ClutchPoints
As usual, the Dallas Cowboys have contract concerns. Should George Pickens make more than CeeDee Lamb? Comparisons are being made to other star players with Pickens. And here is the burning question the Cowboys must answer amid the Pickens mandatory minicamp saga.
After decades of frustration, the Cowboys appear to have put together the type of team that could be a very real Super Bowl threat. But there’s an “if” to the equation.
And that is what kind of season the Cowboys will get from Pickens? Will he be as good as last year? Will he be better? Or perhaps will he be a disruptive force that tears the Cowboys apart from the inside?
It’s simple on the offensive side of the football. The Cowboys can have the NFL’s No. 1 offense. But that likely only happens if Pickens matches his 2025 production.
The fourth-year veteran caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards with nine touchdowns. He easily outdistanced the production of running mate CeeDee Lamb on the other side of the field.
Without a doubt, Pickens fit in with the NFL’s top receivers. If he does that again this year, the Cowboys will be in business.
Pickens reported to the team’s mandatory minicamp, ending speculation about whether he would hold out. However, the Cowboys don’t plan on getting a ton of work from Pickens during the camp, according to ESPN.
“He’s obviously a great athlete, but we’ll be smart, but there’s plenty of things he can do from the mocks to the walk-throughs and get him back into the system,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “Again, if we’re cautious, it’s just because we want to be cautious. It’s not because we don’t think he’s not working. We think he’s putting in the work and preparing to have a hell of a year.”
Quarterback Dak Prescott said he understands the team’s decision to take it slow with Pickens, according to dallascowboys.com.
“Even if he’s in, I doubt it’s a full, he’s going full go, jumping in the team,” Prescott said. “I would hope not to be honest, just being protected and being smart. Just hope he gets in just to see some of the new guys, meet some of the new guys. I’m sure he’ll be here.”
Pickens will have to play under the $27.3 million franchise tag he signed a few months ago. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the team would not negotiate a long-term deal with the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
Schottenheimer said the team didn’t pull any punches about its stance. The Cowboys don’t plan on signing Pickens to a long-term deal at this time.
“It was me, George and Jerry [Jones],” Schottenheimer said. “We made it clear with how much we love him and what he’s done for us here, and what he’s going to do for us for a long time.”
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