The Cowboys pulled off a big trade to bring George Pickens to Dallas as the team hopes he's the key to unlocking the passing game.
The Dallas Cowboys entered the offseason in need of a WR2 to complement All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb. Dallas did not address the position in free agency and then the team left the NFL draft without adding a receiver. But the Cowboys took a big swing on Wednesday, landing George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Pickens’ perceived lack of maturity has been well documented by reporters, analysts and fans alike, there’s no doubting his talent. And ESPN’s Marcus Spears believes that he has the potential to elevate the Cowboys’ offense working alongside Lamb, if he can avoid the mistakes that have overshadowed his young career.
“Everything revolving around this George Pickens trade is about his availability and is he going to bring a maturity that's needed in order to stay on the field and be available for games. If he does that, this offense is going to be a problem with those two guys on the outside,” Spears said per NFL on ESPN.
Can George Pickens unlock Lamb, the Cowboys’ offense?
The Cowboys have long sought a playmaker to provide Dak Prescott an additional target and take pressure – and double teams – off of Lamb.
“When you have two real threats that are on the field it makes defenses play you differently and you win before the actual snap. So that’s what I’m thinking, the excitement comes from that. Matchup problems. Who do we leave one-on-one when we double,” Spears added.
While Prescott and Lamb received massive extensions from the Cowboys, the team plans to have Pickens play on an expiring deal in 2025. The fourth-year wideout is entering the final year of his rookie contract and Dallas doesn’t plan on signing him to an extension, despite giving up a third round draft pick to acquire him. The Cowboys may view 2025 as a prove it season considering Pickens comes with a bit of baggage based on some of his exploits with the Steelers.
Still, he has been productive over his first three years in the NFL. Pickens was the Steelers' leading receiver each of the last two seasons. He had a career year in 2023, hauling in 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five scores. Similar stats behind Lamb in Dallas would make the trade a massive win for the Cowboys.
However, some believe the Steelers are better off after moving on from Pickens. Perhaps it goes down as a win-win trade and a change of scenery does the young wideout well.
Pittsburgh will move forward with DK Metcalf as the team’s clear-cut WR1. The Steelers acquired Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. But unlike the Cowboys, Pittsburgh immediately signed their new wideout to a five-year extension.
