receiver George Pickens.
“This George Pickens trade has the league’s full attention, particularly in the NFC East,” ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said on a Saturday edition of Sportscenter [h/t Bleacher Report]. “People I’ve talked to in that division feel like he can tilt the field for Dallas. And he’ll be a major player. Because he is one of the best contested-catchers in the league. Body contortive things downfield. So he gives them a new dimension.
“The issue in Pittsburgh was really the maturity issues. But a lot of it stems from Pickens wanting to get the ball and wanting the offense to move properly. Having the passing game humming. And so Dallas has that with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb already. So he’s walking into a good situation.”
Related: Dallas Cowboys reporter sheds light on Trevon Diggs’ murky future with team
The former Pittsburgh Steelers second-round pick has shown flashes of being a player with perennial Pro Bowler potential. However, while so many receivers deal with injuries in today’s game, Pickens played in 17 games in two of his three seasons, and 14 in the other. His big problem in the Steel City was butting heads with teammates and the coaching staff about how he was used in the offense.
It created a very poor reputation for the 24-year-old around the NFL. But the Cowboys have never shied away from adding players with off-the-field issues. Following the spring trade, various reports suggested that Dallas believes their leadership structure, led by Prescott, would have a positive influence on Pickens. And get him on the same page with his new team quickly.
Pickens is, arguably, the league’s best receiver at going up and making catches against defenders. Adding that to a team that already has a stud pass catcher in Lamb could make the Dallas pass game one of the NFL’s best in 2025.
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