My take on what to do with George Pickens

[blueblood70]

Yes. But that “points allowed” in 2023 was skewed IMO. We had a shut out against a bad giants team, held a really bad Washington team to 10 points twice, 10 to a really bad jets team, and awful NE team to 3 points. Skewed the point totals.

But the better teams with better offenses…like SF (we gave up 42), Buffalo (gave up 31), and the packers (we gave up 48 in the playoffs) showed that our defense wasn’t as good as we thought.

Plus we were living off sacks and TOs. That was good. But when we didn’t get them and got behind, we couldn’t get stops.

Yeah that kind of information is known by most of us but not none that are looking to help in the narratives that Prescott had great defenses and he didn't do anything with them but forgetting those games against the better teams including every time we met up with the Cardinals they always found a way to make Dan Quinn's defenses look silly anyone needs to look at the 2024 NFC CG, How did Philly make that Washington defense look like really really bad...

 

[OGSixshooter]

George Pickens is clearly an outstanding receiver with huge talent and at the young age of 24, is without question a top 10 WR in pro football. We saw this on obvious display this year. And he will garner a very large payday soon.

And yet….I know this won’t be a popular opinion…keeping George Pickens will not make the Dallas Cowboys any closer to a championship than we were this year. I will even say keeping him may actually hinder us from taking the next step to get appreciably better on defense.

Here’s why I believe this:

• Keeping Pickens (and Cedee Lamb) either on the franchise tag or a market based long term contract will make the Cowboys have the most expensive WR room in the NFL. (The bengals currently hold that honor)
• Having the most talented and expensive WR combo doesn’t win championships. It’s a nice luxury but a luxury nonetheless.
• IMO we should either trade Pickens or Lamb to add to the draft capital we desperately need to improve our defense. A defense that is literally one of the least talented in the league.

We need a good offense with just one great WR. Pick one. We need some help at RB and need to shore up the OL some too.

Yes, you have to have a good offense but defense is always going to dictate playoff success. Here’s my formula:

• You have to have a good offense and decent D to make the playoffs.
• You have to have a good offense and really good defense to win a playoff game.
• You have to have a good offense and great defense to win a championship.
• Or a good offense, a really good D and a transcendent QB to win a championship.

We need to trade either Pickens or Lamb, and work like hell on getting a defense that can get stops when you absolutely have to have one. Great defenses can stop offenses with guys like George Pickens. But great offenses alone are never enough.

Time to put a ton of resources into a great defense. We’ve had decades of good offense and what do we have to show for it?

I'm glad you wrote it down...because I thought it.

We haven't even gotten to the negative locker room impact (potentially), nor his mercurial attitude and moody temperament. Oh by the way, you already have a #1WR. How many MORE resources can one devote to an offense that can't outscore other teams?

 

[john van brocklin]

George Pickens is clearly an outstanding receiver with huge talent and at the young age of 24, is without question a top 10 WR in pro football. We saw this on obvious display this year. And he will garner a very large payday soon.

And yet….I know this won’t be a popular opinion…keeping George Pickens will not make the Dallas Cowboys any closer to a championship than we were this year. I will even say keeping him may actually hinder us from taking the next step to get appreciably better on defense.

Here’s why I believe this:

• Keeping Pickens (and Cedee Lamb) either on the franchise tag or a market based long term contract will make the Cowboys have the most expensive WR room in the NFL. (The bengals currently hold that honor)
• Having the most talented and expensive WR combo doesn’t win championships. It’s a nice luxury but a luxury nonetheless.
• IMO we should either trade Pickens or Lamb to add to the draft capital we desperately need to improve our defense. A defense that is literally one of the least talented in the league.

We need a good offense with just one great WR. Pick one. We need some help at RB and need to shore up the OL some too.

Yes, you have to have a good offense but defense is always going to dictate playoff success. Here’s my formula:

• You have to have a good offense and decent D to make the playoffs.
• You have to have a good offense and really good defense to win a playoff game.
• You have to have a good offense and great defense to win a championship.
• Or a good offense, a really good D and a transcendent QB to win a championship.

We need to trade either Pickens or Lamb, and work like hell on getting a defense that can get stops when you absolutely have to have one. Great defenses can stop offenses with guys like George Pickens. But great offenses alone are never enough.

Time to put a ton of resources into a great defense. We’ve had decades of good offense and what do we have to show for it?

Jerry will resign Pickens.
Offense sells tickets and garners attention.
This seems to be more important than defense/Lombardis
to this current front office.

 

[Whyjerry]

Tag and trade!

Bingo.

 

[NotaCowboysFan]

Yeah, you would have at least a first rolling in. And maybe if you play your cards right? A first and a linebacker.

You really think teams don’t factor in the fact he would be on his third team at only 25?
What team is going to want to invest BOTH a high draft pick and a big contract into a guy like that?

If Dallas isn’t eager to just pay him, why do you think a better front office would also be willing to give up a ton of extra resources for him?

 

[Chasing6]

George Pickens is clearly an outstanding receiver with huge talent and at the young age of 24, is without question a top 10 WR in pro football. We saw this on obvious display this year. And he will garner a very large payday soon.

And yet….I know this won’t be a popular opinion…keeping George Pickens will not make the Dallas Cowboys any closer to a championship than we were this year. I will even say keeping him may actually hinder us from taking the next step to get appreciably better on defense.

Here’s why I believe this:

• Keeping Pickens (and Cedee Lamb) either on the franchise tag or a market based long term contract will make the Cowboys have the most expensive WR room in the NFL. (The bengals currently hold that honor)
• Having the most talented and expensive WR combo doesn’t win championships. It’s a nice luxury but a luxury nonetheless.
• IMO we should either trade Pickens or Lamb to add to the draft capital we desperately need to improve our defense. A defense that is literally one of the least talented in the league.

We need a good offense with just one great WR. Pick one. We need some help at RB and need to shore up the OL some too.

Yes, you have to have a good offense but defense is always going to dictate playoff success. Here’s my formula:

• You have to have a good offense and decent D to make the playoffs.
• You have to have a good offense and really good defense to win a playoff game.
• You have to have a good offense and great defense to win a championship.
• Or a good offense, a really good D and a transcendent QB to win a championship.

We need to trade either Pickens or Lamb, and work like hell on getting a defense that can get stops when you absolutely have to have one. Great defenses can stop offenses with guys like George Pickens. But great offenses alone are never enough.

Time to put a ton of resources into a great defense. We’ve had decades of good offense and what do we have to show for it?

You can have 2 great WR's, 1 just has to be on a rookie contract.

 

[Chasing6]

The defense will probably be addressed and built the same way whether Pickens stays or goes. I have zero confidence that there is a plan in place to use that money on the defense. Might as well keep GP if that is the case

Trade Pickens and then trade for Crosby.

Or trade Pickens for Crosby. Raiders have the money and need a WR.

 

[Chasing6]

Keeping Pickens and CDL keeps Dak's numbers looking good. That in turn makes the Front Office feel good about making him the highest paid QB.

Dak lead the league again in passing yards, why do you want to disrupt that OP?

One day having a passing attack with no defense will pay off, why not next year?

Like it or not, we are going to drag on his contract, while tagging him, eating up a lot of current year cap space. Dallas will restructure guys like Smith, CDL, Dak to just get under the cap and then SJ will then spew garbage about how they are committed to winning and there's only so much cap to go around.

We will pray that the 1st rounders land quality year 1 defensive starters. Sign some journeymen defensive players to one year deals.

lol

How did Dak's numbers look in 2023?

 

[Tabascocat]

Trade Pickens and then trade for Crosby.

Or trade Pickens for Crosby. Raiders have the money and need a WR.

That wouldn’t hurt my feelings.

 

[bleachedwheat]

If you could trade Pickens for Crosby, do that. I doubt the Raiders would go for that though.

It will take more than a year to build a great defense. Especially, since a new D Coordinator will be installing one again.

So, what you do is. Tag Pickens this year and slowly improve your D-fence through FA and the draft while installing the new scheme.

After the 2026 season. Tag Pickens again and trade him away. Hopefully, he puts up good numbers again so you get a haul in return. Lean heavy on D in the Draft again, but with the 1st pick in the 2027 draft cycle take a WR. There will be a ton of top end wideouts in that draft. Jeremiah Smith, Cam Coleman, Nick Marsh, Ryan Williams, TJ Moore, Bryant Wesco, Ryan Wingo, Ian Strong, Nych Harbor, Duce Robinson and KJ Duff to name a few.

 

[Blackrain]

Don’t get me wrong I like Pickens too. A lot as a matter of fact. I’m just saying we don’t need two top paid WRs when we have perhaps the least talented defense in the NFL.

So if we keep Pickens, maybe we trade Lamb.

I believe Pickens is a couple years younger so we could have a longer window with him if he doesn't flip out and turn into a head case.

And opposite of most of our other players the guy does rise to the occasion in big moments.
That's something I really can't put a price on.

That said honestly I'm not exactly sure what we have on defense until we have an elite defensive coordinator coaching them and then we can properly evaluate.

I look at what Robert Salah did with the 49ers defense and they were absolutely ravaged but got somehow strong enough to win a playoff game in Philadelphia.

We on the other hand added talent had guys come back from injury.
And somehow we didn't end up any better that just says to me that we were so poorly coached that we really don't know what we have yet.

 

[noshame]

You really think teams don’t factor in the fact he would be on his third team at only 25?
What team is going to want to invest BOTH a high draft pick and a big contract into a guy like that?

If Dallas isn’t eager to just pay him, why do you think a better front office would also be willing to give up a ton of extra resources for him?

They would factor in his talent level. Which was very impressive this year. The fact that he seemed to settle down here and matured a bit.
If we didn't have CDee Jerry would have signed this guy yesterday.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Tag and trade!

OK, if you get a #1.

Otherwise I'm keeping him on the tag.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Why not keep both receivers and get cheap at qb?

Because of these pesky things called contracts.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

I believe keeping GP will have little bearing on what these two will do to upgrade the defense. I think they will use their draft picks and dumpster dive to accumulate this talent. Maybe sign a couple more FA but not in the blue chip level.

The important thing is getting a great DC…. No cap limitations.. and please no Whitecotton.

 

[noshame]

OK, if you get a #1.

Otherwise I'm keeping him on the tag.

And the guy's so young, even a bad team, just beginning to rebuild, would throw out a number 1 for a uncoverable wide receiver with a 8 year window.
You can easily land a top 10.

 

[eromeopolk]

George Pickens is clearly an outstanding receiver with huge talent and at the young age of 24, is without question a top 10 WR in pro football. We saw this on obvious display this year. And he will garner a very large payday soon.

And yet….I know this won’t be a popular opinion…keeping George Pickens will not make the Dallas Cowboys any closer to a championship than we were this year. I will even say keeping him may actually hinder us from taking the next step to get appreciably better on defense.

Here’s why I believe this:

• Keeping Pickens (and Cedee Lamb) either on the franchise tag or a market based long term contract will make the Cowboys have the most expensive WR room in the NFL. (The bengals currently hold that honor)
• Having the most talented and expensive WR combo doesn’t win championships. It’s a nice luxury but a luxury nonetheless.
• IMO we should either trade Pickens or Lamb to add to the draft capital we desperately need to improve our defense. A defense that is literally one of the least talented in the league.

We need a good offense with just one great WR. Pick one. We need some help at RB and need to shore up the OL some too.

Yes, you have to have a good offense but defense is always going to dictate playoff success. Here’s my formula:

• You have to have a good offense and decent D to make the playoffs.
• You have to have a good offense and really good defense to win a playoff game.
• You have to have a good offense and great defense to win a championship.
• Or a good offense, a really good D and a transcendent QB to win a championship.

We need to trade either Pickens or Lamb, and work like hell on getting a defense that can get stops when you absolutely have to have one. Great defenses can stop offenses with guys like George Pickens. But great offenses alone are never enough.

Time to put a ton of resources into a great defense. We’ve had decades of good offense and what do we have to show for it?

Pickens still showed his immaturity. Therefore it would be best offer a cap friendly short term 2 year deal with option year, and then see if there are any trade offers. If you franchise him, he will hold out and be a distraction.

I would immediately sign Flourony to a 3-5 year deal. He has show he is a Miles Austin in the making. That would hedge a Picken's trade.

Sign a veteran and draft a rookie in the later rounds.

However, I am telling you, you better get a RB or this offense will sink as bad as the 2025 defense.

 

[dupree89]

Jerry will resign Pickens.
Offense sells tickets and garners attention.
This seems to be more important than defense/Lombardis
to this current front office.

john,

im startin to think jerry doesn't know what he's doin

 

[charron]

I would have drafted golden to pair with cd for the next few years but that ship has sailed. Now they need to tag and extend him, tag with non exclusive in hopes someone gives up 2 1st round picks for him, or tag and trade or my least fav just tag him.

 

[erod]

If Flournoy or Lamb gets hurt watch the offense come to a grinding halt.

You can do that with any team.