With one offseason move, the Dallas Cowboys drastically improved their offense, according to a former Pro Bowl safety. With each season, defenses creep closer to dominating offenses. Whether it’s the speed aspect or schematic prestidigitation, defenders continue to ground. For every offense, a defense to counter it exists.
As a result, those matchups, whether at the line or the boundary, depend on talent and technique. Jerry Jones understood this concept and watched his team pull off one of the most shocking deals of the past few seasons. In landing George Pickens for a pittance, the franchise completely altered its path. One analyst believes that Pickens could transform the team’s outlook.
Dallas Cowboys Trade for George Pickens Changes NFL Landscape, According to NFL Analyst
Donte Whitner knows the wide receiver position. After spending 11 NFL seasons making life painful for them, he realizes that great teams will field more than one star. As a result, when teams like the Cowboys trade for Pickens, the former Buffalo Bills strong safety sees what the deal means to the franchise. He spoke to Kay Adams on the “Up & Adams Show,” discussing the move.
Donte Whitner calls George Pickens a GAME CHANGER for the Cowboys 🔥@heykayadams | @DonteWhitner pic.twitter.com/yViRW3qMXk
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow)
“Going out and getting George Pickens. That was a game changer. He’s a true number one wide receiver if you can handle the emotional and off-the-field things. When you partner him with CeeDee Lamb, who is a true number one, and Dak Prescott, who’ll make the game easier. They’ll have to define where they’re leaning coverage.”
On paper, Whitner’s point makes sense. With arguably two elite receivers on the field at the same time, someone will see single coverage. Defenses cannot bracket both without leaving cavernous holes for the Cowboys to pick them apart. However, part of the retired safety’s thought pattern stands out more.
The emotional aspect of Pickens’ volatile nature cannot go underdiscussed. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin enjoys a great track record of jettisoning wideouts who become locker room headaches and distractions. For instance, the team somehow convinced the Chicago Bears to send a second-round pick for Chase Claypool, a player who dropped as many passes as he caught touchdowns (13).
Remember, he traded a Super Bowl MVP in Santonio Holmes, coming off a 1,258-yard season. The patience in Pittsburgh for attitudinal wide receivers remains thin. Tomlin’s record speaks for itself. Also, if he grew tired of Pickens, Brian Schottenheimer would not be the one to rein in the talented player.
However, as Whitner asserts, the presence of Dak Prescott will go a long way in Pickens’ development. After years of Kenny Pickett, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields at quarterback, signal-caller stability will be a sight for sore eyes. Dallas offers him an offense where he doesn’t need to carry the weight of the offense while occasionally feasting on corners without help over the top.
In typical Cowboys fashion, the Pickens experiment should go one of two ways. First, like Whitner discussed, he acclimates to the team and culture, helping the Cowboys make the playoffs. Or, the former Steeler clashes with teammates and management, leading to a toxic locker room environment. Although early reports look positive, the season is still four months away.