Stephen says Cowboys will finalize franchise tag for George Pickens

[Aerolithe_Lion]

No doubt it happens to a lot of teams, just the Cowboys are uber-high profile and it's in our face.

But yeah, I'm guessing we got more than our share. I think this got started with the Cowboys when Randy White decided to go on an "extended fishing trip", lol. This was before JJ bought the team, BTW. Then happened with Emmitt Smith, Zeke, ect. JJ has typically been overly loyal to his players and this is used as ammo against him. If he were not "so close" and more of a silent owner, it'd be easier to get deals done for sure.

That’s a good point. No one really cares that Miami hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years or Washington has a longer SB appearance drought than you, it’s Jerry that makes Dallas’ so prevalent and notable

 

[Chasing6]

that is such BS. EVERYTHING i simpacted by the cap, EVERYTHING. Hard to pay the most to the qb, top 3 to a wr, top 5 to another wr, most by far to a kicker and not get crushed by the cap/

Don't forget the highest paid kick returner.

You can definitely do it, but then it has to be off set by the lowest paid l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v,w,x,w and z.

 

[gimmesix]

Except for Dak, what best free agent available embraced being franchise tagged? And in the end, Dak, a quarterback, parlayed that into being the highest paid player in the history of the NFL. It’s been a year and a half since Dak signed and he’s still that player.

You trust the same numb skull that painted himself into a corner with Dak to pull off a positive scenario tagging Pickens? I don’t.

There are a lot of players over the years who have played on the tag. Here's a list of franchise tagged players since 2010. Notice that several of them played on the tag. Did they embrace it? I can't say that, but they didn't hold out or act a fool because of it.

I think most understand that it is an aspect of their career as a football player. They may not like it, but it is business. It only seems to get personal when a team tags a player more than once.

 

[Chasing6]

There are a lot of players over the years who have played on the tag. Here's a list of franchise tagged players since 2010. Notice that several of them played on the tag. Did they embrace it? I can't say that, but they didn't hold out or act a fool because of it.

I think most understand that it is an aspect of their career as a football player. They may not like it, but it is business. It only seems to get personal when a team tags a player more than once.

I also don't think we will like it. Paying $28M in one year will have a negative impact on what we can do in FA.

 

[gimmesix]

I also don't think we will like it. Paying $28M in one year will have a negative impact on what we can do in FA.

You keep saying that when we can restructure contracts to get what we need. The cap is not the problem; the front office is. There's no evidence that if we didn't pay him $28 million that we would spend it on quality free agents.

 

[kramskoi]

Other teams do it without a $30-35 million WR2, And yes, they would also draft a wide receiver very high with the assets they receive in return for George Pickens...

George Pickens would not be here if TET would have been available, booker would also not be here, because that's who was at the top of their draft board and he was gone, They were looking for a high wide receiver in the draft to put next to lamb ,they know they need one and they will take care of it.

whether that works out or not, you can't go into seasons worried about how your depth might get hurt, now you need a $30+ million insurance policy, is that what teams do?

because I don't think so, Most teams do not have two $30+ million a year wide receivers on the same team...

so yes, they will address it ,They will allow Holden and Flournoy and the receiver they draft, to battle it out in camp, see who gets WR2,

If it doesn't look right, they'll probably just go get a guy for 10+, you can get a nice receiver for that..

The desperation around here to keep George Pickens is insane, I would love to keep him, but the excuses that the other two might get hurt, that's not one of them. IMHO

The best this offense ever looked under Prescott was in 2021 (aside from 2016)...when you had Lamb and Cooper in the mix. Led the league in ppg that year. The next year (after trading Cooper) they regressed offensively and it caught up with them at San Francisco in the playoffs. Gallup was never again the player he was pre-injury. No receiver in the draft is going to give you what Pickens gives you now. You are reducing an offense and taking a weapon from Prescott, when doing so has proven ill-advised in the past.

 

[KingCorcoran]

There are a lot of players over the years who have played on the tag. Here's a list of franchise tagged players since 2010. Notice that several of them played on the tag. Did they embrace it? I can't say that, but they didn't hold out or act a fool because of it.

I think most understand that it is an aspect of their career as a football player. They may not like it, but it is business. It only seems to get personal when a team tags a player more than once.

I believe the team and Pickens will take every advantage the franchise tag provides. It’s not personal, “it is business”.

 

[kramskoi]

Well, I look at it this way, as much as I like George Pickens here, and maybe if he takes 30, I'm good with that, but not over 30,

But the whole concept of striking while the iron's hot, you know they say, that you should do it when your quarterbacks on a rookie deal, but you should do it when your team is young and you haven't paid out a bunch of big contracts,

I thought that was the concept in a capped league...

Once you get to where you're at with teams like Dallas, who are paying their quarterback, that much they're already paying a receiver that much, a linemen that much, a running back that much, those teams then have to build differently, and I don't understand the concept of now we need to pay the second receiver that much, because it seems to be normal, when really it's not.

Having a guy like Jefferson on one side and having a guy like Addison on a rookie deal, that's what you hope for, It might be tough to get that guy, but that is the reality, not all teams can afford two receivers that cost that much.

So yes, if it's reasonable, keep him, but if it becomes this money grab, then you have to move him.

I don't understand fans being scared to do with pretty much all teams do, you hope you finally find your elite wide receiver and you sign him, you have a great quarterback, however you rank him, it doesn't matter to me, we have a very good quarterback, We have a solid run game,

I don't see the need to have to put a second receiver on the team making that much money.

If I'm the GM, I'm running for that high first round draft pick for George Pickens, and turning it into multiple picks, getting a wide receiver in the draft, getting a better left tackle, and building the defense to be stronger, That's a good asset to have, why not consider using it.

You are never actually going to be paying him 30 mil/yr. That's erroneous. The contract can be structured in a way that mitigates the short term impact to the cap situation. He can and will be restructured. Dak's base salary in 2025 after restructuring was ~ 2 million dollars. The cap ceiling increases every year. I'm not worried about what the cap situation MIGHT be four or five years from now. If we are in a win now mode (the next two or three years) then lets max out both sides of the ball and get the thing done...OR...blow it all up and do an ACTUAL rebuild, circa 1989 or 2003.

 

[Chasing6]

You keep saying that when we can restructure contracts to get what we need. The cap is not the problem; the front office is. There's no evidence that if we didn't pay him $28 million that we would spend it on quality free agents.

Yes, just like we could have last season, and the season before, and so on.

Were you singing this song last year as well???

 

[gimmesix]

I believe the team and Pickens will take every advantage the franchise tag provides. It’s not personal, “it is business”.

Why would he not behave on the tag the same way other players have done before him, though? Holding out until training camp is over after the deadline to reach a deal has passed is unusual, not the norm.

In 2024, for example, Cincinnati tagged Tee Higgins for the first time. He missed the voluntary workouts and the mandatory minicamp before signing his tag on June 15, reporting to camp and conducting business as usual. I'd expect something similar from Pickens. He did request a trade before signing the tag, so I'd expect that to if there's no movement on a new deal before the deadline. Those are the advantages for the player. Missing training camp or only showing up for the games are not.

Cincinnati tagged Higgins again the next year but worked out a long-term deal with him in March.

 

[gimmesix]

Yes, just like we could have last season, and the season before, and so on.

Were you singing this song last year as well???

I've been singing it for a lot of years now. The problem is the front office. It isn't tagging players. It isn't having to give our players long-term deals. There are threads that show what Dallas does (or doesn't do) in free agency compared to other teams (and it isn't pretty) and the team rolls cap over every year. If the team wanted to go all in or bust the budget, it could afford whatever it needed. But what they do is a choice.

We're debating whether they should or shouldn't franchise one of their best players when that's not what is holding this team back. We have 30 years of failure. Some years we've franchised players, some years we haven't.

 

[jaythecowboy]

I've been singing it for a lot of years now. The problem is the front office. It isn't tagging players. It isn't having to give our players long-term deals. There are threads that show what Dallas does (or doesn't do) in free agency compared to other teams (and it isn't pretty) and the team rolls cap over every year. If the team wanted to go all in or bust the budget, it could afford whatever it needed. But what they do is a choice.

We're debating whether they should or shouldn't franchise one of their best players when that's not what is holding this team back. We have 30 years of failure. Some years we've franchised players, some years we haven't.

If anything, the Cowboys unwillingness to go big in free agency is even more of a reason to support paying Pickens. It’s reasonable to expect the front office to just sit on the money if they don’t pay Pickens.

 

[KingCorcoran]

Why would he not behave on the tag the same way other players have done before him, though? Holding out until training camp is over after the deadline to reach a deal has passed is unusual, not the norm.

In 2024, for example, Cincinnati tagged Tee Higgins for the first time. He missed the voluntary workouts and the mandatory minicamp before signing his tag on June 15, reporting to camp and conducting business as usual. I'd expect something similar from Pickens. He did request a trade before signing the tag, so I'd expect that to if there's no movement on a new deal before the deadline. Those are the advantages for the player. Missing training camp or only showing up for the games are not.

Cincinnati tagged Higgins again the next year but worked out a long-term deal with him in March.

I’m sure he’ll be exactly like Tee Higgins. Their seasons on the last year of their rookie deals are very similar. (Higgins 2023 & Pickens 2025). George should have the same sentiments as Tee and find the tag just as reasonable as Higgins did. When you think of it, the Cowboys are very similar to the Bengals, too.

 

[Diehardblues]

So far we are committed to the offense. Same ole crap.

 

[Diehardblues]

George isn’t going to be happy tagged.

 

[Chasing6]

I've been singing it for a lot of years now. The problem is the front office. It isn't tagging players. It isn't having to give our players long-term deals. There are threads that show what Dallas does (or doesn't do) in free agency compared to other teams (and it isn't pretty) and the team rolls cap over every year. If the team wanted to go all in or bust the budget, it could afford whatever it needed. But what they do is a choice.

We're debating whether they should or shouldn't franchise one of their best players when that's not what is holding this team back. We have 30 years of failure. Some years we've franchised players, some years we haven't.

I am not debating if they should or shouldn't. I am debating what they are actually going to do.

If they were going all in, we would not currently be at -$25M Cap Space.

Do you plan on buying a house you can't afford?

But you could get a better job tomorrow.

 

[Diehardblues]

Tag and Trade George

 

[NumOneQB]

Typical Jones BS. This is why Dallas hasn’t done Jack squat in 30 years. If you like the player, sign him. If not let him walk and focus on other areas of need. The drama and offseason distractions are unnecessary.

 

[Tabascocat]

 

[jaythecowboy]

I am not debating if they should or shouldn't. I am debating what they are actually going to do.

If they were going all in, we would not currently be at -$25M Cap Space.

Do you plan on buying a house you can't afford?

But you could get a better job tomorrow.

The fact that they haven’t cleared cap space yet isn’t proof that they won’t. We know they have to clear space just to get under the cap per the league rules. They already have the money available. They drew up the contracts so they could be restructured. I’m not saying they definitely will be big players in free agency. I’m just saying the fact that they haven’t yet cleared cap space doesn’t mean anything.