The Cowboys Next Move Feels Like a George Pickens Extension

TheMarathonContinues said:
I don’t think they will either but if they truly don’t have a market for him then then yeah I do see him 12 million less. 12 million less won’t get a deal done though IMo. I thought he did enough to rehabilitate his image but maybe he hasn’t.
Click to expand...
Apparently their have been no trade offers for him as of yet. Or at least none acceptable to the FO. Giving up premium picks and $40 million a year not knowing if this past year was him maturing or just a contract year ploy doesn't have a ton of suitors lined up it seems.
 
Hawkeye19 said:
Yup. Under market cost, disgruntled player, contract distractions in the locker room, incessant media criticism about the “negotiation”, fan base anxiety about the roster, drama over a potential holdout until week 10 etc…

This is the norm for this FO
Click to expand...
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?
 
Stash said:
Short term pain for long term gain. Can’t play kick the can forever.
Click to expand...
Its not even a kick the can type of situation. Two franchise tags will get him to be roughly a $60m cap hit over two years. If you paid him top 10ish guaranteed money on a 4 year deal it comes out to be around $75m guaranteed. It's almost dumb to tag him twice instead of getting a LTD done that nets you a 3rd year of control with an easy out after that.

Of course Pickens could be asking for significantly more, but if thats the case we need to know so the Cowboys can move on. This tag situation is really only great value if Pickens performs as a top 5 WR each of the next two years.
 
DAL1180 said:
Apparently there have been no trade offers for him as of yet. Or at least none acceptable to the FO. Giving up premium picks and $40 million a year not knowing if this past year was him maturing or just a contract year ploy doesn't have a ton of suitors lined up it seems.
Click to expand...
That’s because Pickens was given the “non-exclusive” tag which allowed teams to negotiate with Pickens but if they signed him it would have cost the new team two #1 draft picks. No team would do that.
 
Bobhaze said:
That’s because Pickens was given the “non-exclusive” tag which allowed teams to negotiate with Pickens but if they signed him it would have cost the new team two #1 draft picks. No team would do that.
Click to expand...
Im probably wrong but I thought the "Exclusive tag" was 2 1's but the "Non exclusive tag" compensation was negotiable. And as I said I'm probably wrong
 
DAL1180 said:
Im probably wrong but I thought the "Exclusive tag" was 2 1's but the "Non exclusive tag" compensation was negotiable. And as I said I'm probably wrong
Click to expand...
The exclusive tag means no other team can negotiate with the tagged player. Pickens was given the non-exclusive tag.

The entire franchise tag system is set up to favor the owners. Yes players can make some big money in one year, but it offers no longer term financial security. It’s one reason players usually hate it. If the player gets hurt, they have lost their leverage.
 
Bobhaze said:
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?
Click to expand...
If the Cowboys wanted Pickens in a discount the time to sign Pickens was when we made the trade. The problem is that Pickens is viewed as problem child which is why we got him on the cheap in the first place.

I think the Cowboys liked the risk/reward on this player and were comfortable using the tag on Pickens if it turned out well. I believe whenever signs Pickens long term will probably rue that contract at some point. I hope it’s not the Cowboys.

On the other hand I can’t believe that teams still want to trade for AJ Brown. Lol.
 
The first half of the year I thought he was the best receiver in the league and then the last quarter he was going stuff that
Wanted him
Benched

I forget what it was
 
Kingofholland said:
Does seem hard to allocate top money to each, but when structuring the contract they can manipulate years so you're not paying guys top 5 money in the same year and then there are dummy years. For example Ceedee's Cap hit is 46 million next year which would make him the 2nd highest paid. Maybe Pickens cap hit is 10-15 million for 2027, but then goes up in 2028 when Ceedee's is 25 million.
Click to expand...
True. I just feel Pickens and the agent will hold out for the max deal. It won't end well and hurts the entire team in camp. Distractions.
 
Stash said:
For a top 10 receiver? Yeah, no.


Enjoy? No. Take the money and play? Yes.

They may not franchise tag him for two years.
Click to expand...
Top ten receiver yes. Headache yes. Disappeared in games and jogged routes, yes multiple times, missed meetings and was late, yes.

Aren't you sick of these kinds of players on the Cowboys? Or are you just used to it?
 
Verdict said:
I think the front office actually played this right for a change.
Click to expand...
Yeah? Lets see how the season plays out. Outspoken people who arent happy about the their contract dont do well in Dallas, let alone with this spinless coach they currently have.
 
DAL1180 said:
Apparently their have been no trade offers for him as of yet. Or at least none acceptable to the FO. Giving up premium picks and $40 million a year not knowing if this past year was him maturing or just a contract year ploy doesn't have a ton of suitors lined up it seems.
Click to expand...
The thing is a team can offer what they want. Someone could’ve offered a 1st and a 3 but apparently nothing got offered. His market is shaping into form IMo.
 
thunderpimp91 said:
Its not even a kick the can type of situation. Two franchise tags will get him to be roughly a $60m cap hit over two years. If you paid him top 10ish guaranteed money on a 4 year deal it comes out to be around $75m guaranteed. It's almost dumb to tag him twice instead of getting a LTD done that nets you a 3rd year of control with an easy out after that.
Click to expand...
You’re paying now to not have dead money after the player is gone.

thunderpimp91 said:
Of course Pickens could be asking for significantly more, but if thats the case we need to know so the Cowboys can move on. This tag situation is really only great value if Pickens performs as a top 5 WR each of the next two years.
Click to expand...
That’s the case for any team paying any player top money.

The good news for Dallas is that they’re not locked in long term if things do go south. Or if the player suffers a significant injury.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

... and 8 more.
Total: 9,608 (members: 108, guests: 9,500)
Robots: 1,987

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
475,026
Messages
14,577,108
Members
24,214
Latest member
whoami2066
Back
Top