Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones' decision to acquire star wide receiver George Pickens last May has aged beautifully. But will the club bear the fruits of that labor for much longer?
Pickens is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11 if he and Dallas cannot find a resolution before then. Jones has openly stated that he's "looking forward" to ensuring the 2022 second-round pick "can be a Cowboy a long time." Be that as it may, the front office is reportedly prepared to do something fans loathe: play hardball with their best players.
There has been chatter of the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on Pickens and trading him elsewhere to recoup assets. However, recent intel from Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News suggests things could get ugly if Jones goes down that road (again).
Cowboys reporter opens door for messy George Pickens situation in Dallas
Slapping the one-year tender offer on Pickens," which seems likely, opens a dangerous can of worms that folks in Dallas are all too familiar with. The Cowboys have been known to drag contract negotiations with high-profile contributors, and he's ostensibly the next man up. With that in mind, Watkins believes this could linger deep into the offseason, which is the last thing anyone wants.
"If Pickens gets franchised, there's a strong possibility he will not report to the offseason programs as the team engages in contract talks with his agents," Watkins wrote ($).
Anyone who thought Jones had learned from his past mistakes may want to guess again. He tried this with quarterback Dak Prescott, fellow standout wideout CeeDee Lamb and perhaps most notably All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons. They all eventually got paid at or near market-setting value, with the latter of the trio getting dealt to the Green Bay Packers.
Prescott was the lone exception who continued to show up amid a well-chronicled stalemate with the Cowboys. Lamb held out and Parsons held in to avoid getting fined, though, and Pickens may follow suit in short order. What good does this do for anyone?
Jones wants to retain Pickens for the long haul, and the feeling appears to be mutual. Why can't the two sides reach an agreement on a deal and put this saga to bed? That's the question Cowboys Nation finds themselves asking, because they've seen great things come to a screeching halt on a moment's notice.
Cowboys fans have been down this road before. Pickens will presumably miss valuable workouts and team activities while his future remains unsettled. Not only does that create possible chemistry/timing issues, but the lack of reps also puts him at a higher risk of injury.