The surprise of the George Pickens move is wearing off for many fans, but the look at the potential implications is just beginning. Pickens was moved to Dallas in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a late-round draft pick swap.
However, the most important part of the exchange was the third-round pick for Pickens and the added price associated with the move. It wasn’t draft capital, but it could give the Cowboys an immediate quandary, according to one analyst.
Nick Wright Gives Scathing Review of Cowboys’ Choice on George Pickens
Speaking on a May 7 edition of “First Things First,” NFL analyst Nick Wright spoke about the new problem presented by Pickens’ addition and labeled the move a potential “rental.”
“I think paying him [Pickens] would be a terrible decision. I think not paying him, you are setting up Brian Schottenheimer to immediately, as a rookie head coach, have a problem on his hands, and I also think trading a third-round pick for a one-year rental is awful business,” Wright said at the 3:46 mark.
Pickens’ arrival gives the Cowboys a potential star duo between him and CeeDee Lamb, teeing Dak Prescott up for a big year. However, it could also tee up Jerry Jones for trouble as soon as the season ends.
Adding Pickens Could Leave Jones With Impossible Choice in 2026
Dallas has known for quite some time that they needed to pay Micah Parsons. However, instead of doing that, they got another star at the end of his contract. Pickens and Parsons’ deals end at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
With only one franchise tag to go around, Jones has only two options. He can pay one as soon as possible and prepare to tag the other, or he can tag one and let the other test free agency.
Either way, one of the two will end up with leverage if they produce at a high clip in 2025. Of course, if one of them takes a step back, then Jones’ decision is much simpler.
However, Jones didn’t get these players to be unproductive, and the coaching staff has every reason to make the decision as difficult as possible by winning games and putting up numbers.
Essentially, the Cowboys may need to decide whether they go all-in on securing their offensive future (currently 23rd in Offense+ metrics) or securing their defensive future (currently 25th in Defense+ metrics).
Could Jones be left with a stressful situation to manage in January, February, and March in 2026?
