Depending on who’s talking, George Pickens is either the belle of the ball in Dallas or the three-day-old fish that couldn’t save Pittsburgh. Regardless, he’s now a Dallas Cowboy and in spite of trading a third-round pick for a receiver on the last year of his rookie deal, the Cowboys got what they were desperate for: A number two to line up opposite CeeDee Lamb.
It’s not an exaggeration. Lamb outproduced Brandin Cooks, the Cowboys’ number two the last two seasons, 2,943 receiving yards to 917 for a whopping difference of 2,027. That has left quarterback Dak Prescott with only one viable downfield option. Adding Pickens to the mix presumably gives Dallas a potent one-two punch that can take the top off defenses and create space underneath.
How Will George Pickens Fit Into the Cowboys’ Offense?
The biggest questions surrounding Pickens have nothing to do with his undeniable talent. It’s all about his maturity and reliability. Pickens picked up numerous unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and was seen by some as being inconsistent with his effort play to play.
Marcus Spears addressed these concerns and Pickens’ fit in Dallas on NFL on ESPN.
“The culture is going to matter. Yeah, and the culture is the players he’s playing with, but on the field it takes pressure off,” Spears said. “What it does is it opens up this offense. Brian Schottenheimer talked about, when he got the job, that he wanted to become a more shifts and motion. He kinda wanted to innovate this offense a little bit and update it.
“When you have two real threats that are on the field it makes defenses play you differently and you win before the actual snap,” Spears explained. So, that’s what I’m thinking the excitement comes from that. Matchup problems, who do we leave one on one when we double CeeDee Lamb? We have a guy that we know can win on the outside.”
As for Pickens as a reliable teammate, Spears said, “Everything that’s revolving around this George Pickens trade is about his availability. 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.”
Pickens’s time with the Steelers was marked by both impressive performances and behavioral concerns. Over three years, he caught 174 passes for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns, including a career high 1,140 in 2023. However, he was called out on several occasions for showing up late to team meetings and for unsportsmanlike penalty flags.
Regardless, the possibilities that are there with Prescott, Lamb, Pickens, tight end Jake Ferguson, and rookie running back Jaydon Blue are tempting. Now it’s time to find out if the Cowboys’ offense is for real or a mirage.
