The Cowboys Next Move Feels Like a George Pickens Extension

[Jipper]

I disagree with the premise. I get what you’re trying to do here, but there’s no way I’d pay George Pickens more than CeeDee Lamb while he’s a Cowboy. If you want to make CeeDee Lamb money or JSN money, then carry a team on your own and prove you can do it. It’s not just about disrespected this team, with all its current holes, can’t afford to pay two receivers top five money.

No other team in the league is doing that right now. Maybe three teams have two starters making big money at receiver, but even then, there’s a clear gap between them, and that gap needs to exist here too. Thinking he should make more than CeeDee Lamb just so Lamb can get even more later isn’t good for the Cowboys.

Stop thinking like a player and think about the cap, it exists. Even if you break it or go all-in, you still don’t pay two players at the same position top five money. It just doesn’t work.

It’s ironic that Seattle paid JSN, but on the other side there was a diminished Cooper Kupp and a younger player, that’s it. They didn’t need two top five wide receivers, and Sam Darnold isn’t better than Prescott.

What they did have was a deep defense, built by committee, without needing stars like Parsons or Garrett. It was true team defense and team offense, without one highly paid player preventing them from building the rest of the roster.

Around here, we say you can’t be top-heavy without proper depth, and focusing on having two top five receivers at the expense of the team is just ridiculous.

I’m fine with keeping George Pickens if he’s willing to take around 32 for maybe three years, so he can come back to the table later.

The Cowboys have a short window with Prescott, and we don’t know how long he’ll be here. You’re right, CeeDee Lamb’s contract will be up, and maybe by then Jerry decides to blow up the team, and they can all leave for all I care. Just like three years ago, I didn’t mind them all leaving, but once they signed Lamb, the rest should’ve been signed too.

As for this conversation, I’m missing parts because it’s getting too heated and moving too fast, almost like a chat room I can’t keep up with.

But I’m not paying George Pickens more than CeeDee Lamb in any situation. He can play under the tag and leave if that makes him happy, bye bye. I’m not losing sleep over it because we still have an elite wide receiver, and that’s all you need. WR2 can be filled with someone else, a vet, through the draft, or even with guys like Flournoy stepping up.

We don’t need to pay Pickens a ridiculous amount.

i would just like to compliment your paragraph breaks and thought separation - such good readability

 

[MarcusRock]

That "feeling" is just indigestion.

 

[thunderpimp91]

There are plenty of legitimate WR1s, but that doesn’t mean they’re all worth top five money to teams. Here’s a stat for you: zero offers so far for George Pickens from any team. Even though he hasn’t signed the tag, any team can make an offer, and the Cowboys can simply decline. It would take two first-round picks to pry him away if the Cowboys didn’t match, but teams can still offer whatever they want. Yet we haven’t seen a single offer, not a fifth, a fourth, two seconds, a first, or any combination. That’s the market. Not every starting WR1 is making top five money, and certainly not on a team that already has a receiver earning that much. Common sense says his only market right now is the Cowboys under the tag.


It doesn’t matter what you think he might do if he ever lands on a team as a clear number one with a good quarterback and a strong offense, that remains to be seen. Right now, the reality is he has no offers.

He could play on the tag, but if he truly wants to be traded, why hasn’t there been any offers? Sure, a trade during the draft is possible, but teams like New England, who have serious interest in AJ Brown, don’t seem to have any interest in making an offer for George Pickens. I’m not saying I don’t want George here, but those who think he can make more than CeeDee Lamb while he’s a Cowboy and deserves it are way off—this just isn’t his market. His current market is either playing under the tag for under $28 million, signing for less here, or going through this same process again next year.

I’m not anti-George, but people need to stop thinking JSN’s contract changes anything. It doesn’t, especially while he’s a Cowboy. That deal means nothing. JSN already has a big ring, earned with Sam Darnold as quarterback, going to a Super Bowl with just an older version of himself, Cooper Kupp, and another young player.

That team didn’t have two top-five receivers, and they didn’t need i,just like we don’t. New England didn’t care either; they cut Stephon Diggs without hesitation, went to a Super Bowl, and didn’t think twice.

I’m just trying to keep things rooted in common sense. George doesn’t have many options right no,I haven’t heard of a single team showing interest. And when you’re a Dallas Cowboy, people invent stories out of thin air, creating smoke where there’s no fire. But in this case, there’s no smoke, no fabricated offers from either side, no media buzz, nothing.

Silence. Doesn’t that say something?

You're moving the goal posts now....I was responding to the "He hasn't proven he can do it on his own" comment which is what I think is foolish.

Once you start bringing in other factors like contract, previous issues with the Steelers, etc what you're arguing becomes fair.

Suggesting he needs 100+ catches, 1700+ yards before we pay him is a horrific argument though. Pickens has proven the last three years that he is an elite WR.

 

[bigE79]

I really like pickens but for that kind of money,id trade his *** while the gettins good.

 

[phildadon86]

Yes, the market has now been set. Nothing holding them back now.

So you would pay Pickens market value? After seeing the defense last year?

 

[jazzcat22]

We’ve been over this so many times it’s getting redundant, and honestly, I don’t even know why I’m getting pulled back into it again. Offers can still be made to George Pickens even if he hasn’t signed the tag, and it doesn’t have to be for a first-round pick. Yet, no offers have been made to the Cowboys, which says a lot. If they were interested, they could easily propose something like a first and a second, a first and a third, or even two firsts and two seconds. The fact that teams like New England, who clearly showed interest in A.J. Brown, haven’t made an offer for Pickens is telling. I don’t think they see him as a true top-flight, number one receiver. His market would likely be outside the top five, still a lot of money, probably somewhere between the fifth and tenth highest, around $29–32 million.

To me, that’s his market. The tag says it, but the league not going after him right now, even with the opportunity to make offers, should tell us what we need to know. Like with Brandon Aubrey, it was crickets at first, though he’s a kicker and that’s a different situation but once it was clear there were no offers, they went back to the table and got it done. This makes it more realistic that maybe the Cowboys and George Pickens can work something out.

I disagree here. No team has expressed interest in Pickens, because the tag says two 1st round picks and pay a big contract. It is not that they feel he is not a #1 WR. They can get Brown for less draft compensation, and less of a contract that he is already on.
Not a new $30 million a year or more. And part ways with multiple high picks. As it will cost at least one 1st round, and probably a day two pick.

By not making an offer for Pickens, is not telling. It emus they want a cheaper player that can be a game changer that is already under contract.
They could very well draft a WR if one is there, and not trade for Brown at all.

It is funny seeing how many think a team can just offer Dallas whatever they want to get Pickens. They can't. The starting price is two 1st round picks.

 

[Reid1boys]

That’s not how it works, you can’t project something like that until we actually see it happen. He hasn’t proven he can do it on his own. Show me 115 catches, 15 touchdowns, and 1,700 yards, and then I’ll agree he deserves that money.

Until then, it’s just projection, and it’s not true until it happens. We saw it with CeeDee Lamb, even though that offense was a mess, bad scheme, bad play calling, no real running game, no tight end, and no legitimate No. 2 receiver. Yet Prescott and Lamb still lit up the league. Don’t tell me it can happen, show me.



93 catches, 1429 yards and 9tds. He just showed it. That us all while playing behind another stat monster opposite him. He already proved it. Now all you that think he should sign on the cheap will say... well one year doesnt mean nothing. And his agent will say, well he cant put up numbers with the horrible qbs he had playing in Pitt. So there you have it... dude is getting paid, no matter how much some of you want to argue about it.

No offers, no interest??? bahahahha, yea, because he is a RESTRICTED free agen. Why waste my time working out adeal the Cowboys would match. Oh, and the only way I work a deal that Cowboys dont match is if I overpay. AND, my reward for overpaying is alos giving up TPP draft picks. So please, enough of that garbage about nobody thinking he isnt worth much. You dont think anyone would have taken aubrey straight up for 7 million if they didnt also have to give up a 2nd rd pick?


He didn’t do it in Pittsburgh, and it’s not about the quarterback. I’ve watched Fitzgerald and other top receivers excel, I’ve seen Jefferson thrive with multiple and sometimes subpar quarterbacks, always surpassing 1,000 yards.

You are seriously in lala land with this take. As you said... show me, so Ill show you.

AJ Brown had games of: 8,27,7,43,13,49, and 41 yards. You think thats because Brown was playing poorly?
Justin Jefferson was awful last year, and hes as good as any wr in football: 44,47, 37, 48, 4, 11, 22, 30

ntonio Brown was killing it, then Ben went down and Brown wasnt even fantasy startable as a 3wr... pathetic, and that was all qb play..

 

[Reid1boys]

So you would pay Pickens market value? After seeing the defense last year?

IM making a deal with him, and you arent getting him to play for walmart prices. If that is the case, why the hell did you trade for the guy to begin with?

 

[erod]

I think this writer is way off in his assumptions of a Pickens contract.

His numbers from Spotrac are no longer valid. They were done prior to the offseason and based on old numbers. JSN has now reset the market at $42 million a year.

Pickens and his agent aren’t going to settle for $12 million a year less.

Pickens is nowhere near the person or player Jefferson is.

 

[blueblood70]

I disagree here. No team has expressed interest in Pickens, because the tag says two 1st round picks and pay a big contract. It is not that they feel he is not a #1 WR. They can get Brown for less draft compensation, and less of a contract that he is already on.
Not a new $30 million a year or more. And part ways with multiple high picks. As it will cost at least one 1st round, and probably a day two pick.

By not making an offer for Pickens, is not telling. It emus they want a cheaper player that can be a game changer that is already under contract.
They could very well draft a WR if one is there, and not trade for Brown at all.

It is funny seeing how many think a team can just offer Dallas whatever they want to get Pickens. They can't. The starting price is two 1st round picks.

Just because the tag stipulates that two firsts are required doesn’t mean a team can’t offer less, the Cowboys can simply turn it down. How do we know they wouldn’t accept just one first, or a first and a second, or a first and a third, or even two seconds? We don’t know what they would or wouldn’t do; they have the right to take any compensation they choose. If a team was truly interested, they could have contacted the Cowboys, and it would’ve been newsworthy, but they didn’t.

They didn’t offer a second, they didn’t offer anything. Teams have the right to make any legitimate offer the Cowboys might actually consider, but it can’t be considered if it’s never made.

Yes, jazz we all understand the rules but that does not mean they can't take less the Cowboys have a right to take whatever they want so why wouldn't you offer less if you truly were interested?

You’re making this out to be all about George Pickens being the next Michael Irvin, or maybe Dez Bryant, and people avoiding it just because of the two first-round picks.

But it’s also a bit about George’s time with the Steelers and what he and his agent—yes, the agent’s part matters—might demand, which teams don’t want to deal with. I don’t know how else to explain that just because the price is two firsts, it’s up to the Cowboys to decide if they’d take less.

The Cowboys made it to where he can seek trade offers that is the tag they put on him for a reason If they were only going to keep him they would not have put the non-exclusive tag on him.

That’s telling,

it suggests the Cowboys might be willing to listen for less than two first-round picks. That doesn’t mean they’d accept it, but there haven’t been any offers at all, not even a single rumor that a team would be interested if it weren’t for the two firsts. The Cowboys have spun stories all around the league, creating smoke, yet no team has shown interest in George Pickens on any level.

Maybe that changes this weekend and we’ll hear something. He was placed on a nonexclusive tag, and while there are rules and restrictions, the Cowboys could break those rules if they wanted, that’s a fact.

You’re overlooking the fact that no NFL team has publicly stated they’d be interested in him for less.

If that were true, all they’d have to do is ask the Cowboys, and whether they’d take it or not, the Cowboys could simply say no. You know how everyday cars, trucks, RVs, and houses are listed above their actual value? Plenty of people still check them out, then try to negotiate the price down. Often, sellers set a higher price knowing they have a lower number in mind, so when they drop it, you feel like you’re getting a deal, when really, they’ve gotten exactly what they wanted all along.

Somehow you think it's different for a player that you don't think a team really wanted George badly wouldn't have it went to the Cowboys already and say hey would you take less and then offered...

If it was the Cowboys we would have heard those stories because everything said about the Cowboys whether they're true or not are talked about it makes the news..

 

[Spottswoode]

I do not believe they can simply trade him under the tag, then the tag goes to the new team. That defeats the entire purpose.

They can’t trade him until he signs the tag. That’s why he won’t (and shouldn’t) sign the tag until the deadline passes or another deal is agreed upon.

Technically he would be traded under the tag and immediately sign with the new team.

The only tiny bit of leverage he still has is the ability to influence his destination if a trade agreement were to be reached (see Clowney). He loses that leverage once the tag is signed.

Edit: Re-reading your post, I may have misunderstood your point above. If you are saying they can’t trade him with an open (unsigned) tag, you are correct because you can’t trade a player who isn’t under contract with you. The tag is just a placeholder and doesn’t become official until signed or the deadline passes.

Once it passes, they are free to trade him but nobody would be interested because they can’t regotiate an new contract until after the tag expires.

 

[blueblood70]

IM making a deal with him, and you arent getting him to play for walmart prices. If that is the case, why the hell did you trade for the guy to begin with?

Yeah there's the problem we have fans that believe $28 million is lowball is Walmart you you call that Walmart that's Costco at the very least LOL

You must be nuts if you think 28 million which puts him in the top 12 of wide receiver money is Walmart money Then there's the illusion of the fan base that is what some agents putting the heads of their players that they're being ripped off at 28 million and I that's just for the tag i'm saying offer the man 32 that's nowhere near Walmart money that gets you in the top ten Top 10 is not Walmart I don't know what it's called nowadays but I don't know is Neiman Marcus or Dillard still around because that's that kind of money...

So these dudes right now don't shop at Walmart That is not low balling discounted money offering a man between 28 and $32 million a year when you're in the top ten that's not Walmart That's customized suits those are $5000 suit money not Walmart this is where you go wrong you are not winning an argument with me if you think that's a lowball amount even though that's what the tag says is top money that's where the tag is set for a good reason..

Saying that is where the money zone should be That's what the tag is that's how they come up with the algorithm for the tag that means if he's making anywhere from 28 to 31 million not thinking he's worth a market setting JSN contract there's the big gap he's not getting that with the Cowboys..

So if he wants to play into the tag this year that's fine and then he can go elsewhere next year i'm all for that But if he wants to be reasonable Walmart Money is not accepting 31 or 32 million a year for three years almost fully guaranteed with small restrictions he can add a no trade clause and no franchise tag clause in the contract so he can't be doubled down on and he can go back into the market in three years that is what would be smart for both sides right now A short very respectable offer that he can now go back into that market and they will set him totally free after three years...

 

[Hawkeye19]

All true.

And I keep coming back to this question: Why trade for Pickens if you were never going to pay him market value? If he had a great year - which he did, why tag him instead of signing him?

Even paying him this year at $28 mil on the tag is a huge amount of cash for a team already spending big bucks on Lamb. It just seems they didn’t think this through very well.

As much as we all liked Pickens’ production last year, we still didn’t make the playoffs in 2025 for the second year in a row. That’s not Pickens’ fault of course.

But if we hadn’t traded for him, we would have probably been 5-12 instead of 7-9-1. And drafted in the top 7 instead of 12th. If acquiring a player doesn’t make your team that much better overall, what’s the point?

Totally. You are hitting on the critical issue: they don’t have a plan, and they don’t want to pay market value for productive players.

The issue will arise again if these two first round picks are HOF caliber players— will they be willing to pay to keep them? Or will they get the Micah Parsons or now George Pickens treatment?

The bottom line is that this FO prioritizes their vision for frugal cap management over aggressively building a competitive roster

 

[Hawkeye19]

I don’t believe Pickens is going to leave $1.5 million per game on the table. I don’t believe his agent would advise him to do that. He may indicate his angst by skipping some organized team activities. A long hold out would be pointless, as well as, expensive.

The first time he drops a pass fans think he should have caught the drama intensifies.

I agree that the chance of a 10 week holdout are slim.

That said, if he sits out TC and offseason activities, there are other significant issues:

1. He will be out of sync with the offense

2, The team (again) has to deal with distractions and contract talk all summer long

3. By not working out, his chance of injury goes way up.

If he is not in their long term plans, trade him. If he is, then sign him. To leverage him by tagging him 2 years is a lazy “solution” for this FO and it doesn’t save them all that much money anyway. It’s a mercenary approach to running a team, and it hurts the franchise on several levels

 

[phildadon86]

IM making a deal with him, and you arent getting him to play for walmart prices. If that is the case, why the hell did you trade for the guy to begin with?

Thats a question for the FO.

I dont think they pay him or sign him long term.

You are asking me to make sense of decisions Jerry makes? He cant even do that.

 

[BobSacamano]

Misleading title if there ever was one.

It just goes on to state his opinion.

 

[KingCorcoran]

I agree that the chance of a 10 week holdout are slim.

That said, if he sits out TC and offseason activities, there are other significant issues:

1. He will be out of sync with the offense

2, The team (again) has to deal with distractions and contract talk all summer long

3. By not working out, his chance of injury goes way up.

If he is not in their long term plans, trade him. If he is, then sign him. To leverage him by tagging him 2 years is a lazy “solution” for this FO and it doesn’t save them all that much money anyway. It’s a mercenary approach to running a team, and it hurts the franchise on several levels

A trade requires Pickens come to what he thinks is suitable terms with another team and that team subsequently coming to what they think is suitable terms in trade for him. If that doesn’t happen and it’s July 15, the only contract he can sign is a one year deal with the Cowboys. He already has that for $27.298 million guaranteed on the tag. If it’s important to the Cowboys he attends training camp for all the reasons you’ve indicated they can sign him to a one year deal for the 2026 season. If it isn’t important to the team they can just wait on him to show up when the spirit moves him and play on the tag.

Mulugheta is going to allow Jerry Jones all the control Jerry’s willing to pay for. They both are well aware of the pros and cons associated with the franchise tag.

 

[Reid1boys]

Yeah there's the problem we have fans that believe $28 million is lowball is Walmart you you call that Walmart that's Costco at the very least LOL

You must be nuts if you think 28 million which puts him in the top 12 of wide receiver money is Walmart money Then there's the illusion of the fan base that is what some agents putting the heads of their players that they're being ripped off at 28 million and I that's just for the tag i'm saying offer the man 32 that's nowhere near Walmart money that gets you in the top ten Top 10 is not Walmart I don't know what it's called nowadays but I don't know is Neiman Marcus or Dillard still around because that's that kind of money...

So these dudes right now don't shop at Walmart That is not low balling discounted money offering a man between 28 and $32 million a year when you're in the top ten that's not Walmart That's customized suits those are $5000 suit money not Walmart this is where you go wrong you are not winning an argument with me if you think that's a lowball amount even though that's what the tag says is top money that's where the tag is set for a good reason..

Saying that is where the money zone should be That's what the tag is that's how they come up with the algorithm for the tag that means if he's making anywhere from 28 to 31 million not thinking he's worth a market setting JSN contract there's the big gap he's not getting that with the Cowboys..

So if he wants to play into the tag this year that's fine and then he can go elsewhere next year i'm all for that But if he wants to be reasonable Walmart Money is not accepting 31 or 32 million a year for three years almost fully guaranteed with small restrictions he can add a no trade clause and no franchise tag clause in the contract so he can't be doubled down on and he can go back into the market in three years that is what would be smart for both sides right now A short very respectable offer that he can now go back into that market and they will set him totally free after three years...

The problem is you think you can make an offer and the player will agree. When you have a top player, it doesnt work that way. Did we get Lamb cheap? Zeke? Dak? parsons? Aubrey? Turpin? 27 million is low ball for the current market. Where do you think Pickens lies in the list of top receivers? 24? yea, sure thing. By the way, I will come back to that quote above after he signs his deal... the one where us dumb FANS think 28 million is low. Lets see if he signs for more or less than that number.... then we will see who is off in their thought process. Garrett Wilson just 32.5 million per season, and he has never had a season as good as what Pickens just had. DK Metcalf got 33 million per coming off a season with 66 catches, 992 yards and 5tds. And you think Pickens is taking 32?????

 

[Reid1boys]

Thats a question for the FO.

I dont think they pay him or sign him long term.

You are asking me to make sense of decisions Jerry makes? He cant even do that.

so when they sign him, and they will..... then it will make sense. It already makes sense to me. Its just that some of you in here have all sorts of crazy scenarios in your MIND.

 

[Bobhaze]

Totally. You are hitting on the critical issue: they don’t have a plan, and they don’t want to pay market value for productive players.

The issue will arise again if these two first round picks are HOF caliber players— will they be willing to pay to keep them? Or will they get the Micah Parsons or now George Pickens treatment?

The bottom line is that this FO prioritizes their vision for frugal cap management over aggressively building a competitive roster

Our FO manages this team like it’s an oil company where “winning” is profit. Owning a sports team means winning is being a champion first. Making money will happen anyway.

They are going to make tons of money win or lose. Why not seriously try to win a championship instead of low balling everything? If we ever start winning playoff games again, they could make even more money than already do.