The Dallas Cowboys have done what they’ve needed to do throughout the offseason and completed that earlier in the week, making a blockbuster trade for George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers, one of the top organizations in the NFL, have allowed players to walk in the past, and it typically doesn’t end well for other teams.
That’s why some have questioned why the Cowboys made this deal, but it seemed to be one that Jerry Jones typically makes. He attempts to be an excellent owner, and instead of doing so, makes risky trades like this, adding a polarizing player who has had issues on and off the field.
Why did the Steelers move on?
According to a report from Allen Saunders, one of the Steelers’ beat reporters, the reason they let him walk was due to the Steelers being tired of dealing with his attitude. That isn’t a good sign for the Cowboys, and perhaps the reason why they got him for the deal they did.
“The Steelers were sick and tired of dealing with George Pickens,” Saunders wrote. “This was all about just being fed up with the player they were shipping out, and deciding that the whatever juice Pickens brought to the Steelers lineup was not worth the squeeze of his other antics.”
“What they’re able to do with the draft pick, and whether Pickens is ever able to get his act together elsewhere, will go a long way toward evaluating whether this was the right trade down the road,” writes Saunders.
Saunders wasn’t the only one to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers made this trade with the Dallas Cowboys because of them being annoyed with Pickens, who has the ability to be one of the top wide receivers in the NFL when he’s at his best and is focused on football.
According to a report from Mark Kaboly, everything he’s heard so far is that Mike Tomlin was the one who was in front of all this. He added that it wasn’t a decision by the owner, general manager, or anybody else in the Steelers’ facility. They wanted him gone, and made this trade with the Cowboys because of Tomlin speaking up.
“What’s surprising to me is, from everything that I’ve heard, Mike Tomlin was the one that was in front of this all,” Kaboly said. “It wasn’t Art (Modell). It wasn’t Omar (Khan). It was Mike, and then the organizational decision of – it’s time to move on.”
Risk vs. Reward
The Dallas Cowboys can’t worry too much about the decisions they’ve already made. Everybody understood, even fans of both teams and around the NFL, that Pickens has issues on the field, whether it be fighting with teammates, not running the right routes, or showing coaches an attitude.
The issue, however, is that the Cowboys didn’t do what they had to do to add a star wide receiver prior to the offseason, and Pickens was likely one of the last ones available.
After posting 900 yards on 44 catches last season, averaging 15.3 yards per catch, the hope is for him to give Dak Prescott a legitimate top option to pair with CeeDee Lamb.
If it goes well, it has the potential to be a great trio, but there’s some risk involved.
