Stephen: Nobody has called interested in trading for Pickens

[RustyBourneHorse]

Well Stephen, if you want to trade him.....why don't YOU call?

 

[LouBrown]

Bruh, I mean this from a good place.

You are wrong here. Learn how to just accept being wrong and move along.

I know 3 guys just like you. Build a bridge and get over it.

Cool, I'm not though lol

 

[Jipper]

Any trade would be contingent on the receiving team resigning him. Similar to how the Parsons trade worked out

well, wasnt pickens trade to the cowboys last year with him being on a 1 year deal? Granted we did it for a 3rd but would some team be willing to risk a 2nd or even a late 1st for a 1 year with a player and the potential to still tag for an additional year?

Not saying i want that or that it would even happen but i do think there are a few different paths here.

 

[fivetwos]

Ah really? Based on the opinions around here I’d have figured him to be worth several high picks…because his contract situation means nothing and he is much better than Waddle.

I mean please….he is worth more to the Cowboys for one more season than his actual trade value is, even though the 2026 version of the Dallas Cowboys won’t be hoisting any banners either way.

It’s the Jones way of building a winner. Sad. Very sad.

 

[BoyzBlaster]

But CZ homers tell me we should pay him 35 million per year

If he is truly elite talent at WR and is not a headcase teams with 25-30 picks like KC or a team like NE with a high 2 and 3 should definitely be asking but theyre not

Because they know he is a headcase and will become an even bigger problem once he is paid

You do not pay players like Pickens long term

Bingo.

 

[Reality]

Yes because he is untradeable without a contract.

The way it works is if a team wanted to trade for him, they would reach a deal with the Cowboys and then work with Pickens agent to negotiate a deal with him.

If Pickens and his agent agree to terms with the new team, the new team would make the deal official to the Cowboys, Pickens would sign his franchise tag contract and then the Cowboys would immediately trade him to his new team.

That's how that always works BEFORE the player signs his franchise tag contract.

Now, if Pickens signs his franchise tag contract before that happens, the Cowboys can trade him to any team and not worry about Pickens future contract.

As I said in a post a few weeks ago, there is no benefit to either side signing a contract before the draft.

The Cowboys might end up with a receiver to replace him or another team planning to draft a top receiver may miss out of their guy and look at Pickens as their backup plan.

As I also said before, the most likely scenario is Pickens plays 2026 on the franchise tag.

He will get a huge raise from the last 4 years on his rookie contract.

The Cowboys will save money because he actually costs them several million less this year if they keep him on the franchise tag rather than give him a new contract.

The real issue will be next year when the Cowboys franchise tag him again and he has plenty of money and no motivation to play until week 10 in 2027.

I do not expect Pickens will hold out in 2026 (the season that is) but I do see him skipping off-season and maybe preseason practices if not other activities.

In 2027 though, I fully expect he will hold out and most players would in that situation .. that's assuming he has another great year in 2026 of course.

 

[DuncanIso]

From the internet…


The situation with George Pickens (now a Dallas Cowboy as of the 2026 season) and the franchise tag is a bit of a technical dance.
If another team were to trade for him while he is still on the tag, the answer to your cap question is: Yes and No. While the full amount initially counts against the cap to execute the trade, it almost never stays that way.
Here is the breakdown of how the cap hit and the trade process work in the NFL:

1. The "Entry Fee" (Full Amount)​

To trade for an unsigned franchise player, the receiving team must have enough cap space to fit the entire tag amount (approximately $27.3 million for wide receivers in 2026) at the moment the trade occurs. The NFL will not approve the trade if the new team only has, say, $10 million in space, even if they plan to lower his hit immediately after.

2. The "Sign-and-Trade" Requirement​

A player cannot be traded while the tender is unsigned. For a trade to happen:

• Pickens must first sign the one-year franchise tender.
  
  
  
• The moment he signs, it becomes a fully guaranteed one-year contract.
  
  
  
• The Cowboys then trade that contract to the new team.

3. How the Cap Hit Actually Changes​

Once the trade is complete, the new team has two ways to handle that massive $27.3 million hit:

• Restructure: They can immediately convert a large portion of that one-year salary into a signing bonus and add "void years" to the contract. This can drop his 2026 cap hit from $27.3 million down to under $10 million instantly.
• Long-term Extension: If the trade happens before the July 15 deadline, the new team can sign him to a multi-year deal. This replaces the tag amount with a new structure, typically featuring a low Year 1 base salary and a large signing bonus, which also significantly lowers the immediate cap hit.
  
  

Summary Table​

Stage	Cap Impact	Requirement
Pre-Trade	$27.3M	The acquiring team must have this much "empty" space.
At Trade	$27.3M	Pickens must sign the tender before the deal is official.
Post-Trade	Flexible	New team can restructure or extend to lower the hit.

The Bottom Line: While a team needs the full $27.3 million in "buying power" to get him through the door, they wouldn't actually let him sit on their books at that number for the season. They would use the tools above to shrink his cap hit and free up money for other players.

 

[irishline]

Yes because he is untradeable without a contract.

What is the world are you talking about? He is under the non-exclusive tag meaning any team can negotiate a contract with him prior to a trade or agreeing on what they are trading. Meaning if they wanted him they could agree to a contract with him first.

"The non-exclusive franchise tag binds an NFL player to their team for one year at a set salary (based on the average of top salaries or 120% of their previous salary) while allowing them to negotiate with other clubs. If the player signs an offer sheet with a new team, the original team has five days to match it or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation"

https://operations.nfl.com/inside-football-ops/nfl-operations/nfl-free-agency/franchise-tags/

From the internet…


The situation with George Pickens (now a Dallas Cowboy as of the 2026 season) and the franchise tag is a bit of a technical dance.
If another team were to trade for him while he is still on the tag, the answer to your cap question is: Yes and No. While the full amount initially counts against the cap to execute the trade, it almost never stays that way.
Here is the breakdown of how the cap hit and the trade process work in the NFL:

1. The "Entry Fee" (Full Amount)​

To trade for an unsigned franchise player, the receiving team must have enough cap space to fit the entire tag amount (approximately $27.3 million for wide receivers in 2026) at the moment the trade occurs. The NFL will not approve the trade if the new team only has, say, $10 million in space, even if they plan to lower his hit immediately after.

2. The "Sign-and-Trade" Requirement​

A player cannot be traded while the tender is unsigned. For a trade to happen:

• Pickens must first sign the one-year franchise tender.
  
  
  
• The moment he signs, it becomes a fully guaranteed one-year contract.
  
  
  
• The Cowboys then trade that contract to the new team.

3. How the Cap Hit Actually Changes​

Once the trade is complete, the new team has two ways to handle that massive $27.3 million hit:

• Restructure: They can immediately convert a large portion of that one-year salary into a signing bonus and add "void years" to the contract. This can drop his 2026 cap hit from $27.3 million down to under $10 million instantly.
• Long-term Extension: If the trade happens before the July 15 deadline, the new team can sign him to a multi-year deal. This replaces the tag amount with a new structure, typically featuring a low Year 1 base salary and a large signing bonus, which also significantly lowers the immediate cap hit.
  

Summary Table​

Stage	Cap Impact	Requirement
Pre-Trade	$27.3M	The acquiring team must have this much "empty" space.
At Trade	$27.3M	Pickens must sign the tender before the deal is official.
Post-Trade	Flexible	New team can restructure or extend to lower the hit.

The Bottom Line: While a team needs the full $27.3 million in "buying power" to get him through the door, they wouldn't actually let him sit on their books at that number for the season. They would use the tools above to shrink his cap hit and free up money for other players.

This. Thanks.

 

[irishline]

Just give it up my guy. Sometimes the best approach is to stop digging.

You started with players do not get traded in this context ever.
Then to teams lose contract leverage (silly because the contract would be worked out prior to the trade). They are free to walk any time.
Then OK but those players had no value.
To OK but Davante was different because of stuff.

As far as your insulation from a trade comment, that is rather obvious outside of an offer sheet. Dallas can choose whether they want to negotiate with another team or not. The only way another team can force Dallas’ hand is through an offer sheet.

Guess I should have read this first.

 

[Whyjerry]

Why can't the Jones Boys just shut up?

 

[TwentyOne]

Do you have your phone switched on stephen?

You know howto ? Or is the RTFM TLDR for you?



Honestly you cant make that up. You think there is no way it can get any dumber then these two idiots prove me wrong with ease. Just smh.

 

[dupree89]

Do you have your phone switched on stephen?

stephen is monitoring his walkie talkie, 10-4?

 

[Denim Chicken]

Nope. Teams can't trade for him because then he has all of the contract leverage and the price for an extension goes way up. Players do not get traded in this context, ever.

Con

Have you heard of Michael Parsons?

 

[Spottswoode]

I wouldn’t be surprised to find out Dallas has put out the word that they won’t take less than two firsts.

They never intended to extend him
They never intended to trade him
They just want him to play on the tag


It’s the same reason they won’t talk to his agent. They knew before the season ended exactly what they were going to do and now they’re doing it.

It was obvious to many of us.

Very well could be but Dallas must know that would likely get back to Pickens and his agent. And I think that would be hard to keep that from leaking to the public.

If I were Dallas, I would just keep my mouth shut and let him talk to whoever he wants. Dallas doesn’t have to negotiate with another team and my guess is the offers Pickens might receive would be less than his true market value with no compensation required. Kind of a win/win for Dallas.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

team just works out the parameters of a deal

This is the key.........IF X player doesn't wanna play for a certain team, he will refuse to negotiate. That will kill any trade talk........

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Have you heard of Michael Parsons?

Do you think Parsons would have agreed to a contract if the team were the Jets or Browns? I don't.....I think he would have called Jerry's bluff and played on the 5th year option.

 

[dupree89]

Post of the day

man i gotta get one of these things

 

[Coogiguy03]

Well Stephen, if you want to trade him.....why don't YOU call?

Because they wait for the phones to come ringing, it's the way things have always been designed since Jerry bought the team lol

 

[Coogiguy03]

man i gotta get one of these things

Dupree how do you feel about us trading up or down I only remember what jazz has said not anyone else

 

[Spottswoode]

This is the key.........IF X player doesn't wanna play for a certain team, he will refuse to negotiate. That will kill any trade talk........

I agree…they can also just refuse to sign the tag. I believe Clowney refused to sign his tag with the Texans because he didn’t want to play for the Dolphins.