Cowboys warned about what could come next with George Pickens originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys traded for George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers to help Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
Pickens delivered on his promise and then some, putting together his best season in the NFL.
They knew at the time of the trade that a decision would loom this offseason, because Pickens had been entering the final year of his contract.
The Cowboys have partially made the decision now, signing Pickens to a franchise tag. But they haven’t given him a long-term deal.
Dallas would be wise to be careful about what comes next. Pickens is notoriously a bit of a diva (as many WRs are), and if negotiations don’t feel right, he might decide to express his unhappiness.
This is what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on Monday:
“Pickens signed his $27.3 million franchise tag, which the Cowboys are happy about. But he wants a long-term deal that Dallas won’t give right now. Whether Pickens develops a reason to sit out during the offseason or regular season could be something to watch.”
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That last line is notable. It seems that no one really knows what Pickens’ intentions might be as far as a holdout, but that sentence makes it seem like it still could be on the table.
The Cowboys seem to have preseason drama in most recent seasons, and they sure could do without it this year as they try to put together a better all-around campaign than they did last time around.
They also simply need Pickens on the field. He unlocks so much for their offense by avoiding all the attention just on Lamb.
Maybe Jerry Jones will keep standing firm and not handing out a long-term deal to his No. 2 WR, but that could create some discontent at some point.