If you were to offer George Pickens a contract how much would it be?

[atlantacowboy]

Knowing his agent and dire need of so many teams for a legit #1 WR, the starting number is going to be Justin Jefferson's 4 year 140M deal.

 

[Bigtex67]

Lamb is getting $34M, so $31M probably gets it done but I'm on the fence whether or not to sign him to a long-term deal after this season. I'm inclined to tag him, see how he responds and maybe get it done in 2026 mid-season. Keep in mind, we have an out on Lamb deal at the end of 2027.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/player/_/year/2025/position/wr/sort/contract_average

Before the season, I would have agreed with the Tag. Now after watching him play and the fact that he truly seems happy here....why screw with that relationship / happiness with the tag. If you want him, sign him.

 

[blueblood70]

Before the season, I would have agreed with the Tag. Now after watching him play and the fact that he truly seems happy here....why screw with that relationship / happiness with the tag. If you want him, sign him.

'cause he's not gonna stay here anyway you tag him but you tell him you're gonna tag him with the highest tender possible so you can get the most for him and let him seek a tree because I don't think he wants to be a number two he does not want to be under Lamb's shadow he wants more money than what a number two can pay Therefore he's leaving but the only way you're gonna maximize the value to to get the best trade value for him is to tag him that is what it's for not necessary to hold him down with an anchor and keep him here and so you can get more draft capital.
Pump pick won't work if you have the ability to franchise tag a player and also let them go seek a trade so both sides win that's what you do that's what we're talking about he is not playing under the tag we don't want to go through all that nonsense you're right that would be bad if they were trying to keep him with the tag he won't play he'll pull Parsons he'll be injured every week he'll be going half speed you do not want that in your locker room....

 

[blueblood70]

Lamb is getting $34M, so $31M probably gets it done but I'm on the fence whether or not to sign him to a long-term deal after this season. I'm inclined to tag him, see how he responds and maybe get it done in 2026 mid-season. Keep in mind, we have an out on Lamb deal at the end of 2027.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/player/_/year/2025/position/wr/sort/contract_average

That's not what I read this is his lowest hit it's 38 almost 39 million next year and 41 million in 2027 His contract was supposed to be AAV of 39.8 but when you spread it out it's a little different but you cannot pay Pickens $31 million as the number two it doesn't make sense don't give me the he's Superman and Batman and not Batman and Robin this is a capped league and you have to try to keep it at 29 would be more comfortable but if he asked for thirty maybe.

Sit I know it don't sound like much more but it is we need to rebuild this defense and can't afford. 2 WR1 salaries on this team

It's an embarrassment of riches I know we want to keep him he's great I hope he stays but you just can't give him too much you cannot overpay did you see how George played without Lamb or Turpin offense looked good didn't it I seen CD lamb with Turpin look pretty damn good with Flournoy coming up using the draft pick you can get when George leaves you know his compensation for leaving you can get a good to great wide receiver in this year's draft on a better contract that's better for the team and leaves you more money to build a defense..


Nobody wants to hear it but that's the truth you can't just give the guy too much it goes for Aubrey too people are like give him a blank check pay him whatever he wants that is not how this works...

Right now T Higgins is making like 28 he's the highest paid number two receiver in the league why can't you offer 29 and George be happy well I can tell you why because he doesn't want to be in CD lambs shadow so we're not even going to worry about this he's leaving because he can get 35 or more in the open market as the number one on some team don't say he can't he will find a team...

It's like there was only one team that would ever pay Parsons that kind of money and that was the Packers with the compensation and the money that was a bus we're going to find it only takes one team and George will find a team to pay him like 36 million a year and let him be the guy he likes being the guy you know He wants to be the number one wide receiver on the team..

 

[thunderpimp91]

That's not what I read this is his lowest hit it's 38 almost 39 million next year and 41 million in 2027 His contract was supposed to be AAV of 39.8 but when you spread it out it's a little different but you cannot pay Pickens $31 million as the number two it doesn't make sense don't give me the he's Superman and Batman and not Batman and Robin this is a capped league and you have to try to keep it at 29 would be more comfortable but if he asked for thirty maybe.

Sit I know it don't sound like much more but it is we need to rebuild this defense and can't afford. 2 WR1 salaries on this team

It's an embarrassment of riches I know we want to keep him he's great I hope he stays but you just can't give him too much you cannot overpay did you see how George played without Lamb or Turpin offense looked good didn't it I seen CD lamb with Turpin look pretty damn good with Flournoy coming up using the draft pick you can get when George leaves you know his compensation for leaving you can get a good to great wide receiver in this year's draft on a better contract that's better for the team and leaves you more money to build a defense..


Nobody wants to hear it but that's the truth you can't just give the guy too much it goes for Aubrey too people are like give him a blank check pay him whatever he wants that is not how this works...

Right now T Higgins is making like 28 he's the highest paid number two receiver in the league why can't you offer 29 and George be happy well I can tell you why because he doesn't want to be in CD lambs shadow so we're not even going to worry about this he's leaving because he can get 35 or more in the open market as the number one on some team don't say he can't he will find a team...

It's like there was only one team that would ever pay Parsons that kind of money and that was the Packers with the compensation and the money that was a bus we're going to find it only takes one team and George will find a team to pay him like 36 million a year and let him be the guy he likes being the guy you know He wants to be the number one wide receiver on the team..

Personally I doubt it takes mid 30M money to get a deal done with Pickens, but even if it does is it really a dealbreaker?

1. You're going to backload that deal so the first 1-2 years will be fairly cheap
2. Lamb has plenty of flexibility in his deal with a $21M cap hit for 2028 so he becomes an obvious restructure candidate...you could even look to extend him again early similar to what the Eagles did with AJ Brown.
3. You can pretty manipulate both Lamb & Pickens extensions to stay relatively cheap through the end of Dak contract which is by far the biggest cap hurdle right now.

The AAV is just so irrelevant today because teams have pretty much mastered how to manipulate the cap. It really just comes down to if the Cowboys feel comfortable extending a player another team sold low on, and how much guaranteed money they are willing to put up. It doesnt matter if they give him $40M AAV if the guaranteed money is reasonable.

 

[Whirlwin]

That's not greed I never said it was greed I never even really said he was using us in a negative way this is about his career this is about his wants and needs if he wants to be a number one which he has a right to be the guy you know that gets all the targets that they feed more also gets paid more to do so he gets the recognition people buy his jerseys just because he's the guy at WR1..

I'm saying I can tell that's where his head is at you listen to him in the interviews it's all right there maybe he'll change his mind but when a man says he's happy to be a Cowboy because the Cowboys are so recognized primetime games they're all over every single newscast that he's using the Cowboys to showcase his skill set in order to up his value he has said those same words five times already interviews this year that tells me he's looking for the biggest contract of his career meaning it might be his last big opportunity for a big deal..

You can't do that being in Lamb's shadow because we can only afford to pay him 30 at the most i'm really looking at this for the Cowboys to offer him 29 that makes him the highest paid back up WR2 in the league it puts him ahead of T Higgins and what not That's a very fair offer but if he wants more than that he has to go and I believe he will because I bet he can get 35 somewhere else that's an awful lot of money But you also have to believe this player wants the recognition you can't get that being in Lamb's shadow..

Sure he might change his mind but you all need to like come to grips with the fact that he's not gonna be here next year and I don't want to hear it's about Steven and Jerry being cheap this is a player who might want more that he can't get here not just money He wants the recognition as A WR 1 and to be that guy on a team he wants to be appreciated and that comes with more money but it also comes with that tag that you're the guy...

I never said you said it was greed. Do you have a self-esteem complex?

 

[blueblood70]

Personally I doubt it takes mid 30M money to get a deal done with Pickens, but even if it does is it really a dealbreaker?

1. You're going to backload that deal so the first 1-2 years will be fairly cheap
2. Lamb has plenty of flexibility in his deal with a $21M cap hit for 2028 so he becomes an obvious restructure candidate...you could even look to extend him again early similar to what the Eagles did with AJ Brown.
3. You can pretty manipulate both Lamb & Pickens extensions to stay relatively cheap through the end of Dak contract which is by far the biggest cap hurdle right now.

The AAV is just so irrelevant today because teams have pretty much mastered how to manipulate the cap. It really just comes down to if the Cowboys feel comfortable extending a player another team sold low on, and how much guaranteed money they are willing to put up. It doesnt matter if they give him $40M AAV if the guaranteed money is reasonable.

Realize you realize the agent we're dealing with the same one as Parsons so yeah I think that's where the deal is gonna go maximum money shorter years bigger guarantees and they'll do whatever they need to in public to embarrass Jerry until jerry gives up and tells him to go fly a kite like he did with parsons..

I'm not saying it's going to happen i'm telling you he can get 35 somewhere else and why would he not want to go be a starter and get all the targets and all the glory?.


cowboys would be ridiculous that they offered him a dime over thirty that's my point. You cite all that other stuff all you want the Cowboys still need more money to put on defense this would be an embarrassment of riches if you don't get that I can't help you all you guys are falling in love with the Greatest Show on turf when our defense is falling apart and you complain jerry does not put enough money or assets on the defense and you want them to overpay for a #2 wide receiver..

This is not a need do I need to remind you that with CD lamb here we've had this type of season in 2023 him and Dak were on fire offense was great we've had number one offenses before How about earlier in the year George Pickens without Turpin and without Lamb was keeping this offense moving just fine without having somebody else oh that's somebody else was Flournoy some dude that doesn't need $30 million to put up 100 yards..

That's my point let's be realistic here this would be a bonus a benefit it was really be nice and comfortable having George Pickens here but it has to fit right and I'm telling you I wouldn't do a penny over 30 I would try to offer him 29 and make a lot of it guaranteed and see if he'll stay if not I'll take the draft picks i'm thinking like a real GM here you guys are thinking like you're putting together a fantasy football team The Cowboys can't afford to do that and also help the defense we need a super quick turn around on the defense and that means not spending over $30 million on a number 2 wide receiver...

Yes it does matter 40 is insane where do we all of a sudden go from 30 to 40 I telling you he can easily get 35 or more on the open market to be the guy on another team and that's what he's going to do You expecting Jerry to manipulate the cap just to keep AWR 2 to keep Batman and Robin together or Superman and Batman whatever ridiculous things being talked about on the Internet when our defense is hurting really bad and I've already explained how our offense can run with a very young high draft pick at WR along with flurnoy and the rest of our group....

I understand it would be nice to keep him but it would be ridiculous to overpay and have to manipulate the cap to make the offense better when you need to make the defense better our offense can run just fine with CD Lamb Turpin Ferguson I'd rather pay Williams with this offensive line and then you have guys on the come up like Flournoy, but you're gonna get a high draft pick for letting George Pickens leave and now you use that on another wide receiver in the draft I don't get how you don't understand this..

You all are thinking like a fantasy football GM or whatever they call those I don't play fantasy football but you cannot do what you're saying it doesn't matter if it's possible you offer him 29 you keep it capped at 30 if he doesn't want it you let him go seek a trade on a franchise tag you get as much as you can for him and you move on...

 

[J-man]

This stuff is why I hate the salary cap. They need to change how it's done or get rid of it.
I think they should have a separate cap for QB's. Or only a percentage of their salary goes against the cap or something like that. Some teams are just better at acquiring top tier players and it's not fair that they can't "afford" to keep them all, even if they have the $ to do it.

 

[Wichitaleafs]

Don't sign him. He is in a contract year and playing/acting his best and will revert back to normal self next year.

 

[Reid1boys]

Before the season, I would have agreed with the Tag. Now after watching him play and the fact that he truly seems happy here....why screw with that relationship / happiness with the tag. If you want him, sign him.

yep... look at the sounds from the sidelines clip. The guy is genuinely having a great time and seem to be a great teamate. Why mess with that. It is rarely so evident what an immediate impact ta guy has had on a team.

 

[Reid1boys]

Don't sign him. He is in a contract year and playing/acting his best and will revert back to normal self next year.

ok Nostradamus. He was disgruntled like damn near any great WR gets when playing with a garbage QB over and over.

 

[blueblood70]

zero He's leaving for more money and more targets he wants to be the number one anybody keeps discussing this as if he's gonna take less to stay here then he can get as a number one in the open market you all are delusional but hey it's nice to dream..

 

[thunderpimp91]

Realize you realize the agent we're dealing with the same one as Parsons so yeah I think that's where the deal is gonna go maximum money shorter years bigger guarantees and they'll do whatever they need to in public to embarrass Jerry until jerry gives up and tells him to go fly a kite like he did with parsons..

I think we put too much stock into who the agent is. Mulugheta represents a lot of players, and its not like all of them end up with Micah Parsons deals. Jalen Ramsey just renegotiated a pay cut to work with Pittsburgh. The Tee Higgins deal was done by Mulugheta. I believe there are a few guys on the current Cowboys roster that have him as their agents, hooker might be one? Its not like Jerry has had an issue working with Mulugheta in the past.

I'm not saying it's going to happen i'm telling you he can get 35 somewhere else and why would he not want to go be a starter and get all the targets and all the glory?.

You could be right about him wanting all the targets and the glory, but hes getting all that here already. If the Cowboys can make the money work why not stay in a place with a QB in place and a WR1 to open up more easy matchups for Pickens to get his numbers? He has saw what a bad situation looks like in Pittsburgh and is on pace to way surpass his career averages his first year in Dallas. I wouldn't be so quick to assume he wants to leave for targets and glory when he seems to be getting those just fine where he is.

cowboys would be ridiculous that they offered him a dime over thirty that's my point. You cite all that other stuff all you want the Cowboys still need more money to put on defense this would be an embarrassment of riches if you don't get that I can't help you all you guys are falling in love with the Greatest Show on turf when our defense is falling apart and you complain jerry does not put enough money or assets on the defense and you want them to overpay for a #2 wide receiver..

Who cares about a dime over $30m? If you can afford $29m you can afford $30m. Losing a high caliber player you want to keep over $1m per year would be criminal. I could be wrong but it feels like you're more worried about the emotional piece of paying a guy $30M to be the WR2 than how he could actually fit within the Cowboys cap situation.

Post Parsons the Cowboys are not in a super tight cap problem. Yeah they probably shouldnt extend Pickens and then go grab the #1 defensive FA this offseason, but they have two 1st round picks to use and shouldn't have an issue grabbing a couple tier 2/3 defensive free agents this offseason. They 2025 carry over money alone should more than pay for Pickens next year.

I wouldn't do a penny over 30 I would try to offer him 29 and make a lot of it guaranteed and see if he'll stay if not I'll take the draft picks i'm thinking like a real GM here you guys are thinking like you're putting together a fantasy football team

If you're worried about overpaying a player the worst thing you can do is a high guaranteed amount. I'd actually do the exact opposite and try to get him for a high AAV that feeds his ego, but with a lower guaranteed amount. This is how a lot of these bigger WR contracts are getting done outside of the big 3 (Chase, Jefferson, Lamb).

Terry McLaurin - Got his payday, but less than half is guaranteed so Washington has an out after next season
DK Metcalf - Paid as the #4WR in football, but again less than half guaranteed
Tee Higgins - #11WR by AAV, but only about 1/3rd of his money is guaranteed

It seems like its your top guys who haven't really had the bumps in the road who are getting the sky high guaranteed money. St Brown got the bulk of his deal guaranteed, but hes also put up 912, 1161, 1515, 1263 yards since hes entered the league.

This is where I think you could be right that a team wont hesitate to pay him in the mid 30M range, but how much of that will be guaranteed? The fact that Tomlin wanted him gone and sold low on the player makes me think teams might try to protect themselves with less guaranteed money.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I'd love to be able to count on his personality staying glued without any outburst or lunacy.

In a perfect world I lock him up for 30 million 3 years.

In today's NFL there's no guarantees so unfortunately I'd franchise him for a year and make him prove it.

That said I don't think there are enough balls to go around for CD and Pickens somebody's not going to be happy.

Dak used Pickens because CD was not there when he comes back he'll go right back to him and Pickens will only get a few targets a game not sure if he'll be happy with that and I don't blame him.

Pickens is 2 years younger than CD if I can get two number ones and a number two for CD he's gone and I'm compiling draft picks to fix this messed up team.

Agreed, there's a lot of potential volatility here, especially if they start losing down the stretch. Winning cures all and I'm afraid we're due for some consecutive losses with the upcoming schedule.

 

[blueblood70]

I think we put too much stock into who the agent is. Mulugheta represents a lot of players, and its not like all of them end up with Micah Parsons deals. Jalen Ramsey just renegotiated a pay cut to work with Pittsburgh. The Tee Higgins deal was done by Mulugheta. I believe there are a few guys on the current Cowboys roster that have him as their agents, hooker might be one? Its not like Jerry has had an issue working with Mulugheta in the past.

You could be right about him wanting all the targets and the glory, but hes getting all that here already. If the Cowboys can make the money work why not stay in a place with a QB in place and a WR1 to open up more easy matchups for Pickens to get his numbers? He has saw what a bad situation looks like in Pittsburgh and is on pace to way surpass his career averages his first year in Dallas. I wouldn't be so quick to assume he wants to leave for targets and glory when he seems to be getting those just fine where he is.

Who cares about a dime over $30m? If you can afford $29m you can afford $30m. Losing a high caliber player you want to keep over $1m per year would be criminal. I could be wrong but it feels like you're more worried about the emotional piece of paying a guy $30M to be the WR2 than how he could actually fit within the Cowboys cap situation.

Post Parsons the Cowboys are not in a super tight cap problem. Yeah they probably shouldnt extend Pickens and then go grab the #1 defensive FA this offseason, but they have two 1st round picks to use and shouldn't have an issue grabbing a couple tier 2/3 defensive free agents this offseason. They 2025 carry over money alone should more than pay for Pickens next year.

If you're worried about overpaying a player the worst thing you can do is a high guaranteed amount. I'd actually do the exact opposite and try to get him for a high AAV that feeds his ego, but with a lower guaranteed amount. This is how a lot of these bigger WR contracts are getting done outside of the big 3 (Chase, Jefferson, Lamb).

Terry McLaurin - Got his payday, but less than half is guaranteed so Washington has an out after next season
DK Metcalf - Paid as the #4WR in football, but again less than half guaranteed
Tee Higgins - #11WR by AAV, but only about 1/3rd of his money is guaranteed

It seems like its your top guys who haven't really had the bumps in the road who are getting the sky high guaranteed money. St Brown got the bulk of his deal guaranteed, but hes also put up 912, 1161, 1515, 1263 yards since hes entered the league.

This is where I think you could be right that a team wont hesitate to pay him in the mid 30M range, but how much of that will be guaranteed? The fact that Tomlin wanted him gone and sold low on the player makes me think teams might try to protect themselves with less guaranteed money.

That's easy he is not gonna get the glory around here all the time What is CD lamb never gets hurt again and Turpin gets his targets back this will start to become less like a number one spot and more like a number two like it was always going to be he got lucky in some ways to showcase his talent while Lamb was injured while Turpin was out but that ain't going to happen the rest of the year you don't want that to happen..

Because you're already pushing it $29 million a year is pushing it so 30 would be my dead on cap that's it that's where you have to always have a number where you won't go over it that is it...

If that were the way everything was then if you say well why not 30 then someone's gonna say well then why not 31 then why not 32 because the way it's structured because you just can't use that money on someone else..

How much are we paying Williams this year 2 million there there you go there's that $2 million and when you're building a roster that's important you have a annual cap not just their full contract you you literally are trying to build a team each year from not from scratch but close to it so you need every bit of money you can get..

Wanna spend the money on the defense i've already said it you may not say that about David but David sees stars in his eyes He knows Pickens can be a number one he will try to sell him as a number one if the Cowboys come to him with number two money he's going to laugh at him go look you're going to need to give me number one money to stay here and that's going to be something I would not match i'm sorry I wouldn't do it we don't need him that bad..

I prefer him at 29 million if not I prefer the big draft pick we can get for him.

How you going the draft and you get yourself a very good to great young rookie wide receiver that's all you need to develop until it's time to think about Lamb being cut see how that works but if you need one under A big contract 1 under a smaller rookie contract and then they start cycling out just like Amari When Amari was making too much to be a two they saw Lamb already moving into one boom they cut him Will be Next up you get a young buck in the draft..

There's been some great wide receivers the last couple years come out and it was Dallas number one guy on the board last year if he was there they were taking TET they will go after another receiver like him in the first or second round if we lose Pickens it's not a big deal you guys are making this life or death we just saw Pickens do this without Lamb and without Turpin we've seen Lamb be dominant without a backup but yes we need one but we don't need one that bad you're making this smell of desperation I'd rather put the money on defense...

 

[blueblood70]

Knowing his agent and dire need of so many teams for a legit #1 WR, the starting number is going to be Justin Jefferson's 4 year 140M deal.

I wouldn't push it that far but yes you're on the right track he's going to be looking for big money I think his starting point or his reality would be 35 He's not a top five wide receiver when he's by himself without being protected.. But yes he's gonna make a lot more somewhere else than he can hear and I don't blame Jerry for rather franchise tag him trade him and get either a 1st or a 2nd round tender and get one of these young superstars that are coming in the draft the last 2 or three years there's been some studs at wide receiver and I'd rather have a guy under a rookie deal you put that money into the defense...